Historical

Le bal des folles

Le bal des folles

  • Downloads：2208
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-19 03:51:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Victoria Mas
  • ISBN：2253103624
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

Chaque année， à la mi-carême， se tient un très étrange Bal des Folles。 Le temps d’une soirée， le Tout-Paris s’encanaille sur des airs de valse et de polka en compagnie de femmes déguisées en colombines， gitanes， zouaves et autres mousquetaires。
Réparti sur deux salles – d’un côté les idiotes et les épileptiques ; de l’autre les hystériques， les folles et les maniaques – ce bal est en réalité l’une des dernières expérimentations de Charcot， désireux de faire des malades de la Salpêtrière des femmes comme les autres。 Parmi elles， Eugénie， Louise et Geneviève， dont Victoria Mas retrace le parcours heurté， dans ce premier roman qui met à nu la condition féminine au XIXe siècle。

Download

Reviews

jennet wheatstonelllsl ，

By moonlight in the quiet forest， a young boy and his family decorate their favorite tree with popcorn， apples， tangerines， and sunflower-seed balls as a gift for the animals of the woods。 “Sure to become a Christmas favorite， this beautifully illustrated story of a family’s unusual tradition brings to life the true spirit of Christmas。”--American Bookseller

LaBibliodeCaro ，

This English translation of the French award-winning bestseller is a high quality read。 It renders a realistic depiction of the morals and scientific knowledge of the time where women were easily dismissed as crazy and even abused when they dared stray from the rigid expectations。 The stories about Eugénie and Geneviève， and all the other women are poignant。 It’s well written and a hard-to-put-down book。 Now that the movie has been released on Prime， I’ll go see how they adapted this riveting te This English translation of the French award-winning bestseller is a high quality read。 It renders a realistic depiction of the morals and scientific knowledge of the time where women were easily dismissed as crazy and even abused when they dared stray from the rigid expectations。 The stories about Eugénie and Geneviève， and all the other women are poignant。 It’s well written and a hard-to-put-down book。 Now that the movie has been released on Prime， I’ll go see how they adapted this riveting text！ 。。。more

Paige Green ，

Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: The Mad Woman's BallAuthor: Victoria MasBook Series: StandaloneRating: 3。5/5Recommended For。。。: Historical Fiction， thrillerGenre: Historical FictionPublication Date: September 7， 2021Publisher: The Overlook PressPages: 224Recommended Age: 18+ （sexual assualt TW， suicide attempt， forced institutionalization， Abelism， misogyny， grief， death， violence， gore）Explanation of CWs: Forced insti Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher。 Thanks！ All opinions are my own。Book: The Mad Woman's BallAuthor: Victoria MasBook Series: StandaloneRating: 3。5/5Recommended For。。。: Historical Fiction， thrillerGenre: Historical FictionPublication Date: September 7， 2021Publisher: The Overlook PressPages: 224Recommended Age: 18+ （sexual assualt TW， suicide attempt， forced institutionalization， Abelism， misogyny， grief， death， violence， gore）Explanation of CWs: Forced institutionalization， sexual assualt， and suicide are graphically shown。 There are abelist comments。 Grief and death frequent。Synopsis: The Salpetriere Asylum: Paris， 1885。 Dr。 Charcot holds all of Paris in thrall with his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad and cast out from society。 But the truth is much more complicated—these women are often simply inconvenient， unwanted wives， those who have lost something precious， wayward daughters， or girls born from adulterous relationships。 For Parisian society， the highlight of the year is the Lenten ball—the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere dressed up in their finery for one night only。 For the women themselves， it is a rare moment of hope。Genevieve is a senior nurse。 After the childhood death of her sister Blandine， she shunned religion and placed her faith in both the celebrated psychiatrist Dr。 Charcot and science。 But everything begins to change when she meets Eugenie—the 19-year-old daughter of a bourgeois family that has locked her away in the asylum。 Because Eugenie has a secret: she sees spirits。 Inspired by the scandalous， banned work that all of Paris is talking about， The Book of Spirits， Eugenie is determined to escape from the asylum—and the bonds of her gender—and seek out those who will believe in her。 And for that she will need Genevieve's help 。 。 。Review: For the most part I enjoyed this read。 It was informative and it gave me a lot of insight into asylums and how they were run。 The book did well with the world building and atmosphere， it was positively creepy and terrifying。However， I did feel like the character development was a bit lacking and I couldn't connect with a few of the characters。 I also felt like the beginning was slow and the plot twist/device was obvious and gave away the ending。Verdict: It was good， just predictable。 。。。more

