I wanted to love this one so badly. But I couldn't get through it. One day I hope to come back to it, but for now, this one just was not for me. I got about 70% through it and I felt as though I was just reading to finish it without taking in any information.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this advanced copy. A moving and hard to read novella which I was glad to see published again for readers to enjoy. A classic and yet incredibly relevant. A hard, moving and inventive read.

This book just wasn’t for me, I really wanted to get into it but I’m learning that books like this just aren’t my style.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC to read and review.

“The Shutter of Snow” – Emily Holmes Coleman

“The window was closed and the bars went up and down on the outside. She could hear the wind sliding the snow off the roof. An avalanche of snow gathered and fell and buried the sun beneath. There were six bars to the back of her bed.”

A big thanks to @netgalley and @faberbooks for my copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.

Based on her own experiences in the 1920s, “The Shutter of Snow” is the story of Marthe, a young woman who finds herself in a New York mental asylum shortly after the birth of her sun. Told through an almost dream-like, fragmented prose of interactions with family, other inmates and hospital staff, what emerges is a picture of a system which is vastly ill-equipped and ignorant of the needs of those under its care, often resorting to violence to control and subdue.

I had a book club discussion recently about Virginia Woolf, where I made the comment that I like the idea of reading her more than the actual experience. I realise that might sound like an insult, but what I meant is that I find the commentary on Woolf and her importance more digestible, and that people far smarter than me can extrapolate more from the book than I ever will.

Judging from the introduction by Claire-Louise Bennett, this is another example of the exact same thing. Her discussion of the surrealistic aspects of the novel and the reclaiming of women’s role in the movement was very enlightening, but the actual experience of reading such a fragmentary, experimental novel left me completely unengaged and hoping it would end quicker. It’s around 150 pages long, and it was a very rare DNF from me, as I just found myself wishing to read anything else.

However, there is clearly literary merit here, and perhaps you’ll enjoy this more than me. Perhaps you should read the introduction and see how you feel? Just not my cup of tea at all, however.

Superb writing from this author, a very eye catching cover, this book will go far, 5 stars. Blindingly excellent ...

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

[Female madness is perhaps more palatable, more alluring in fact, when it is conceptualised and depicted by the male imagination.
- from the foreword by Claire-Louise Bennett]

Coleman published her only book, The Shutter of Snow, in 1930, which fictionalized her institutionalisation due to puerperal fever following the birth of her son.

The protagonist, Marthe Gail, suffers from post-partum psychosis, believing herself to be God. We are given glimpses into the horrific treatment that she, like the other women staying there, had to endure in the mental hospital - told not to speak, subjected to 6 hour long hot-baths, infantilized and generally treated like she could not possibly know any better, spoken to as if she were barely human at all.

Cohesively written in the whole while still feeling the disconnection between the words and the perspectives (from first-person to third, to omniscient and so on), the stream-of-consciousness was reflective of Marthe's state of mind at her time as an inmate - but the more unwell she is, the clearer and more controlled her thoughts seem to be.

Frankly all the more horrific because you know this was the norm for how the women who crossed the line of societal conventions at the time were treated.

I can only try to reassure you that, though comparable to The Yellow Wallpaper, this time the story ends in a positive note - her husband is supportive and we follow her to her return back home.

Marthe is in a psychiatric following the birth of her son. She can’t see her baby, she’s often physically restrained and told to shut up. Time blurs, the writing is surreal, no speech marks and often I wasn’t sure if the characters named were other patients, nurses or delusions. The treatments used last century for women with psychiatric illness always seem barbaric to me , it’s no wonder the patients seem to get worse. An intense read.

"The Shutter of Snow" by Emily Holmes Coleman is a hauntingly beautiful novel that explores the inner turmoil of a woman named Marthe Gail. Marthe has been committed to an asylum following a nervous breakdown, and the story follows her thoughts and experiences as she tries to make sense of her life and the people around her. The novel is set in the early 20th century, and the descriptions of the asylum and the people within it are vivid and atmospheric. What makes this book truly exceptional is the way that Coleman is able to convey Marthe's mental state with such clarity and empathy, giving the reader a profound sense of what it must be like to live with mental illness. Overall, "The Shutter of Snow" is a powerful and moving work of fiction that deserves to be read and remembered.

A compellingly written depiction of psychosis and mental illness, 'The Shutter of Snow' is a 'forgotten' novel by American writer Emily Holmes Coleman, who wrote this following her own period of post partum psychosis. Visceral, vicious and tragic - this is hugely compelling

This is a tough one for me to review. The premise was perfect, especially as it was semi-autobiographical, but I'm not sure the execution was as good.

Most of the novel was written from her point of view as she suffered from mental illness. But there were no speech marks in the book, and the speech all ran into itself. Whilst this is a clever ploy which demonstrates the chaotic nature of a mental hospital, it came across as confusing and rushed and was difficult to follow what was happening. Aside from Marthe and her husband I have no idea who all the other characters were (even though they are always introduced by name); as everyone is Mrs/Miss/Dr I'm not sure who was patient or staff, or of the doctors who was female and male, let alone anything else about them.

There were funny and heartbreaking parts and it was definitely a glimpse into events, but I spent most of the book trying to finish it. And there was no clear resolution. It may have worked better if the writing style evolved throughout to show improving mental health but sadly this didn't happen.

Reading this book felt like a slow descent into a dream. As if I was slowing floating into a fitful sleep filled with images that don’t seem to fit together but are fascinating to watch. I was grateful for the introduction provided by Claire - Louise Bennet at the beginning of the newly republished version by Faber and Faber. It helped provide context to this story. The author Emily Holmes Coleman’s real life experiences in a mental institution in the 1930’s helped shape this book into a haunting tale of a woman’s battle to piece her life back together again.

