The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics (Sagebrush)) [School & Library Binding]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Author), Alexander Black (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Classics (Sagebrush) | Publication Date: November 2000

Known primarily for her classic and haunting story "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an enormously influential American feminist and sociologist. Her early-twentieth-century writings continue to inspire writers and activists today. This collection includes selections from both her fiction and nonfiction work.

In addition to the title story, there are seven short stories collected here that combine humor, anger, and startling vision to suggest how women's "place" in society should be changed to benefit all. The nonfiction selections are from Gilman's The Man-Made World: Our Androcentric Culture and her masterpiece, Women And Economics, which was translated into seven languages and established her international reputation as a theorist.

Also included in a delightful excerpt from Gilman's utopian novel, Herland, an acidly funny tale about three American male explorers who stumble into an all-female society and begin their odyssey by insisting, "This is a civilized country . . . there must be men." Gilman's analyses of economic and women's issues are as incisive and relevant today as they were upon their original publication. This volume is an unprecedented opportunity to rediscover a powerful American writer.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The most original and challenging mind which the [women's] movement produced."
--Carrie Chapman Catt --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Known primarily for her classic and haunting story "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an enormously influential American feminist and sociologist. Her early-twentieth-century writings continue to inspire writers and activists today. This collection includes selections from both her fiction and nonfiction work. In addition to the title story, there are seven short stories collected here that combine humor, anger, and startling vision to suggest how women's "place" in society should be changed to benefit all. The nonfiction selections are from Gilman's The Man-Made World: Our Androcentric Culture and her masterpiece, Women And Economics, which was translated into seven languages and established her international reputation as a theorist. Also included in a delightful excerpt from Gilman's utopian novel, Herland, an acidly funny tale about three American male explorers who stumble into an all-female society and begin their odyssey by insisting, "This is a civilized country . . . there must be men." Gilman's analyses of economic and women's issues are as incisive and relevant today as they were upon their original publication. This volume is an unprecedented opportunity to rediscover a powerful American writer. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• School & Library Binding: 348 pages
• Publisher: San Val (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613501438
• ISBN-13: 978-0613501439
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,735,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Post Partum Madness?, March 15, 2002

By 

Kimberly Wells (Shreveport, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings (Bantam Classics) (Paperback)

Gilman was a feminist, a radical suffragist and a woman who was told that all of her thoughts and energies ought to be solely focused on something that she wasn't really interested in being: a mother. She suffered from post-partum depression and severe anxiety later in life. The title story, "the Yellow Wallpaper" is a semi-autobiographical account of what happened when she had to go through a "rest cure" for her "hysteria." The title story is her most well-known, but the other writings are very good too, and worth a second look. She wrote prolifically-- and deserves to be better known.

The first time I ever encountered this story was at a dramatic interpretation contest in high school-- and when the girl performing this did her descent into madness, it made the hair crawl on the back of my neck. If you really think about what's going on, you too will be creeped out.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Glaring mistake at story's conclusion, October 30, 2007

By 

K. Mcgarry "karibob" (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings (Bantam Classics) (Paperback)

I'm sure this collection of Gilman's work is adequate enough, however, at the end of the story, "The Yellow Wall-paper," there is a mistake in the printing of a name of one of the characters. The text states "Jennie" when it should state "Jane," and this completely changes the way a reader would interpret and understand the entire story. Jennie is the sister to John, the protagonists husband. Having her name inserted in this passage wrongly implicates her with the action. Jane is the name the writer and character mean to implicate. Read it again and insert Jane for Jennie and see how the story shifts in importance. Poor Charlotte must be creeping about in her grave at this error.

5.0 out of 5 stars Early feminist author, August 17, 2011

By 

Laurie G "Laurieg" (WNY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

I had never heard of this author or book until one of the Shelfari groups featured it.Loved it.This is a very short but powerful read.Written in 1892 abt a woman who has post partum depression that slides into insanity.For me there were metaphors abt women and the suffagette movement. Excellent read and highly recommended.I would put this author in same class as Kate Chopin."