Mark Suriano ，

Disturbing in its portrayal of women as hysterical in the 19th century， the novel is also strangely empowering and beautifully written。 Within its pages the theme of redemption resounds with hope and beauty。

Jen ，

Throughout history， men have used many ways to remove difficult or embarrassing wives and daughters。 Women who， for one reason or another have proven troublesome （for husbands， fathers， or brothers） have often found themselves relegated to asylums。 Whether because of mental illness， refusal to stay in their place， adultery （of either partner）， or financial incentives--asylums have provided ways to remove inconvenient women。 In 1885 in Paris， Eugenie， a young woman in a controlling， patriarchal h Throughout history， men have used many ways to remove difficult or embarrassing wives and daughters。 Women who， for one reason or another have proven troublesome （for husbands， fathers， or brothers） have often found themselves relegated to asylums。 Whether because of mental illness， refusal to stay in their place， adultery （of either partner）， or financial incentives--asylums have provided ways to remove inconvenient women。 In 1885 in Paris， Eugenie， a young woman in a controlling， patriarchal household， reveals to her grandmother that she "sees dead people。" As a result， she ends up in the Salpetriere Asylum。 Eugenie was already problematic for occasionally taunting her father， and he takes the opportunity to relieve himself of her presence。The asylum under Dr。 Jean-Martin Charcot was in much better shape than it had been previously， and Charcot made many advancements in science， but "Charcot had come to believe that susceptibility to hypnosis was an indicator of latent hysteria。 He based this belief on the fact that hysterical symptoms could be reproduced by hypnotic suggestions （Fancher， 1985， p。 54）。" （source）Women in the Salpetriere Asylum range from those who suffer from epilepsy， dementia， "hysteria"， sexual trauma， and in Eugenie's case the insanity of seeing spirits。 But Eugenie is not insane， and soon enough， Genevieve， the head nurse has to deal with this particular problem。 The book is short and well-researched， and I found it intriguing in its rather unusual approach。 The inclusion of spiritualism， family dynamics， and the names of Charcot's famous students were sometimes at odds。 Medical science， especially in the area of mental health， has undergone remarkable and often cruel trends and so have cultural norms。 Women are much better off today--they can vote， get divorced， retain custody of their children， work outside the home， etc。 And yet。。。women are still expected to meet some of the social norms of a century ago， don't trust that reporting abuse will be taken seriously， and are called hysterical if they respond in a manner accepted as OK for men。 Links:Women Who Defied Gender Roles Were Once Imprisoned in Asylums Restoring Perspective: Life and Treatment at the London AsylumWomen's Admission to Asylums in United States of AmericaIt was difficult to find accounts of the Le Bal des Folles at the Salpetriere Asylum because almost everything led back to the novel and the upcoming film， but I finally found this link。 （you can find the links on my blog: https://bookgarden。blogspot。com/NetGalley/Abrams BooksHistorical fiction。 Sept。 7， 2021。 Print length: 224 pages。 。。。more

Rocío González ，

Me ha gustado mucho 🤍。 No conocía la historia de la Salpêtrière， y me parece una historia que debe conocerse。 Es un libro duro y crudo sobre la vida de las mujeres en la época， pero también es una historia tierna， de sororidad y contra los prejuicios。 Muy recomendable！

