Book Review: The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne)

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

“The Salpêtrière is a dumping ground for women who disturb the peace. An asylum for those whose sensitivities do not tally with what is expected of them. A prison for women guilty of possessing an opinion.”

In 1885 Paris, nineteen-year-old Eugenie Clery, a strong-willed young woman, is committed to the Salpêtrière Hospital for the mentally -ill by her father after her grandmother betrays her secret about her spiritualistic leanings that she had shared in confidence . Here she meets Genevieve the senior nurse of the facility – a practical woman who believes in science, doesn't believe in God (after a personal tragedy) and has faith in renowned neurologist Dr. Charcot’s methods for treatment of those suffering from mental illness. Dr. Charcot’s methods include hypnosis and every week he holds a practical demonstration of his methods for an audience of male doctors and interns. Louise, one of the patients Eugenie meets (the origins of her illness are discussed later on in the narrative) is the current case study. Louise is also romantically involved with one of the younger doctors who has promised to marry her. Eugenie knows that Genevieve is the only person who can help her but to do so would mean convincing her that she is not mentally ill. To do so she must use her gifts to make a connection with someone from Genevieve’s past – her younger sister Blandine whose death she still mourns- and she must do this before The Madwomen’s Ball. The Lenten Ball, The Madwomen’s Ball is an annual event wherein select members of the Parisian bourgeoisie are invited to interact with the patients of the asylum – a bright event that the women of Salpêtrière look forward for the festivities and the potential opportunity to meet someone sympathetic to their plight and an opportunity for the invitees to openly observe these women and satisfy their curiosity.

“Madwomen fascinate and horrify.”

The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne) is an atmospheric, insightful and thought-provoking story that paints a heartbreaking picture of the plight of women banished from their homes and families and society in general on the whims of those whom they should have been able to trust. The story not only looks at the stigma associated with mental–illness during that period but also sheds a light on the practice of dubbing those not conforming to societal /patriarchal expectations as mentally ill. Not only were these women denied agency but were treated like experiments by their doctors and theater by those who were "curious” about what went on behind the closed doors of the institution.

“No woman can be certain that her words, her aspirations, her personality will not lead to her

being shut away behind the fearsome walls of the hospital in the thirteenth arrondissement.”

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Genevieve, Louise, and Eugenie. Given the short length of this novel, there isn’t much much scope for in-depth character development or exploring the relationships between the characters beyond a certain point. On that note, I thought Eugenie’s story was left somewhat incomplete. The Author's Note only provides a glossary for real people from that era who make an appearance/ are referred to in this story. I did feel the need for an Author’s Note on the historical context of this novel and the different themes that have been explored in the novel including the spiritualist movement of that era and some background on the Salpêtrière asylum , which unfortunately was missing.

Overall, while I truly appreciate the premise of this novel, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the execution.

“Unswerving faith in any idea inevitably leads to prejudice. Have I told you how calm I feel since I began to doubt? What is important is not to have beliefs, but to be able to doubt, to question anything, everything, even oneself. To doubt.”