Being restrained and told you are insane, when you are perfectly well, is one of the more terrifying fears. Dozens of movies and novels use this premise as their kernel of horror. For some, the terror is real. In 1860, Elizabeth Packard was institutionalized against her will. Her logical intelligence and extreme perseverance were her only tools. She used her time effectively.
What do you do when reality isn’t real? When your perceptions are manipulated? What if it was an evil spirit or a haunted house that was doing it? Some of the most unnerving books are ones where the line is blurred and narrators are unreliable.
Hysteria in the Nineteenth Century Paris An absolutely stunning and amazing book. There were many overnight hours spent with a little light, awake and reading. Hustvedt demonstrates such thorough knowledge and ease about her topic that her academic precision never overpowers the compelling story of Charcot, Salpetriere and the “star” hysterics. Hustvedt uses three main…