Adora Michaels ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas was an impactful read。 I already knew about the history of women and how they were treated and basically thrown away if they fell out of line in certain aspects， which has always angered me to my core， but this book was very well written giving identities that now can always be brought to the surface of one’s mind when thinking about those women。 This book was triggering in a few different ways when it came to rape and being locked away for your mentality in The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas was an impactful read。 I already knew about the history of women and how they were treated and basically thrown away if they fell out of line in certain aspects， which has always angered me to my core， but this book was very well written giving identities that now can always be brought to the surface of one’s mind when thinking about those women。 This book was triggering in a few different ways when it came to rape and being locked away for your mentality in general， but both of those things were important to the plot。Mas having Genevieve write a letter to her sister at the very beginning was a very smart move on the author’s part to help the reader form empathy for Genevieve and to give the readers a reason to like her， otherwise the author may have run into the issue of having readers dislike one of the main characters right away since that character looked up to who the readers most likely deemed the bad guy and managed the women in the asylum。 Genevieve’s history also helped promote sympathy and understanding for the reader showing that the character was living her life thinking that things were fine and as they should be， although a part of her doubted herself。 I was hoping after I had grasped that about her that this book was going to give her a big character development plot and I was happy that it did。 It had to have been hard for the author to write Genevieve in a way that had to give her room to grow but keep her from being disliked right at the beginning。I appreciated how Victoria Mas showed how life was outside of the asylum at first with Eugenie。 It was a very great display of the outside world and how things use to be and what the old normal was。 As sad as it was， it was a much-needed reminder of how families typically thought， how lifestyles were， and how suppressed women were。I also loved the contrast that the author gave us when it came to using Theophile to show the little examples of how if a man does this， then it is ok， while if a woman does this， then it is seen as crazy。 Two great ways that she did this was at the salon when the men were talking about the spirit book and one had read it and was fighting for it and when they had admitted Eugenie and Theophile ran away。 I also appreciated that Theophile even admitted to himself that he would have been locked away if he was a woman。I needed the spirit stuff in this book since I love reading paranormal and fantasy！ It brought me into the book even more and I feel like the book would still fit well for others who don’t typically read paranormal or fantasy books because the author did so well with it in displaying this part delicately and to where it didn’t take up the whole story or plot。 I felt like adding the spirit arc also created more stakes for the characters because it made the readers want things to work out in a way for both of the characters involved and want even more so for Eugenie to get out。 I also loved that the author tied religion into the story and into the madness。I found myself caring deeply for all the main characters in this book。 Eugenie was my favorite because of her questioning society， life， and religion。 I love when she stated， “so it is ok to believe in God and yet not spirits”。 I related to her so much in this book。The third person omniscient point of view was also an excellent tool to use to help the readers get closer and feel more for all the main characters。 Victoria Mas used this point of view flawlessly！ I was not confused at all and the transitions were so seamless that I never left the story。I loved and appreciated little quotes throughout the story that my mind automatically pulled out and were drawn to。 One of them was “Dreams are dangerous things， Louise。 Especially when they depend on someone else。”I felt like the ball wasn’t even needed to make the story interesting， but the ball was used very well to enhance and relieve the plot。 It definitely helped show how hope helped many of the women get out of their depressive maniac states and how insane and animalistic some of the “normal” people were and are normally in society。 I loved Victoria Mas’s description of the ball。 It made it feel haunting and full of adrenaline and fleeting hope， while at the same time bringing moments of harsh， rash reality。 My favorite part of the description about the ball was when Mas stated that ‘if someone were to step into this ballroom now without understanding the context， they would single out as eccentrics and lunatics precisely those who are supposed to be sane。’Keeping a mysterious element on what Professor Charcot was doing to the women without going into much detail was perfect for the readers。 It helped the readers feel and know how the women felt when it came to not knowing exactly what was going on or happening to them and it added fear of the unknown and disturbances to the story。I loved that one of the underlining lessons in this story was how much a book can validate and make a reader feel a little less alone in the world like the spirit book did for Eugenie and like this book does and would have done for many of the women in the past。The character development for all of the characters was very well played out。 I even felt like Theophile developed from the beginning of the story。 Genevieve I felt had the most drastic development that really shifted after her dad had rejected her。 And although I hated all the things that had happened to Louise， I was very happy that the author had Louise feared at the end and showed how much she had grown stronger mentally in a sense。 I love that she did not let those men make her weak。My absolute favorite lesson in this book was to doubt。 I truly believe that to doubt is a good thing and have come across that on my religious journey。 I feel it is a very important lesson to have in life to always question everything because when you do is when you really can understand people instead of degrading them or locking them away。 I loved loved loved that Genevieve learned that lesson and loved that at the end she understood the women that she looked down on before。I absolutely loved this book。 It was a hard read mentally and emotionally but addicting， impactful， and important。 I want to thank Victoria Mas for taking her time to write such a book and the book club that assigned it because I don’t know if I would have ever read it if they hadn’t。 。。。more

Anna Pebblebrook ，

Spannend gezeichnete Frauenfiguren， die in einer von Männer bestimmten Welt ihren Weg gehen。 Ich hätte angesichts des Klappentextes etwas ganz anderes erwartet， wurde aber in den Bann der Geschichte gezogen。

Fiona O'Reilly ，

A bestseller & award winner in France - a shortish novel about sane & not so sane women incarcerated in an asylum in Paris。 Based on historical facts -A very good read。

