BOOKS
Historical fiction
The Mad Women’s Ball
By Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne)
Doubleday, £14.99, hardback, 224 pages
In late 19th-century Paris, women deemed to be mad, hysterical, or simply outcast from society are sent to the Salpêtrière asylum under the care of Dr Jean-Martin Charcot. The neurologist has wowed much of the city with his hypnotism demonstrations on the unfortunate women, and each year, a ball is held for the benefit of the local elite, where they can dance with the patients for their own amusement. Nurse Geneviève fully believes in Charcot’s methods – that is until she meets the young Eugénie, who needs her help…
•••• Excerpt ••••
This passage of the book follows Eugénie – the fiery, passionate daughter of a bourgeois family – and the moment that her loved ones betray her
Had Eugénie roused herself for a moment from her revérie, she would have noticed the brooding atmosphere that had reigned in the confined space ever since they set out. She would have noticed her brother’s gloomy expression, her father’s sti demeanour, and she would have wondered why a day trip out of the city should create such tension.
Only when the carriage stops suddenly does Eugénie emerge from her torpor. Turning around, she sees an unfamiliar expression on the faces of her father and her brother, a mixture of gravity and concern. Before she has time to say a word, her father’s voice booms: ‘Let’s get out here.’
Unsettled, Eugénie steps down, followed by her brother. Standing on the pavement, she looks up at the imposing building outside which they have stopped. The vaulted archway is flanked by two stone columns whose lintels are carved with the words: ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’. Above the keystone, in black block capitals on pale stone she reads: ‘Hôpital de la Salpêtrière’. rough the arch, at the far end of a paved walkway, an even more monumental edifice surmounted by a dome of solemn black seems to take up all the surrounding space. Eugénie’s heart leaps into her throat…
Q&A
Victoria Mas
The Mad Women’s Ball is Victoria Mas’ debut novel. First published in 2019, the book has won numerous accolades in France and has been adapted into a film released by Amazon Prime Video. Prior to becoming an author, Victoria studied at the Sorbonne and worked in film in the US.
How did you first come across the real-life inspiration for your novel?
The Mad Women’s Ball takes place in Paris in 1885, at the Salpêtrière Hospital, which was then a women’s prison and asylum, and is today one of Paris’ major hospitals. I happened to go to the Salpêtrière three years ago, and I was struck by the place. It exuded an air of mystery that I found compelling. Out of curiosity, I began to look into the hospital’s history, and I learned about the infamous ‘Mad Women’s Balls’ that took place there in the 19th century. Each year, those confined at the hospital would select eccentric costumes to wear, and Paris’ elite would come along for the experience of dancing next to women they thought of as ‘mad’.
Why did you choose to focus on the patients?
Although much has been written about the hospital’s head of neurology, Dr Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–93), very little has been said about the women who enabled him to pursue his research on hypnotism and hysteria. During my research, I wanted to know who the women were, and why it was deemed acceptable to confine them – sometimes for very trivial reasons. Overall, I felt a profound sense of empathy for these forgotten figures, and somehow, I identified with them.
Which patient’s story struck you most?
Cabaret dancer Jane Avril, who I mention in the book, spent two years at the Salpêtrière as a teenager. She was saved by some prostitutes from jumping off a bridge and subsequently brought to the hospital – a story that sounds like it came straight out of an Émile Zola novel! Surprisingly, Jane Avril had fond memories of her stay: it was in the Salpêtrière that she discovered her passion for dancing and found a way to express herself. For me, her story – and her attitude towards the Salpêtrière – was fundamental in understanding what a complex environment this was: for some women it was a place where they could find solace and release.
Are there any other people from history you would like to write about?
I find the life of Hildegard von Bingen [Benedictine abbess and polymath, who was later made a saint] very interesting, as well as the story of Joan of Arc, although so much has already been written about her. In fact, my next book is inspired by an important historical figure, but I can’t say much more yet!