The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980

"This is a very enlightening book. Very thorough and yet still readable for people with no prior knowledge of mental health history.
Is very hard to read in areas regarding the way many people have been treated. Hard to believe we have been guilty of such practices- but still a very interesting book."
~ Written on 2008-08-20

"This book was reccomended to me by one of my university tutors. I couldn't put it down. As a psychiatric nurse i regularly read books about the history of mental illness. This has to one of the best covering the treatment of women. For myself the chapter covering victorian attitudes was the greatest. How, men returning from the trenches of World War 1 suffering from shell shock made specialists look more into environmental and biological factors of illness. Brilliant read, a must have"
~ Written on 2007-10-27

"Elaine Showalter has exhaustively researched her subject, and her findings vary from the fascinating to the merely statistical. But anyone who has the slighest interest in Feminism, or even social history, would really enjoy this book. Also, for fans of Pat Barker's 'Regeneration' trilogy, the chapter on the treatment of shell shock during the First World War provides some fascinating background colour: Barker herself obtained much of her factual input from this section. Showalter's style of writing, full of verve and subtle humour really raises this book from the educational to the enjoyable. Try it - you might like it!"
~ Written on 1999-11-25