Courtney ，

The Mad Women's Ball takes place in France during the 1885， focusing on the infamous Salpetriere Asylum。 The author explores the dehumanizing treatment of the women who are placed there， who are more likely to be traumatized or viewed as inconvenient rather than insane。 Overall， I'm disappointed。 While the topic of the book was important I felt like the delivery was subpar。 I'm not sure if something was lost in translation but I found the writing for the first third of the book to be awkward and The Mad Women's Ball takes place in France during the 1885， focusing on the infamous Salpetriere Asylum。 The author explores the dehumanizing treatment of the women who are placed there， who are more likely to be traumatized or viewed as inconvenient rather than insane。 Overall， I'm disappointed。 While the topic of the book was important I felt like the delivery was subpar。 I'm not sure if something was lost in translation but I found the writing for the first third of the book to be awkward and impersonal。 We were "told" what was happening instead of "seeing" it for ourselves。 Character development was lacking and I never could connect to any of them。 Dr。 Charcot， who was mentioned in the blurb， was there only in the far shadows of the background having little impact。 The emphasis on our main character （Eugenie） escaping in the blurb had me believing it would be a bigger plot point than what it actually was。 The reality was unimpressive in it's predictability and lack of imagination。The lack of connection to the characters， along with a weak plot， left me feeling disappointed。 I didn't dislike the Mad Women's Ball enough to DNF it but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone。 Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more

Emily Berch ，

4。5/5I’m surprised more people aren’t discussing this book， but hopefully more will after the movie is released on 17 September 2021！If I had to say what this book is kind of like， imagine the cast of Girl， Interrupted performing the play The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade as the chorus sings “Cell Block Tango” in the background。 Translated from French， this dark and enthralling no 4。5/5I’m surprised more people aren’t discussing this book， but hopefully more will after the movie is released on 17 September 2021！If I had to say what this book is kind of like， imagine the cast of Girl， Interrupted performing the play The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade as the chorus sings “Cell Block Tango” in the background。 Translated from French， this dark and enthralling novel follows three women in 1885 Paris whose lives revolve around the real life Salpêtrière women’s mental institute。 Geneviève is the head nurse at the institute， reminding me heavily of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest。 However， as the story unfolds， she shows a spark of humanity that transforms her， making her my favorite character overall。 Louise has been committed to the institute because her family violated her in an unspeakable way， and so she has a mental breakdown。Eugénie can see spirits， but her father thinks she is evil and commits her。 Every year at the institute， there is a ball that becomes the spectacle for the bourgeoisie: supposed madwomen dressing up in costume and dancing。 I like how the author points out that there were some women who had mental health issues in the way that we think of it today， but most of the committed women are placed there simply because they do not fit within the patriarchy。 Religion plays a big role and it makes sense because of the parallels between not questioning the head male of a household and the male leaders of Christian churches。 However， the author does say that not all men support this hierarchy。 How this is incorporated within the story was a pleasant and heartfelt surprise。 Although the prose is beautiful and vivid， reading the book itself was a bit of a challenge because the prose is also intricate。 After about 25 pages， though， I got the hang of it。 This is the kind of book that requires your full attention。 A single paragraph can span one to two pages。 There were a lot of French words I did not immediately understand， but I inferred the meaning from how they were used。 Additionally， I had to look up some historical events because they are important in contextualizing the story。 What slightly detracted from the experience was how the climactic moment played out。 I absolutely loved how it ended， but I would have liked more time spent at the ball。 Ultimately， The Mad Women’s Ball is as complex as the women who struggle everyday to not be subjugated。 If Victoria Mas writes another book， I will absolutely be reading it！ 。。。more

