Hysterical Women of the Salpêtrière Asylum

 

In the late 19^th century, Doctor Jean-Martin Charcot, director of the asylum was famous for his study of hysterical women. Women were sent to the asylum for a variety of reasons from socially unacceptable behavior to unwanted pregnancy. The asylum was divided between those women considered insane and those diagnosed as hysterics. Doctor Charcot’s area of research was the hysterical women whom he treated with hypnosis. The unfortunate women were hypnotized and presented at Charcot’s lectures where under hypnosis they were made to demonstrate their hysterical symptoms.

This story follows two women, Laure and Josaphine. Laure is a former patient. She was declared cured and now is an attendant. Josaphine was brought to the hospital covered with blood. She was diagnosed with hysteria and turned out to be an excellent hypnotic subject. Carcot used her in many of his demonstrations and she becomes famous. Laure takes care of Josaphine and becomes fond of her. When Josaphine’s symptoms veer toward insanity, Laure decides that they need to escape.

This is an extremely well researched historical novel. It has a dark undertone because of some of the treatments these women were subjected to. Some of the scenes were quite difficult to read. Although well written, the pace is often slow and the prose feels more like a non-fiction book than a novel. I recommend this book particularly if you’re interested in psychiatric care in the late 19^th century.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this novel.