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Hystories: Hysteria, Gender and Culture
 
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Hystories: Hysteria, Gender and Culture (Paperback)

by Elaine Showalter (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Picador; New edition edition (5 Jun 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330354779
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330354776
  • Product Dimensions: 19 x 12.8 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 312,262 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #16 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism > Key Critics > Showalter, Elaine

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Product Description

Product Description
Hysteria has traditionally been seen as a female disorder but in this study of its cultural implications, the author argues that it is a universal illness and that far from dying out with the end of the Victorian sexual repression it is becoming more widespread and manifest. Showalter identifies Gulf War syndrome, recovered memory, chronic fatigue syndrome, even claims of ritual satanic abuse, as the contemporary forms of the illness and by recognizing its universality releases women from the limiting association with hysteria.

From the Publisher
Controversial analysis of hysteria in all its modern forms
Hysteria has traditionally been seen as female territory but in this pertinent and lucid book Elaine Showalter argues that it is a disease that is universal. Hysterical disorders, far from dying out with the end of Victorian sexual repression, have in fact flooded the media in the 1980s and 1990s. From Gulf War syndrome to Satanic ritual abuse, these epidemics of psychogenic disease and memory have much to tell us about the anxieties of Western culture. Elaine Showalter's piercing study has provoked controversy all over the world and has opened a debate that will continue to intensify as the millenium draws near. "Daring and provocative" Indpendent; "An exhilarating book which lobs politically incorrect cocktails in all directions" Financial Times; "Groundbreaking...this is undoubtedly a brave book and one which should be welcomed for generating arguments which so far have been silenced" Scotland on Sunday; "Considered and level-headed" Daily Telegraph; "This is a brave book, not only because it dares to question feminist orthodoxies, but also because it reminds us that feminism's purpose is the investigation of truth, not the perpetuation of blame" Erica Jong, Observer

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Hystories: Hysteria, Gender and Culture
78% buy the item featured on this page:
Hystories: Hysteria, Gender and Culture 3.2 out of 5 stars (4)
The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980
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The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)
£8.44
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Scholarly Examination of Late 20th Century Disease, 5 Aug 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Hystories (Hardcover)
I just wanted to say, having ACTUALLY READ this book, that thethose who attacked it here were the ones who made me buy it. That being said, this is an excellent survey on the subject, with wise insight into those who exploit, to their own ends and further victimize people by using the stimatization of one word: hysteria--- while not examining the power of psychosomatic illness. While I would toss out most of the Freudian crap, it---it only makes sense that our culture is making us sick. We are dehumanized by corporate materialism, social darwinism, social isolation, and definitions of worthiness based on bank accounts and toys. At the same time, everyone is told they are expendable. Is it any surprise, that people are depressed?
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read, but slightly lacking focus, 4 May 2005
By A Customer
The difficulty with a book on hysteria is that by definition it covers a multitude of vaguely defined subjects. Showalter tries, and mostly succeeds, in describing what was meant by "hysteria" throughout different periods of history, showing how it was viewed by patients and physicians. She discusses the changing theories about the causes of hysteria, as well as showing how the symptoms themselves changed as patients ideas about hysteria changed. While being interesting and well-written, the discussion of psychosomatic illness was slightly lacking in depth and science: I preferred Edward Shorter's "From Paralysis to Fatigue".

The book also covers modern forms of "mass hysteria", such as alien abduction, recovered memory and chronic fatigue syndrome, showing how easily people can be persuaded to believe that their problems are caused by some outside entity rather than looking at their own emotional problems or stresses.

Showalter also discusses feminism and the links between literature and hysteria, which I found a bit bizarre.

Overall it is a good and readable book, but does somewhat lack focus by covering a broad range of subjects in too little detail and by wandering off into unrelated areas.

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3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars No evidence = No credibility, 21 April 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Hystories (Hardcover)
The publisher of Ms. Showalter's book, Columbia Press, shouldbe ashamed. This slanderous pulp should have never been published and should definately not be promoted. Without any medical ^M citations, Ms. Showalter has written a very biased piece of work that is in itself very hurtful to Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients by perpetuating the myth that these illnesses are "all in the head".^M ^M

On a positive note, because of Hysteries, many doctors have come to the defense of CFS patients. Dr. Marsha Wallace was on Washington local TV^M just recently and she went on and took on Showalter person to person emphasizing that her patients don't get better with antidepressants and^M psychiatry. Dr. Ben Natelson commented in a radio interview that CFS is a real disease when the topic of Ms. Showalter came up. Dr. Paul Levine, on a recent chat on Prodigy, stated in regards to CFS being considered a hysterical disorder, that "any physician who believes that this is true is^M not keeping up with the literature and should be informed that (s)he needs updating." Dr. Philip Lee, assistant secretary of health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently stated, "It is not, as some have characterized it, some sort of psychological problem. Recovery is slow and uncertain for^M many clients." ^M

How can Ms. Showalter justify her hysterical disorder thesis by ignoring these medical professionals and the medical literature that is published clearly indicating this is a physical disorder? What is her hidden agenda? ^M ^M

Controversy can be turned into dollars regardless of the negative impact it has on its victims. This is pure greed at its finest, folks.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Brave & sensible but limited by literary feminist bias
H Y S T E R I A, H I S A N D H E R S published in <i>National Review</i>, 9/1/97 -- by STEVE SAILER (Mr. Sailer is a businessmanand writer.) . .. . . . Read more
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