Alysson Oliveira ，

O livro de estreia da francesa Victoria Mas é um romance histórico gótico que combina feminismo e espiritismo numa Paris do século XIX。 La Salpêtrière funciona como um manicômio exclusivo para mulheres – essas pacientes são chamadas pelos médicos e enfermeiras de “alienadas”。 Conforme se percebe， a maioria são vítimas de abusos físicos e mentais， e internadas pelas famílias que querem se livrar delas。 Todo ano， no meio da quaresma， há um baile das pacientes， do qual a alta sociedade parisiense p O livro de estreia da francesa Victoria Mas é um romance histórico gótico que combina feminismo e espiritismo numa Paris do século XIX。 La Salpêtrière funciona como um manicômio exclusivo para mulheres – essas pacientes são chamadas pelos médicos e enfermeiras de “alienadas”。 Conforme se percebe， a maioria são vítimas de abusos físicos e mentais， e internadas pelas famílias que querem se livrar delas。 Todo ano， no meio da quaresma， há um baile das pacientes， do qual a alta sociedade parisiense participa como espectadores。 A narrativa se passa a poucos dias desse evento， com a chegada de uma nova moça， Eugénie， uma médium de família burguesa， que está descobrindo o seu dom – após ler o Livro dos Espíritos， começa a compreender o que está acontecendo consigo， mas o pai a interna。 A outra personagem central é Geneviève， uma enfermeira veterana e linha-dura que tem uma grande tristeza pois perdeu a irmã pequena， que irá se comunicar com ela graças à nova paciente。Mas escreve um romance histórico com figuras reais （Jean-Martin Charcot） e fictícias， mas seu interesse central é no gaslighting e silencimento das mulheres taxadas como loucas – uma saída bem mais fácil， para a sociedade， do que confrontar e prender os abusadores ou lidar com os gatilhos emocionais que elas enfrentam。 O hospício é， dialeticamente， o espaço de confinamento， mas também de liberdade， onde por ser quem quiserem。 A prosa é cinematográfica e rica em detalhes， não à toa foi transformada em filme por Melanie Laurent。 。。。more

Ashley ❤️ ，

“For the first time， I felt as though I was not the abnormal one in the crowd， but the only person who was normal。”The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas was not so much a story to me， but more of an idea， a philosophy。 Let me elaborate。This is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1800s。 Although it is fiction， it is based on real people and a real way of life during this time。 It was not uncommon for women to be thought of as mentally unstable for one reason or another and committed to a “For the first time， I felt as though I was not the abnormal one in the crowd， but the only person who was normal。”The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas was not so much a story to me， but more of an idea， a philosophy。 Let me elaborate。This is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1800s。 Although it is fiction， it is based on real people and a real way of life during this time。 It was not uncommon for women to be thought of as mentally unstable for one reason or another and committed to a mental ward by a loved one。 As the book has stated， this loved one was almost always a male family member。 A husband or father most often。 After reading， I found this book to be less about mental illness and more about female oppression。 Many of these women were not mentally ill， but driven to the point of insanity by an abusive or alcoholic male in their life。 As a woman during this time， it was frowned upon to have your own thoughts and ideas。 Many were seen as nothing more than a child bearer。 Men were allowed their nefarious behaviors， with nothing more than a slap on the wrist。 If a woman put one toe out of line she was sent to the mental hospital。 Howeve， these women （even though they were being experimented on） felt safer in the confines of the hospital than out in the real world。 That goes to say something for how cruel the world could be back then。 I am glad that as a society we have come a long way since then。 Gender equality is an important issue that we need to continue to advocate for。 。。。more

Camille Simon ，

• Met vraiment un accent différent sur les mental illnesses， fait découvrir la chose différemment， surtout par rapport aux comparaisons « les bourgeois ont l’air plus fous que les internées » •Geneviève peu sympathique au début mais on se lie beaucoup à elle au fur et à mesure des pages• « On ne sait jamais vraiment si l’on a bien fait de révéler la vérité。 Ce moment d’honnêteté， soulageant sur l’instant， se mue rapidement en regret。 On s’en veut de s’être confié。 De s’être laissé emporter par l • Met vraiment un accent différent sur les mental illnesses， fait découvrir la chose différemment， surtout par rapport aux comparaisons « les bourgeois ont l’air plus fous que les internées » •Geneviève peu sympathique au début mais on se lie beaucoup à elle au fur et à mesure des pages• « On ne sait jamais vraiment si l’on a bien fait de révéler la vérité。 Ce moment d’honnêteté， soulageant sur l’instant， se mue rapidement en regret。 On s’en veut de s’être confié。 De s’être laissé emporter par l’urgence de dire。 D’avoir place sa confiance en l’autre。 Et ce regret nous fait promettre de ne plus recommencer »• «  Maintenant qu’elle était une folle parmi les folles， elles paraissaient enfin normale »• Féminisme dans une histoire passionnante， on s’attache fort， sentiment de sororité• Se lirait quasiment en un sitting tellement écriture libre• M’a fait un peu ouvrir les yeux par rapport au spiritisme et à la foi en général• Histoire de Louise bouleversante， m’a mis un peu mal honnêtement 。。。more

