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vigil's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
fucking harrowing. i never know how to rate nonfiction, but this book pulled me in. there was a point when there was a mention of how unbearable the days grew as they passed, that i wondered just how long she’d be trapped in that place, and completely forgot it’s in the title. earlier i was so engrossed in the story and horrors nellie witnessed i was thrown off by the mention of it only being her first day.
i didn’t get a chance to read the source material beforehand, and this isn’t my first time in aslyum related media, especially in the victorian era, but something about the combination of nellie bly’s storytelling, and the illustrations made this a stand out read for me.
i didn’t get a chance to read the source material beforehand, and this isn’t my first time in aslyum related media, especially in the victorian era, but something about the combination of nellie bly’s storytelling, and the illustrations made this a stand out read for me.
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
zamyatins_fears's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
There are certainly are more extensive works on the subject, but this is a good read for anyone interested in it for the historic importance. The woman known as Nellie Bly (pen name) was one of the earliest investigative reporters. It's terrifying how easily she was able to get herself committed to an insane asylum. Just as it's heartbreaking to read about just the abuses she witnessed or heard many accounts of. Modern works may be a bit more in-depth on these kinds of abuses, but Bly was instrumental in getting more funds diverted to the care of those suffering on Roosevelt Island and was instrumental in the call for reform. A bit of a slow start, but a quick read once she is declared a "hopeless case" and shipped off to the asylum.
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Written in WW1 originally for the papers, so the abuses mentioned are stated factually, but without graphic descriptions.