As I started to read this book, the writing seemed fragmented and difficult to read. The language used was abrupt and almost poetic as we learn about the main character Marthe Gail, a women who has just entered motherhood. It is apparent in the first few chapters that she has suffered some sort of breakdown and is confined in the walls of a mental institution. At the beginning of the book, Marthe almost seems childlike and wanders through her new world without much regard for the consequences of her actions. However, her desire to be reconnected with her husband seems to help push her towards recovery. The lack of mental health resources is evident in this book as Marthe endures strange treatments that are supposed to help her get better.

The language in this book becomes more clear as Marthe starts to get better. As she moves towards understanding her own condition, shame and embarrassment follows. When she tries to find her place back in the world, it seems she will be forever tainted by her experience in this mental institution. Even today, there is a stigma surrounding mental health and seeking help when you feel in over your head. Marthe’s experiences that take place in the 1930’s are an important addition to the growing literature of trauma experienced in mental health institutions. I hope we can learn from stories such as these and as a society seek to understand how we can help create settings that provide the proper supports for people that find themselves in situations such as Marthe Gail and Elizabeth Holmes Coleman did. I do want to put out a warning that the content of this book may be disturbing for some as it includes unsettling descriptions of styles of psychological treatments that individuals used in the past in an attempt to ‘treat’ patients in these institutions.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book.

In this new edition,"The Shutter of Snow" by Emily Coleman is a haunting and poetic novel that tells the story of a woman's descent into madness. Set in the early 20th Century, it follows the character of Marthe Gail, a young wife and mother who is struggling with postpartum depression and the loss of her own mother.

As Marthe's mental state declines, she becomes increasingly disconnected from reality and begins to experience vivid hallucinations and delusions. Coleman's prose is vivid and surrealistic, conveying Marthe's inner turmoil and the disorienting nature of her experiences with remarkable clarity.

The novel is a deeply psychological exploration of mental illness, exploring the complex interplay between trauma, grief, and the pressures of societal expectations. Coleman's lyrical prose and vivid imagery create a haunting and surreal atmosphere that lingers long after the final pages have been turned.

Overall, "The Shutter of Snow" is a masterful and deeply affecting work of literature that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers. It is a timeless and haunting exploration of the human psyche and the fragility of the human mind.

"The Shutter of Snow" by Emily Holmes Coleman is a beautifully written and introspective novel that explores themes of grief, mental health, and the power of the human spirit. Coleman's writing style is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid images of the harsh New England winter landscape and the inner turmoil of the protagonist. The novel skillfully balances moments of darkness with glimmers of hope, ultimately delivering a powerful and moving story. The character development is excellent, and readers will find themselves fully invested in the journey of the protagonist as they navigate their way through loss and learn to find peace in the present moment. Overall, "The Shutter of Snow" is a beautifully crafted and emotionally charged novel that is sure to resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.

The Shutter of Snow looks at post-partum depression, based on the authors true experiences, in an institution from which she seems to feel she has no escape. Whilst I found the language very poetic and the story poignant, I struggled to get involved in the story and found my mind wandering. I definitely would like to read this again, possibly as part of a discussion group /book club, a maybe it would be a less intimidating read if I had other people's thoughts and interpretations to help me along.

"There is nothing to be done about it nothing at all. The only thing to do is to put hammers in the porridge and when there are enough hammers we shall break down the windows and all of us shall dance in the snow."

Marthe is being kept in an mental hospital, she doesn't know where , since when, and if her husband knows of this. He probably doesn't know, because he would never betray her like that. Marthe thinks she is Jesus. She is tied to the bed, they expect her to sleep, but she cannot sleep on her back. She tells them. She tells everyone everything, but no one listens. Not even her husband, who does know, and comes to visit.  After Marthe gave birth to her baby she lost it. Told from her point of view, the reader experiences a detailed but unreliable tale of life from inside an asylum. Dark, moving and shocking. The author used her own experience, as she herself stayed 2 months in a mental hospital after giving birth to her son. Although this only contains 192 pages, it took me a while to get through. You'll try to figure out what is true and cannot help but to feel for Marthe and the other women with her. A must read classic from 1930 newly published by Faber Editions for fans of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Girl Interrupted". Thanks to Faber Editions and Netgalley for approving this title.

This book feels difficult to review. I am drawn to the kind of narrative that takes place in hospitals and asylums and descriptions on how it was to be institutionalized for long periods and the horrific treatment there was.
English is not my first language and I don't know if that fact has a part in how challenging I thought the writing was even though it is a short book. The lack of apostrophes and the change of perspectives was difficult to read but I also understand that it describes the conflicting self of Marthe Gail. I am glad that I read it and will be reading it again if it will be translated to swedish.

The Shutter of Snow by Emily Holmes Coleman is about a woman's experiences in a psychiatric institution after giving birth.

The lack of apostrophes, speech marks and such distracted me from the plot. I think the style of writing makes you be the person in the asylum, and think how they think. The publisher has given a note to the reader to say it was first published in 1930 and the language reflects when the book was first written, I just wish they'd have updated the grammar and style to be for the modern reader.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This semi-biographical tale is based on the author, Emily Holmes Coleman’s institutionalisation due to puerperal fever following the birth of her son. Originally published in 1930 and in republication, we are shown what life was like in a 1930s asylum.

The protagonist, Martha Gail, suffering from post-partum psychosis, believes herself to be God. We are given glimpses into the horrific treatment that she had to ensure - told not to speak, subjected to 6 hour long hot-baths, and generally treated in an appalling manner. This novella is reminiscent of The Yellow Wallpaper and The Belljar.

Although the subject matter was interesting, I wasn’t a huge fan of the experimental writing style that was in fashion at the time. The lack of apostrophes really threw me off and made the novella a bit of a slog to read.