tree ，

3。5 Intriguing

Natalie Freese ，

I devour Historical Fiction like it is a sweet treat when in reality it is sad and heartbreaking and full of the information of by-gone years you don't learn in school。。 If you are lucky enough to stumble upon "THe Mad Women's Ball" by Victoria Mas you will find a story that very well could be a true story as so many women's lives and stories were stolen by places such as Salpetriere Asylum in Paris。 All over the world women were locked away from everything from headaches to being truly mad。 Thi I devour Historical Fiction like it is a sweet treat when in reality it is sad and heartbreaking and full of the information of by-gone years you don't learn in school。。 If you are lucky enough to stumble upon "THe Mad Women's Ball" by Victoria Mas you will find a story that very well could be a true story as so many women's lives and stories were stolen by places such as Salpetriere Asylum in Paris。 All over the world women were locked away from everything from headaches to being truly mad。 This novel is the tale of some of those women。 Full of rich detail and empathy this novel will check all the boxes of an avid Historical Fiction reader。 。。。more

Marta ，

“Tuttavia la pazzia degli uomini non è paragonabile a quella delle donne， perché gli uomini la esercitano sugli altri， mentre le donne su se stesse” Donne normali e uomini cattivi。

Iris ，

Two women are forever changed by the intersection of their lives at the Salpetriere Asylum， a hospital for women with neurological and psychiatric disorders where the presiding Dr。 Charcot performs hypnosis on the patients in front of hundreds of men。 Genevieve， senior nurse who looks after the madwomen in the hospital， considers herself logical and severe， a pillar for the patients in her care。 Eugenie， the forward thinking daughter of a bourgeois lawyer， sees the dead。 Though it's easy to gues Two women are forever changed by the intersection of their lives at the Salpetriere Asylum， a hospital for women with neurological and psychiatric disorders where the presiding Dr。 Charcot performs hypnosis on the patients in front of hundreds of men。 Genevieve， senior nurse who looks after the madwomen in the hospital， considers herself logical and severe， a pillar for the patients in her care。 Eugenie， the forward thinking daughter of a bourgeois lawyer， sees the dead。 Though it's easy to guess what would happen between the two， Victoria Mas's short novel is so well-written I couldn't put it down！ Does Eugenie really have the abilities she claims to possess？ Will Genevieve be able to help her escape？ A page-turner and a heartbreaking story。 I kind of wish it were longer。 。。。more

Olivia Gibert ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I wanted to like it。 The plot was way too predictable。 Also， wtf is up with a man （one of the very people who put Eugenie in the hospital） coming to the rescue at very end？？ What place does that have in a novel about feminism？？ Seemed very damsel-in-distress to me。 Some of the writing was nice。 A lot of the writing was unimpressive and elementary。 Would not recommend。

Karen Brown ，

I mostly read thriller/ suspense books but do like to mix it up every few books and read an historical gothic type and this one didn’t disappoint。 When I read about women in these historical books it makes me think how far society has come。 We’ve still a long way to go but I am so glad I was not born into 1885！ The treatment of women by husbands and fathers was so cold hearted - did they have any emotion or empathy？！ I did like in this story how some of the ‘Mad Women’ had found a bond and looke I mostly read thriller/ suspense books but do like to mix it up every few books and read an historical gothic type and this one didn’t disappoint。 When I read about women in these historical books it makes me think how far society has come。 We’ve still a long way to go but I am so glad I was not born into 1885！ The treatment of women by husbands and fathers was so cold hearted - did they have any emotion or empathy？！ I did like in this story how some of the ‘Mad Women’ had found a bond and looked out for each other。 I believe this story is being made into a film on Amazon which I will look out for as I’m interested to see how the characters come to life on screen。 Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Pilar Guzman ，

Un libro muy agradable pese a ser sobre un siquiátrico。 Personajes muy entrañables y bien definidos。

Teafunny_lit ，

Coup de cœur ！ Un texte fort emporté par une plume magnifique。 Les personnages féminins sont mis en lumière avec brio dans cet univers patriarcal où perce une sororité salvatrice。

Emma ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 CW: sexual assault。I picked this book up expecting to read about the type of "medical advancements" and experiments that would have occurred with an asylum in the 1800's。 What I read， left me pleasently surprised。 Although there are mentions of the styles of practice used， it is not the forefront of the story。 "The Mad Women's Ball" follows three different women all related to the asylum， from the head to nurse to a patient of many years。 The characters are flushed out， believable and likable ev CW: sexual assault。I picked this book up expecting to read about the type of "medical advancements" and experiments that would have occurred with an asylum in the 1800's。 What I read， left me pleasently surprised。 Although there are mentions of the styles of practice used， it is not the forefront of the story。 "The Mad Women's Ball" follows three different women all related to the asylum， from the head to nurse to a patient of many years。 The characters are flushed out， believable and likable even with their flaws。 The writing style is smooth and isn't difficult to follow， making this book a quick read。I would recommend this book， but with the warning that there is two scenes which contains rape。 Although it doesn't go into details of what's happening， only how the character is feeling it can still be upsetting to some。 。。。more

