Title: The Madwoman of Paris
Author: Jennifer Cody Epstein
Pages: 336
Publish: July 18, 2023
Rating: 2.5/5
Thank you, NetGalley, Jennifer Epstein, and Random House Publish Group - Ballantine, for the free copy of this book for an honest review.
Initially, I was eager to delve into this book as it encompassed all of my favorite elements - gothic style, France, asylums, and strong-willed women. It had the potential to be a captivating story, but unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations.
The Salpêtrière asylum, headed by the infamous Dr Jean-Martin Charcot, gained notoriety for his lectures on hysteria and his unconventional methods. Laure, a former patient turned attendant, aided Charcot's subjects, primarily hysteric women, who were utilized in his demonstrations.
The protagonist, Laure, seeks to locate her younger sister after their parents pass away. However, she wakes up at the asylum one day with no recollection of how she arrived there. Eventually, she is deemed "cured" of her affliction and appointed to care for the women who Charcot uses in his lectures. Laure starts to notice that the women's conditions improve when they are not subjected to mesmerism. She realizes this after realizing that she wasn’t able to be mesmerized, so Charcot leaves her alone, leading to her eventual cure.
As Laure oversees Charcot's newest protégé, Josephine, she becomes increasingly disturbed by the cruel experiments and demonstrations performed on the woman. Determined to escape the asylum and Charcot's sadistic ways, she devises a plan to flee with Josephine.
Regrettably, this book proved to be a challenging read, and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied. The writing style was more like a clinical textbook rather than an engaging story. It was not until halfway through the book that the plot finally began to materialize, making it an arduous read.
Based on the reviews, the book's storyline is rooted in real events, and it may have been more enjoyable as a work of non-fiction. I can only imagine that the genuine events were more captivating than the fictionalized account presented in this book.
Real-life characters in The Madwoman of Paris
Jean-Martin Charcot
Joseph Babinski
Gilles de la Tourette (namesake for Tourette syndrome)
Sigmund Freud - was at the asylum to watch the lectures in his younger years
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