Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas

23 reviews

mrouanet_'s review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Rape

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

thesehauntedshelves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Misogyny, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

ellasecretarchive's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Torture

g_monaghan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I would have rated this higher if the pacing was slightly better, it was a great start but despite the heavy subject matter I thought the author might have done more to highlight the deplorable actions of the physicians and common medical practice of the time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Confinement, and Medical trauma

Minor: Body horror

house_of_hannah's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'm really not sure how to rate this. I honestly think my favorite part was looking up the history of the real Salpêtrière and Professor Charcot. I actually lived just a few minutes walk from the Salpêtrière for several years without realizing it. The history is what fascinates me, but the book itself leaves a bit to be desired.

This story is told in a very matter-of-fact way. There's nothing that's hidden or mysterious about the characters or the setting. Everything is laid out for the reader, and I think it causes the book to lose some heart.

This is a slow, character driven story that is quite light on actual plot. It takes place over the span of two and a half weeks, but it feels so much longer than that due to the pacing. Unfortunately, this story suffers from extremely convenient scenarios to push the plot forward, which makes everything very predictable. 

As the title is The Mad Women's Ball, I expected a lot more of the story to take place during the ball, or to have it be way more relevant than it actually was. In the end it just felt like another plot device with no life to it. 

This book is depressing; there's no way around that. I mainly felt stressed while reading this. I'm not happy with the conclusion, and it left me feeling a little lost ? There is an epilogue, but I honestly could have used one more chapter of the main story to prevent it from feeling so abrupt. This is not a long book, so the ending does feel rushed compared to how the rest of the story unfolded. 

Basically I have quite mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it introduced me to a history of Paris I did not previously know, but on the other I think the book itself could have been fleshed out so much more. In the end I think that leaves me with an average book where the history behind it is more intriguing than the fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

lau_leo's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Wowowow. I feel like this book was made for me. This was a pretty quick read for me but it has resonated with me so much. As an agnostic nurse, I could sympathize with the main character immensely. I have often questioned and re-evaluated my beliefs and purpose in life so seeing one of the main characters go through similar things such as detachment, depersonalization, burnout, and survivors guilt had me connecting to this novel on a level I wasn’t expecting. I loved how the main characters question their own sanity and beliefs and stay true to themselves. I will probably recommend this book to anyone who will listen. And I am intrigued to see how I perceive this book when I reread it one day and if I will love it as much as I currently do. 

Before reading this book, I want to point out that looking up content warnings might be advised. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Trafficking

notallbooks_mp's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I think the work this one is doing—showing how women are both abused by the mental health systems that were in place at the time, but also somewhat sheltered from some of the more horrible experiences outside the hospital—isn’t entirely new, and I’m wondering if it’s possible that I just don’t like some of how this was translated? I also wonder if the spiritualism plotline somehow undermines some of the other arguments but haven’t really worked through this line of thinking. Interesting and complex but not fully fleshed out for my tastes. I will probably check out the movie though. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization

mgordon3118's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Ableism

allisonshewfelt's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

"In fact, our choice is never between truth and lies, but between the consequences that will follow each one."
"If she must descend into the depths the better to rise again, then she will allow herself to fall."

The mad women's ball is a beautiful yet haunting story of how women were treated back in 19th century Paris. We meet 2 main characters, Geneviève and Eugénie. Geneviève is a stern nurse who worships science and the notorious Dr. Charcot, famous neurologist of the Salpêtrière asylum. Although she's never garnered any affection towards the women, she is the foundation for the hospital. Eugénie is a strong headed and opinionated daughter of a well known family. She gets sent to the Salpêtrière for seeing and hearing the dead. Her father doesn't want the family name associated with that so he commits her there. 
"This is a world in which upholding the family name is more important than protecting one's daughters."
Her gift is not one I was afraid of because these spirits weren't there to scare her, they were usually loved one or others loved one.

The Salpêtrière is an asylum for deranged women. However, many of the women are simply unwanted by their fathers, brothers, husbands etc. When a women wants to have an opinion or be more than just a mother, she gets dumped here. Life for women back then was really unfair. Unfortunately, being so penned up inside and treated like experiment animals, many developed panic attacks, palsy and seizures. Every year there is a mad women's ball for the parisian folk. For them, it is a spectacle like going to the zoo and for the women, it is a chance to be noticed for more than just a mad woman.

Although Geneviève was a very closed off character, I really love how she started to doubt her beliefs and realized how these doctors mistreated their patients. She knew that Eugénie was special and didn't belong here and she wanted to help her escape.

I was really sad with how this ended. I wish things had gone well for both characters but you'll have to read it to find out what happens. The writing in this is beautiful as well. This work of art relays themes of what it means to be free, to believe, fearing what you do not understand, and allowing yourself to fall in order to rise again. It shows the true strength of women and what they can accomplish together.

It's sickening to know that this is based off a real asylum of the same name. I can't believe having an opinion back then as a women was enough to be thrown in here. I don't understand how men could treat them like that.

If you like the lost apothecary, you will love this book. They take place around the same time with female main characters and relationships between them and the setting gives off the same gothic ambience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Rape, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Minor: Self harm, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Incest, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism

kaymichelle's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion