Out of Her Mind: Women Writing on Madness (Modern Library Paperbacks) (Paperback)

~ Rebecca Shannonhouse (Author) "When this creature was twenty years of age, or somewhat more, she was married to a worshipful burgess [of Lynn] and was with child within..." (more)
Key Phrases: Brave Orchid, Doctor Gordon, Moon Orchid (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This somewhat uneven collection by freelance writer Shannonhouse focuses not on the experience of mental illness but rather on descriptions of those experiences (both first-and secondhand) written by women, making the subject matter fairly unique. The time span of the 21 brief selections is impressive (1436-1999); however, almost two-thirds of the writings are from the last half of the 20th century. The wide range of work includes arresting first-person descriptions of mental illness and the equally riveting 1843 testimony of Dorothea Dix on the conditions of Massaschusetts insane assylums. Unfortunately, this collection also includes material such as four rather benign letters by Zelda Fitzgerald (published here for the first time) in which she describes "picnic suppers' and "idyllic days" spent at Highland Hospital. Although sufficient for casual reading, a topic this intriguing deserves more thorough treatment. Recommend for larger public and academic collections.
Angela M. Weiler, SUNY Libs., Morrisville
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

A well-chosen collection of some of the finest women's writing, both fiction and nonfiction, on madness, reflecting the horrifying ways over the years that the condition has been defined and treated. The anthology, with an informative introduction by freelance writer Shannonhouse, runs the gamut from The Book of Margery Kempe (1436) to Allie Light (1999). The intervening 19 piecesessays, letters, excerpts from fictionshare a common, if dispiriting, thread. Whether the diagnosis is chemical in origin, a current favorite, or anatomicalwomen's sexual organs were once blamed for what was called hysteriatreatment has been obtuse and often cruel. Very few seem to have understood, or even listened to, the symptoms or the painful experiences these women were relating. Margery Kempe went ``out of her mind'' after her child was born, had to be forcibly restrained, but regained her sanity through religious beliefs, becoming a noted mystic. 19th-century social worker Dorothy Dix observed women in New England that were not so fortunate. Some were kept in cages, others whipped, and those thought to be sufficiently docile were auctioned off at an annual sale in which local citizens were paid to house them. As excerpts from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Mary-Jane Ward's The Snakepit, and Light's Thorazine Shuffle show, doctors, nurses, and therapists seem hardly more enlightened: Patients could not refuse medication even if it made them feel terrible, and, as part of her therapy, Light had to walk with a book on her head to improve her posture. Particularly affecting are Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaperboth an anatomy of disorder and a portrait of a suffocating marriageand Searching for Mercy Street, Linda Gray Sexton's painful reminiscences of her poet mothers breakdowns. Not a day-brightener, but a stirring anthology of the best and most searing writings that brightly illuminate the dark side of so many women's lives. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; Exp Sub edition (February 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375755020
• ISBN-13: 978-0375755026
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,940 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant, heartbreaking collection, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Out of Her Mind: Women Writing on Madness (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

The selections in this anthology are some of the most wrenching, beautiful, and eloquent passages I have ever read. Each of the women writers in these pages has suffered through some sort of mental illness, whether it is her own or that of a loved one. What I found most interesting is that even though these women come from vastly different backgrounds and time periods, their struggles have much in common. For example, a woman in the 1990s writes about some of the same moods, symptoms and prejudices and that a 15th century author describes. The letters by Zelda Fitzgerald are fascinating, and the final essay by Martha Hughes is worth the price of the book alone. This is a classic collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In turn horrifying, moving and informative, July 28, 2002

By	ash (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of Her Mind: Women Writing on Madness (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

I have worked in the field of mental health for several years, and collect fiction that deals with the subject. This collection is among the best I have found. It includes the well known Yellow Wallpaper, and selections from Bell Jar and Girl, Interrupted. But it also includes lesser known works that portray vividly what is it like to suddenly find yourself in the throes of depression and schizophrenia, and what it is like to watch a family member's descent into that hell, knowing there is little or nothing you can do. You will also find descriptions of how society has attempted to treat mentally illness for the last 400 years, with terrifying results. If you have any interest in this subject, read this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating, October 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Out of Her Mind: Women Writing on Madness (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

This is an excellent collection of essays, stories and excerpts from longer works that lingers long after you put it down. Despite the brevity of most entries (the entire book is less than 200 pages) their resonance deepens as you read story after story of women from the 15th century through today.

It does not matter if you are a therapist, a therapy client or you have never thought about entering such a relationship. Nor does it matter whether you are a man or woman. These stories speak to everyone who has had a dark night of the soul. Yet they clarify the difference between having an occasional dark night and being swamped in darkness.

It is painful reading, but will bring you closer to "madness" than anything short of direct experience.