Adri Dosi ，

Bál šílených žen jsou sympatickou odeonkou a kdyby to byla má první kniha s touto tématikou asi by to bylo za 5*。 Takhle 3，75。 Už jsem četla za poslední rok asi 5 podobných knih， které byly pouze v jiných zemích。 Rozhodně nejde o špatnou knihu， kdepak。 Jen už jsem četla i jiné a ty měly výhodu být před ní a taky byly podle mého lepší。 Bál šílených žen ukazuje Francii a reálnou nemocnici。 Pak také přístup k ženám， co jim hrozilo， jak se léčilo a jaká byla tvrdá realita。

pawsandpagesbyannie ，

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria MasPublication Date: September 7， 2021。Thank you to @netgalley @abramsbooks #overlookpress for the digital ARC in return for my honest review。 。My thoughts…Gripping。 A literary， historical， gothic and supernatural fiction。 The title speaks to an annual ball that the rich would attend so they could gawk at the women committed to a Parisian asylum， set in 1885。 The appalling ways women were treated historically could still surprise me。 And I’ve always been interest The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria MasPublication Date: September 7， 2021。Thank you to @netgalley @abramsbooks #overlookpress for the digital ARC in return for my honest review。 。My thoughts…Gripping。 A literary， historical， gothic and supernatural fiction。 The title speaks to an annual ball that the rich would attend so they could gawk at the women committed to a Parisian asylum， set in 1885。 The appalling ways women were treated historically could still surprise me。 And I’ve always been interested by the way “mental illness，” “hysteria” and “patients” were treated and mistreated 200 years and so on， ago。 I like the way this book was written succinctly， without sacrificing the ambience of the time。 I appreciated how Mas wove mental health， spiritualism and feminist histories together。 It was a quick read as well。 。。。more

drey ，

TW/CW: Sexual abuse， suicideI’d always known that in our not-that-distant past， women were consigned to the asylum or “mad house” by their fathers and husbands when they didn’t conform to society’s expectations – or just weren’t wanted around in general。 What an easy way to rid oneself of a woman – just say she’s nuts and have her committed。 The stories of how women wound up as inmates at Paris’ Salpêtrière hospital range from abuse to jealousy to complete callousness in how we treat the women i TW/CW: Sexual abuse， suicideI’d always known that in our not-that-distant past， women were consigned to the asylum or “mad house” by their fathers and husbands when they didn’t conform to society’s expectations – or just weren’t wanted around in general。 What an easy way to rid oneself of a woman – just say she’s nuts and have her committed。 The stories of how women wound up as inmates at Paris’ Salpêtrière hospital range from abuse to jealousy to complete callousness in how we treat the women in our lives。Eugenie’s stay is courtesy of her grandmother， who instead of being thankful that she’s recovered a long-lost heirloom， tattles to Eugenie’s father。 Instead of a future that she was vehemently against （who wants to be someone’s long-suffering wife after all）， she’s now stuck in an asylum with no hope for any future at all。Lucille’s story is horrible in the abuse she’s suffered prior to her stay， and the abuse she’s dealing with while an inmate。 From being on display for the famous Dr。 Chalcot’s hypnotism sessions to the “love” professed by another who only aims to take advantage， it’s no wonder Lucille’s not quite all there。Therese has been in the asylum for so long that she dreads the world outside its walls – and she’s not the only one who thinks the prison of the asylum can be safer for a woman than the outside where one has to have a man to tell you what you can or cannot do。The Mad Women’s Ball is a stark look at a time when women could be locked away on the say-so of a man， whether they were truly insane or just in the way – and of the women complicit in this， though many of them didn’t have any other choices。 I’m glad that even though the doctors used them for “sensational” hypnotism sessions， they didn’t go to the extreme of performing lobotomies on these poor inmates。 And I’m glad that it’s no longer acceptable to just lock unwanted women away （though there’s a lot to be said for how our justice system metes out injustice based on one’s gender）， then use them as a spectacle to be goggled at （at the Lenten Ball of the book’s title）。 It’s a well-written story with a pretty depressing subject， and it made me sad for all my sisters who’ve suffered the injustice of not being treated as human。drey’s rating: Pick it up！ 。。。more

