http://tamaranth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/201245-herland-charlotte-perkins-gilman.... ( )

In this duo of tales, Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes on very different views about womanhood. In "Herland", we see a society made up of women only. I appreciated the fact that this story showed females in a way that was not condescending in stereotypes. Usually stories with women-only civilizations show them as busty, scantily clad Amazonian girls growling to dominate men. Or, they are all lesbians. Herland was full of women who had transcended sexuality to a higher level. Motherhood is their religion and they achieve pregnancies without men. Smart, loving, caring, trusting, encouraging -- they didn't lose their minds when the 3 men came to their land to master them. They find the men interesting and want to learn about them, maybe in hopes of including fatherhood in their world. One man is your typical macho guy who wants to dominate the women; one man is wimpy and happy to be subservient to women; the third is very much like the women in thoughts and actions. A very interesting look into a feministic way of life that is very peaceful, intelligent and civilized.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" looks at the life of a wife and mother who is losing herself into a postpartum madness. In this story, women have their place in the home, and that's it. Nothing much is expected of them except to sit around and look pretty and raise children. Their value is minuscule and their thoughts and feelings are downplayed.

I enjoyed the first story much more than the second, but, that might be because I liked that idea of womanhood better. Interesting stories; well written. ( )

Both "Herland" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" are impossible to put down, and Gilman's prose is both wrenching and engaging. The short collection is a quick-read, but bears re-reading (and possibly re-reading after that) since the ideas are in many ways still as fresh as when they were originally written. There's no doubt that a feminist philosophy influences the prose and and development here, but there's a great deal more than that to be appreciated, particularly for readers who enjoy either utopian fiction or philosophy. The one frustration I have with both texts is that I'm left wanting more in each case. Her endings make sense, even as I find them dissatisfying, but on some level I'm still left disappointed and waiting as the last sentences pass. Again, I see the point, but because of her style in ending works, I can't give these a full five stars as I otherwise would, or whole-heartedly enjoy them as much as I think I could otherwise. Still, both of these works which I think everyone should read once, and once the first page is opened, I'm betting that most readers will be hooked. ( )