Reviews - Tapiz amarillo | The StoryGraph

15.2k reviews for:

Tapiz amarillo

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

4.05 AVERAGE

caiizenn's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

klosterphobia's review against another edition

5.0

reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A BookTuber I follow recommended this and I ordered it on Amazon without realizing the actual story is barely 20 pages long. But in that brevity lies a sharp and haunting story that doesn’t need length to leave an impression.

The narrative captures the suffocating monotony and despair that come from having little to no control over your life or surroundings. It so aptly describes how a lack of agency can slowly erode your will to live, and how, in that numbness, you begin to search obsessively for meaning in the mundane. The wallpaper becomes a symbol of the societal patterns and expectations that trap not only women, but anyone overlooked. (Note this is often touted as one of the first feminist pieces of literature)

What struck me most was how the husband (who outwardly seems loving and attentive) completely fails to understand the depth of his wife’s suffering. His care is physical, clinical, and patronizing, but not emotional . The story makes a painful point: love alone isn’t enough. The line between protecting someone and silencing them begins to blur.

The imagery of children and confinement hints at postpartum depression, something I haven’t personally experienced, but it adds another dimension to the narrator’s mental unraveling. That element faded into the background for me on this first read, so I think this is a story I’ll return to. it feels like one that will reveal more each time.

What lingered most was the tragedy of how we, as a society, often don’t take mental illness seriously until it manifests in dramatic, visible ways. There’s a chilling moment when the husband insists he would act if there were “real danger,” not realizing the danger is already present.

As for the maid, I’m still unsure what role she was meant to play. Maybe she serves as a passive observer, or perhaps as a symbol of how those on the periphery often see more than we think. Or maybe she’s just another person conditioned to look away.

In any case, this is a story that stays with you. Sad, disturbing, and brutally insightful.

mfarova's review against another edition

5.0

5/5

This was a very quick but powerful read. It was chilling to see the woman slowly descend into madness while all the men around her insisted she was fine and just needed some “fresh air”. From a time when women were treated like porcelain dolls this is a very strong view on how trapped they truly felt and how little care people had for their mental health and well being.