Briana Melero ，

Wanted so badly to love this。 First of all， cover art: gorgeous。 Second， the premise was promising。 However - and， I don't know whether to blame this on translator， editor， or writer （or combination thereof） - the writing was problematic。 Tenses changed unexpectedly; redundancies abounded; the upfront character development was weak， leading to strangely inserted explanations at the book's conclusion which would have borne more weight if concentrated to the beginning of the story。 At the end， I f Wanted so badly to love this。 First of all， cover art: gorgeous。 Second， the premise was promising。 However - and， I don't know whether to blame this on translator， editor， or writer （or combination thereof） - the writing was problematic。 Tenses changed unexpectedly; redundancies abounded; the upfront character development was weak， leading to strangely inserted explanations at the book's conclusion which would have borne more weight if concentrated to the beginning of the story。 At the end， I felt like someone had maybe removed a third of the book - the third that would have made the rest of the narrative cohesive and allowed the reader to understand the character's motivations。 It ultimately felt "explain-y" and maybe even trite。 Recommended for those who like: books in translation; books made into movies; books with beautiful cover art 。。。more

Christina ，

At only 224 pages， this one is a quick read。 In Paris， 1885， Dr。 Charcot is renown for his displays of hypnotism on the women of the Salpetriere Asylum。 Many of the women at the institution were sent as a quick and simple way to get rid of an inconvenience or a problem。 The Madwomen’s ball is the one chance for these women to dress up and interact with the world outside the asylum。The story follows Genevieve， the senior nurse at the asylum and Eugenie， a new patient with the gift of communicatin At only 224 pages， this one is a quick read。 In Paris， 1885， Dr。 Charcot is renown for his displays of hypnotism on the women of the Salpetriere Asylum。 Many of the women at the institution were sent as a quick and simple way to get rid of an inconvenience or a problem。 The Madwomen’s ball is the one chance for these women to dress up and interact with the world outside the asylum。The story follows Genevieve， the senior nurse at the asylum and Eugenie， a new patient with the gift of communicating with spirits。 Then there is Louise， sent to the asylum after being raped by her uncle and suffering a seizure。 Therese， another patient， is an elderly woman sent away to be rid of her by her abusive husband。The Madwomen’s Ball explores themes of oppression and the consequences of not aligning with the expectations of family and society。 It’s a fascinating， feminist read worth picking up。Thank you to Abrams and goodreads for the review copy 。。。more

Cassie The Ghost ，

The beauty of this book is the "matter of fact" way it goes about discussing the misdiagnoses of patients （women patients）， the way a woman's voice was nonexistent， or the threat of hysteria followed by being thrown in a sanatorium is enough of a punch to the gut。 Why？ Because this wasn't all that long ago。 Women were subjected to what male felt was warranted。 They had no opinions， no right to decide what they wished to do with their lives， let alone if and who they married。 Or better yet， the f The beauty of this book is the "matter of fact" way it goes about discussing the misdiagnoses of patients （women patients）， the way a woman's voice was nonexistent， or the threat of hysteria followed by being thrown in a sanatorium is enough of a punch to the gut。 Why？ Because this wasn't all that long ago。 Women were subjected to what male felt was warranted。 They had no opinions， no right to decide what they wished to do with their lives， let alone if and who they married。 Or better yet， the fear of disgracing the family name being more worrisome than a young woman begging her father not to throw her away simply because she may be different。This book was both mind gripping and appalling for the amount of disrespect and shame that went towards women。 I found the book fascinating and also scary in the same respect of what I said before - this wasn't all that long ago。 This was how women were treated - whether they were mentally disabled or not。 It never mattered to begin with。 Definitely a good read。 There is some serious subject content （i。e。， rape， incest， attempted murder， child rape， victim shaming。。。） in this in regards to the travesties that women were subjected to。 While intense， this story shows the different sides of each （mad）woman and her “supposed” illness as well as those that are ill brought on by trauma。 My Rating: 4 stars！ 🌟🌟🌟🌟 。。。more

Elsa Carrion ，

Short read， good informative story。 There are references to the belief of religion and the spirit world。 Good messages through out the book。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Le bal des folles

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Le bal des folles&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Le bal des folles&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0