276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Madwoman

£4.995£9.99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

It's obvious that the author put great thought into the historical aspects of this novel, and I wish I could have given it a higher rating because I know the kind of passion that leads to this kind of novel that simply demands the author to write it, but I was frustrated by the narrator telling me what to think about the conditions of the place and thus what would otherwise have been four stars is three. A propulsive, compelling novel about the lengths one woman will go to to expose the truth about how those most in need of help are kept in danger.’

I fairly leapt at the chance to read Louise Treger’s fictionalised narrative of Elizabeth Cochran who wrote under the pseudonym of Nellie Bly, having always been fascinated by her remarkable story. It’s a brutal and heartbreaking story but at the helm we have the courageous Nellie who is determined to get justice for these unfortunate people even risking her own sanity to get the truth out in the open. I was completely fascinated by Nellie her sheer determination to change the way women were treated in both the institutions and work places it shone through and she was one hell of a feisty woman. Madwoman‘ is based on the true story of Nellie Bly, the world’s first female investigative journalist and is one of my favourite books so far this year. So I loved the book it made me sad but it also gave me hope in that people like Nellie are still around today and are as caring as she was, please read the book it really is worth it.I enjoyed Louisa Treger’s, The Dragon Lady, and I have been eager to read Madwoman, her latest work of historical fiction featuring Nellie Bly. I’ve read other books about Nellie Bly’s life, but this is the first I’ve read that delve deeply into the time she spent in the asylum, a place she goes of her own accord to experience first hand what was happening inside those institutions and expose the atrocities. What an absolutely stunning read this was and many congratulations to Louisa Treger for writing such a wonderful historical novel with such compassion and feeling .

It was not easy to read about the horrible living conditions, torture and emotional trauma the women faced. Definitely the stuff of nightmares! I knew of Nellie Bly before reading this book, so I obviously knew what happened in the end, but it’s still a great story about a remarkable woman. Mad Woman is a form of catharsis for Bly if not to heal herself, at least to help alleviate some of the physical, emotional, or psychological agony she experienced throughout her life. Based on her observations of her mother’s homelife and asylum patients, “what kills [Bly] is that she wasn’t mad – only desperate”.I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance e-copy of Madwoman via NetGalley. I also listened to much of the book on audio, via a subscription service. The asylum seems to be more a place of punishment than a place of healing and refuge for women. A conversation with a female patient opens her eyes to the realisation that these female patients are not necessarily “insane” in terms of psychiatric standards, but inconvenient to the patriarchal narrative forcing women to be subservient. Needless to say the circumstances in the asylum are truly horrendous. The staff consists of criminals and prostitutes who could not care less about the patients if they tried, and have had no training whatsoever. The doctors are apparently blind as bats or equally uninterested in what goes on. It’s all quite devastating and sometimes pretty uncomfortable to read about. Many of these women weren’t even “insane”. Some were put there by their husbands because they were in the way of a new love affair, for instance. Or that infamous “hysteria” illness so many women seem to suffer from. Basically, an asylum was often an acceptable way of dealing with inconvenient women, and nobody cared as long as the insane, real or not, were hidden away out of sight. Because of the very nature of dreams held by a woman – absurd, non-linear, fantastical – women use them as a springboard to explore ideas free from the constraints of society’s patriarchal conventions and logic. The work of women is considered less serious than that of white men. It often goes undocumented, disappears into private collections, is lost or destroyed. Growing up in a home with two older brothers who are granted more freedom than her, Bly is restless for a life beyond what a girl is “supposed” to do. Her parents, too, reinforce these [binaried] societal narratives and conventions: Women are expected to be quiet, submissive, diplomatic, let things go, not get angry and conditioned to be subservient. However, Bly’s father gives her a glimmer of hope beyond this when he gives her a book and pen that shows that when you give a child a pencil, you give her an entire world.

their intelligence – this makes a huge difference for a speaker. In the Oxford audience I encountered many experts in the field my book covered and even one of the ambassadors I’d quoted A stimulating and rewarding on-stage conversation; a lively informed and tolerant audience; privileged access to the great treasures of the Bodleian, and finally, wonderfully interesting dinner companions to help me conclude the best day I have enjoyed at any festival – anywhere.Strong-willed and determined to prove her worth as a journalist, Nellie Bly, an alias for Elizabeth Cochran, convinces two men at the New York World newspaper to support her attempt to go undercover and get a story. Unfortunately, though I find Nellie’s story fascinating and Treger’s details appear accurate, I felt the narrative of Madwoman was simplistic and flat, failing to evoke atmosphere or strong emotion. The third person viewpoint removes the reader from events, I wanted to walk with Nellie, not observing her as a reporter might. Nellie Bly - what a girl! In this compelling tribute to a fearless young reporter of Victorian New York, Treger brings to vivid life the way one woman's broken past gives her the strength to expose the many horrors faced by others left to rot in an asylum. Both a pioneering writer and early icon of sexual equality, Nellie's true-life story is compassionately told in this remarkable read -- ESSIE FOX

Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nellie Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring.’ Treger’s vivid descriptions of Nellie’s time in the asylum and her portrait of a truly extraordinary woman make for a compelling read.’ I came away buzzing and reassured that we still have in this century a wide ranging community fascinated not just by famous authors (I’ve rarely seen so many concentrated in one place) but by challenging ideas and questions.Treger provides a moving story, particularly powerful in its depiction of Bly’s desperate efforts to retain her sanity in the midst of institutional madness.’ I very much enjoyed getting to know Nellie as a child - called Pink - and loved the family dynamic, her mother telling her stories and her father encouraging her to chase her dreams in the world where women were not allowed to have jobs and careers. My only dislike was the romantic part of the novel which I found hard to believe, but it was not that important to the overall story and its message. In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take.

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment