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The Gown
A young woman is driven to madness by the recurring appearance of a hospital gown that first traumatized her as a child.
By the author of the bestselling gothic novel The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls , “The Gown� is a chilling example of how a seemingly innocuous event can tragically erode the psyche of a sensitive child.
This disturbing short story follows a nameless girl as she attempts to make a normal life for herself while struggling to escape the debilitating fear that preys upon her in her most vulnerable moments.
But is this fear borne of the rational awareness of a sentient evil, or merely the terrifying echo of a misperceived experience? Is the titular gown the source of madness, or the manifestation of it?
“The Gown� continues Emilie Autumn’s exploration of the nature of reality, the disintegration of identity, and the horrific effects of misplaced shame.
By the author of the bestselling gothic novel The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls , “The Gown� is a chilling example of how a seemingly innocuous event can tragically erode the psyche of a sensitive child.
This disturbing short story follows a nameless girl as she attempts to make a normal life for herself while struggling to escape the debilitating fear that preys upon her in her most vulnerable moments.
But is this fear borne of the rational awareness of a sentient evil, or merely the terrifying echo of a misperceived experience? Is the titular gown the source of madness, or the manifestation of it?
“The Gown� continues Emilie Autumn’s exploration of the nature of reality, the disintegration of identity, and the horrific effects of misplaced shame.
44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2018
44 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Emilie Autumn
9books1,283followersEmilie Autumn grew up by the sea in California where she mastered the classical violin before going on to travel the world as a singing theatrical performer and author. Globally known for her genre-bending album Fight Like A Girl, Emilie has also appeared as an actress, starring in Darren Lynn Bousman's musical fantasy films The Devil's Carnival and Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival.
Emilie’s academic career ended abruptly at the age of ten when she was removed from school to allow her the time to perfect her musical craft, yet, despite her near-complete absence of formal education, her debut self-published novel (the early editions of The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls) seems to demonstrate some understanding of proper spelling and grammar, and has been cited in text-books used as part of the psychology curriculum at Oxford University in London.
Upon the release of her 2007 Shakespearean-themed concept album, Opheliac, Emilie found herself an overnight star in Germany's industrial rock scene, and began touring extensively. With her Victorian burlesque-themed stage show and signature heart painted on her cheek (a unifying symbol devotedly replicated by her international fan base known as "Plague Rats"), Emilie fast became a sensation throughout Europe and the United Kingdom before touring in America, South America, North America, and Russia.
Diagnosed first with major depression in her early 20s and later with bipolar disorder, Emilie’s first novel (The Asylum�) was culled from the very real pages of the secret journal she kept whilst incarcerated in a mental hospital. She hopes that her future writings will not require such dramatic circumstances in order to be published.
Since its fully-illustrated first edition hardcover release in 2008, The Asylum... continues to increase in popularity as Plague Rats around the globe cover themselves in tattoos from its elaborate art, cosplay as its eccentric characters (both human and animal), write their own fan-fiction, put on their own stage plays taking place in the "Asylum" world, arrange group tea party meet-ups, and incorporate Emilie's story into their own lives in virtually every imaginable way, beginning with the knowledge that what makes them different makes them magical and ought to be celebrated, not concealed.
Emilie is presently composing and developing the Broadway musical and film versions of The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. To follow her progress, join her on Twitter as @emilieautumn, on Instagram and Facebook as @emilieautumnofficial, and at her websites , , and .
Emilie’s academic career ended abruptly at the age of ten when she was removed from school to allow her the time to perfect her musical craft, yet, despite her near-complete absence of formal education, her debut self-published novel (the early editions of The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls) seems to demonstrate some understanding of proper spelling and grammar, and has been cited in text-books used as part of the psychology curriculum at Oxford University in London.
Upon the release of her 2007 Shakespearean-themed concept album, Opheliac, Emilie found herself an overnight star in Germany's industrial rock scene, and began touring extensively. With her Victorian burlesque-themed stage show and signature heart painted on her cheek (a unifying symbol devotedly replicated by her international fan base known as "Plague Rats"), Emilie fast became a sensation throughout Europe and the United Kingdom before touring in America, South America, North America, and Russia.
Diagnosed first with major depression in her early 20s and later with bipolar disorder, Emilie’s first novel (The Asylum�) was culled from the very real pages of the secret journal she kept whilst incarcerated in a mental hospital. She hopes that her future writings will not require such dramatic circumstances in order to be published.
Since its fully-illustrated first edition hardcover release in 2008, The Asylum... continues to increase in popularity as Plague Rats around the globe cover themselves in tattoos from its elaborate art, cosplay as its eccentric characters (both human and animal), write their own fan-fiction, put on their own stage plays taking place in the "Asylum" world, arrange group tea party meet-ups, and incorporate Emilie's story into their own lives in virtually every imaginable way, beginning with the knowledge that what makes them different makes them magical and ought to be celebrated, not concealed.
Emilie is presently composing and developing the Broadway musical and film versions of The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. To follow her progress, join her on Twitter as @emilieautumn, on Instagram and Facebook as @emilieautumnofficial, and at her websites , , and .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 26, 2020
I finished this story in no time at all. It was so creepy that I had to keep going to get to the inside of the story. I just wish there was more of it. I got chills and goosebumps.
March 2, 2018
"Best-selling author" let's get something straight here. Her book (TAFWVG) only looked like a best-seller because her music fans (plague rats) were buying it, to feed her ego. If you're expecting some good writing/literature, I warn you, this is average. If not below it.
I have nothing against Miss Autumn. I don't know her. On the other hand, I do. I guess, through this "book" and her last and the music. You know what? One album about mental illness, fine. We all need catharsis but 12 years only focusing on that, it's suspicious behaviour. The fact that her whole mental health projects have developed into fantasy/fictions makes her original experiences/releases questionable. She seems too into madness and asylums for my comfort, that it almost seems as though she thinks mental illness is a special thing that can make you money and boy, has she made her money from it! I'm at the point where I think it's been totally milked and people are at risk when buying into the authors work. Why? What makes her so different from others who write on mental illness? The above mentioned and the following:
Her first book seemed like a take off, of McGee's Alice, this one seems like a take off, of The Yellow Wallpaper and then some. Her writing lacks originality. Her autobiographical story had many loop holes, so many with every reprint it became (as the author admitted) fiction. Lies were exposed and all when only one part (Emily with a Y) was meant to be fiction. Now we have "The Gown" more fiction. See where I'm going? The fact that she is a known pathological liar, whose mental health experience has developed into an excessive sales pitch, doesn't help and we have another pointless lie with this release:
The Gown: "15th November 2017" she says was the publish date? Er. No. Try last week. What's my problem? The author is so immature she even lies about the most stupidest stuff. How can I believe this type of person wants to write to help people? How can I relate to someone, as someone with a mental illness, when they excessively put it on sale? When it has become nothing but fiction? What I really hate about this book:
Meet the "study guide", wait? I thought when I saw it. Am I missing something? Does she now have some sort of degree in mental health? Has she teaching qualifications? Medical qualifications now? Of course she hasn't. I'm actually disgusted by her releases, her profiting mental illness, her trying to act as if she is qualified because she has one and these stupid projects. She's a musician. Not an authority on mental health. Wouldn't be so much of a problem either, if the questions weren't directed at us, as if we're psychiatrists. No one likes an armchair pseudo-psych. We're asked "why the characters medication wasn't working for her?" For example, simply, what the hell? Who. Does. This. Author. Think. She. Is! Where's your PHD? Or degrees, Miss Autumn. This is irresponsible and egotistical. If I play arm chair doctor for a second, as the author wants, I'd say from reading both books the author has narcissistic personality disorder, not bipolar, but I'm not claiming to know about mental health diagnosis and meds, as the author is!
This community she claims to be building with these projects (TAFWVG, The Gown), it's only for profit, she's a scammer. This isn't a safe community, it isn't what people with mental illness should be turning to. You need qualified people, if you want community, then seek group therapy. There, we mental health patients can bond with others who share our experience, in safety because an ACTUAL QUALIFIED person, who isn't helping worsen the stigma is present.
Following someone who thinks they know it all because they have a mental illness is dangerous, in a fandom where (some) people, I prefer "vultures", like to pretend they have mental illness to fit in or gain the authors attention is also dangerous and disgusting. About the study guide, she's just looking online for her material, copying stuff down from psychiatric sites, not knowing medically how to use the material. What's there to study? Again, unoriginal and unsafe.
I'm just glad the story was shorter than the last, at least the insult to those of us truly suffering with mental illness was brief. The author should get further help, explore herself and not keep acting as if she is qualified to talk on such topics, she needs to resolve the issue she has. This obsession. Were The Gown written by someone else, who isn't claiming to be "exploring" mental health, I may have been able to accept it as just a fictional short story, but it wasn't and is written by someone whose motives have always been questionable to me.
It's troublesome. I generally worry for such "artists". I won't be reading anymore material by Emilie Autumn or buying any music in future, I think I can say "I have outgrown the immaturity". I think the author desperately needs a change..I need a change. I've been left enraged. I thought I couldn't get more enraged after she tried to bolster her single "FLAG" with the whole Weinstein incident, again using something for her own gain (exposure, following etc) and an overdramatic sob story. Why not just promote the "times up" movement instead of oneself. Apparently, she's relentless and I now understand her fascination with leeches so much more. I don't know. Emilie Autumn has proven to be just about one the worst and most self centered artists today.
I have nothing against Miss Autumn. I don't know her. On the other hand, I do. I guess, through this "book" and her last and the music. You know what? One album about mental illness, fine. We all need catharsis but 12 years only focusing on that, it's suspicious behaviour. The fact that her whole mental health projects have developed into fantasy/fictions makes her original experiences/releases questionable. She seems too into madness and asylums for my comfort, that it almost seems as though she thinks mental illness is a special thing that can make you money and boy, has she made her money from it! I'm at the point where I think it's been totally milked and people are at risk when buying into the authors work. Why? What makes her so different from others who write on mental illness? The above mentioned and the following:
Her first book seemed like a take off, of McGee's Alice, this one seems like a take off, of The Yellow Wallpaper and then some. Her writing lacks originality. Her autobiographical story had many loop holes, so many with every reprint it became (as the author admitted) fiction. Lies were exposed and all when only one part (Emily with a Y) was meant to be fiction. Now we have "The Gown" more fiction. See where I'm going? The fact that she is a known pathological liar, whose mental health experience has developed into an excessive sales pitch, doesn't help and we have another pointless lie with this release:
The Gown: "15th November 2017" she says was the publish date? Er. No. Try last week. What's my problem? The author is so immature she even lies about the most stupidest stuff. How can I believe this type of person wants to write to help people? How can I relate to someone, as someone with a mental illness, when they excessively put it on sale? When it has become nothing but fiction? What I really hate about this book:
Meet the "study guide", wait? I thought when I saw it. Am I missing something? Does she now have some sort of degree in mental health? Has she teaching qualifications? Medical qualifications now? Of course she hasn't. I'm actually disgusted by her releases, her profiting mental illness, her trying to act as if she is qualified because she has one and these stupid projects. She's a musician. Not an authority on mental health. Wouldn't be so much of a problem either, if the questions weren't directed at us, as if we're psychiatrists. No one likes an armchair pseudo-psych. We're asked "why the characters medication wasn't working for her?" For example, simply, what the hell? Who. Does. This. Author. Think. She. Is! Where's your PHD? Or degrees, Miss Autumn. This is irresponsible and egotistical. If I play arm chair doctor for a second, as the author wants, I'd say from reading both books the author has narcissistic personality disorder, not bipolar, but I'm not claiming to know about mental health diagnosis and meds, as the author is!
This community she claims to be building with these projects (TAFWVG, The Gown), it's only for profit, she's a scammer. This isn't a safe community, it isn't what people with mental illness should be turning to. You need qualified people, if you want community, then seek group therapy. There, we mental health patients can bond with others who share our experience, in safety because an ACTUAL QUALIFIED person, who isn't helping worsen the stigma is present.
Following someone who thinks they know it all because they have a mental illness is dangerous, in a fandom where (some) people, I prefer "vultures", like to pretend they have mental illness to fit in or gain the authors attention is also dangerous and disgusting. About the study guide, she's just looking online for her material, copying stuff down from psychiatric sites, not knowing medically how to use the material. What's there to study? Again, unoriginal and unsafe.
I'm just glad the story was shorter than the last, at least the insult to those of us truly suffering with mental illness was brief. The author should get further help, explore herself and not keep acting as if she is qualified to talk on such topics, she needs to resolve the issue she has. This obsession. Were The Gown written by someone else, who isn't claiming to be "exploring" mental health, I may have been able to accept it as just a fictional short story, but it wasn't and is written by someone whose motives have always been questionable to me.
It's troublesome. I generally worry for such "artists". I won't be reading anymore material by Emilie Autumn or buying any music in future, I think I can say "I have outgrown the immaturity". I think the author desperately needs a change..I need a change. I've been left enraged. I thought I couldn't get more enraged after she tried to bolster her single "FLAG" with the whole Weinstein incident, again using something for her own gain (exposure, following etc) and an overdramatic sob story. Why not just promote the "times up" movement instead of oneself. Apparently, she's relentless and I now understand her fascination with leeches so much more. I don't know. Emilie Autumn has proven to be just about one the worst and most self centered artists today.
February 22, 2018
Thoroughly boring and non-engaging. The main character is yet another avatar for the author. I guess a full-length novel starring not one, but two, wasn't enough. And of course, the "plot" is a little too thinly veiled reference to the author's own psych ward stretch and unexplained hatred of doctors. Who didn't see that coming. Verdict: Unless you're a member of the author's little fan club, you can safely skip this one.
October 20, 2022
Well I’m kind of bummed. So I want to start by saying, I didn’t realize this author had so much drama behind her. I’m very glad to get this off my TBR. EA as a person seems to be super problematic in general, and as far as the validity of her experiences she based her art off of goes. I was able to listen to this on Audio and it’s really short, which is the only reason I proceeded with it. I won’t be supporting Emilie Autumn at all anymore. That being said, here are my unbiased as possible thoughts on the story (though now that I know some things about her and her history it’s impossible not to consider those things in my thoughts of the story):
I have to be honest, the only thing I really liked with this was the performance of the audio book. I liked it enough, and disliked the story enough that I’m really glad I didn’t read this with my eyes. I felt like it was clear there was a message EA wanted the story to have, but to me it honestly felt like it was trying to be too much. The synopsis makes it seem like it’s going to be a psychological thing where you aren’t sure what’s going on. But it’s actually very straight forward and simple. For me, it kind of just existed. It was one of those “yep those are words� moments. There was nothing psychologically stimulating here, and the way the story was told made you feel very distant from it, so it wasn’t really entertaining either. To me it’s clear EA just wanted to insert a feeling she has potentially experienced into a story. Which is whatever. It just didn’t really work for me. Somehow I managed to be bored during this, and it was literally the shortest book on my tbr. I know to an extent I shouldn’t have expected much of a short story, but I’m still disappointed tbh. You win some you lose some.
I have to be honest, the only thing I really liked with this was the performance of the audio book. I liked it enough, and disliked the story enough that I’m really glad I didn’t read this with my eyes. I felt like it was clear there was a message EA wanted the story to have, but to me it honestly felt like it was trying to be too much. The synopsis makes it seem like it’s going to be a psychological thing where you aren’t sure what’s going on. But it’s actually very straight forward and simple. For me, it kind of just existed. It was one of those “yep those are words� moments. There was nothing psychologically stimulating here, and the way the story was told made you feel very distant from it, so it wasn’t really entertaining either. To me it’s clear EA just wanted to insert a feeling she has potentially experienced into a story. Which is whatever. It just didn’t really work for me. Somehow I managed to be bored during this, and it was literally the shortest book on my tbr. I know to an extent I shouldn’t have expected much of a short story, but I’m still disappointed tbh. You win some you lose some.
April 19, 2020
In a very bizarre way this short story made perfect sense, at least for me. Mentall illnesses are bizarre and weird and so very personal. The way this was written was a bit confusing at times because of the narrating but oh well. Confusion fits. I would’ve liked it better if it were a bit longer but still a good read. Weird but good.
June 5, 2018
I don't know what I was expecting. It's super short, it's another story starring her again, it's super short, it's undeveloped, it reads as unfinished due to leaving you hanging in a "I don't know how to wrap this up" sort of way instead of a clever, thought-provoking way, and it's super short. I don't think The Yellow Wallpaper comparisons are really fair though.
idk I have sort of grown into a semi-fan of EA due to her general ... ambience, or what have you, as an artist. At the same time, she is a lying liar who lies, sooo I kind of don't particularly love her. So I was hoping I'd likely this better than TAFWVG. but I didn't. because it's really pointless. and super short.
It has a study guide. I don't know what to say about that. I have a lot of thoughts, none positive, but I don't feel like typing them all out atm.
So I was split on how to rate this, because 1 star should only be for true dreck, and this isn't that. It's objectively worse than TAFWVG, and I gave that two. Maybe this is two, and that should be 3. At least, TAFWVG felt like an honest effort as a work of fiction. I don't know what this was.
idk I have sort of grown into a semi-fan of EA due to her general ... ambience, or what have you, as an artist. At the same time, she is a lying liar who lies, sooo I kind of don't particularly love her. So I was hoping I'd likely this better than TAFWVG. but I didn't. because it's really pointless. and super short.
It has a study guide. I don't know what to say about that. I have a lot of thoughts, none positive, but I don't feel like typing them all out atm.
So I was split on how to rate this, because 1 star should only be for true dreck, and this isn't that. It's objectively worse than TAFWVG, and I gave that two. Maybe this is two, and that should be 3. At least, TAFWVG felt like an honest effort as a work of fiction. I don't know what this was.
April 8, 2018
I only give one star to books I truly hate, but this was still pretty bad. The writing was iffy, which is a shame because I like Emilie's music and enjoyed her other book.
Honestly, it just didn't make much sense in my mind. Those gowns get bled on, vomited on, and worse. Okay, it's embarrassing at first, but this seems like an overkill reaction to a blood spot? I have serious anxiety problems, but this chick made me feel normal. In addition, if you move, a doctor will help you find someone new in your area. No one in all of New York takes her insurance? That is absolutely ridiculous. Furthermore, you don't O.D. on lithium and not know. You would definitely know. You would basically be a walking zombie, if you are conscious at all. And no doctor is going to touch your stomach and say with immediate conviction, "Yes, it's definitely an ulcer." They are going to say, "It's most likely an ulcer but let's do 50 tests to make sure." I've been there, done that. It effing sucks.
Honestly, it just didn't make much sense in my mind. Those gowns get bled on, vomited on, and worse. Okay, it's embarrassing at first, but this seems like an overkill reaction to a blood spot? I have serious anxiety problems, but this chick made me feel normal. In addition, if you move, a doctor will help you find someone new in your area. No one in all of New York takes her insurance? That is absolutely ridiculous. Furthermore, you don't O.D. on lithium and not know. You would definitely know. You would basically be a walking zombie, if you are conscious at all. And no doctor is going to touch your stomach and say with immediate conviction, "Yes, it's definitely an ulcer." They are going to say, "It's most likely an ulcer but let's do 50 tests to make sure." I've been there, done that. It effing sucks.
February 26, 2018
This is a short story about a girl who keeps seeing the same hospital gown that she dreads, throughout her life.
I did enjoy it, but as soon as I started to get into it, it ended. I'd love for it to be added to and given a bit more explanation to certain things.
I did enjoy it, but as soon as I started to get into it, it ended. I'd love for it to be added to and given a bit more explanation to certain things.
March 21, 2018
["Cold water for blood"]...
Tell you what! I can relate this short story to the another, it was the short story named “The Yellow Wall-Paper� by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Though of course this one is completely different from the other. But yes I can vote this one OK though not favorite�
Anyway while I was reading, the story did disturbed me in some point. I felt like me too was thinking as same as like that young woman who was driven crazy whenever she saw that hospital gown. Kind of depressed or related anxiety? I might say yes�
In the end while I finished I found the section of “Study Guide for The Gown� and it 50 questions to which you could answer. But in here I want to answer first 6 question that I really feel to be answered as this story did affected me�
Q.1 - How did you feel as you read the story? Confused, sad, anxious, amused? How did your feelings change as the story went on?
Ans. - I feel like it was me who was viewing or say experiencing the event alongside with that young lady. I felt like me too playing a role with her mind and as if my mind got equal with her character. In some point it drained my inner strength. Not confused, not amused but sad and anxious? Yes I think so�
Q.2 - Have you ever been made extremely uncomfortable, or even frightened, by something that seemed harmless to everyone around you?
Ans. - Yes. But I don’t want to talk about it or describe it as it remind me something dark that I never want to remember again. Better let it be there what it belongs�
Q.3 - How do you feel about the main character? Did you like her, identify with her, find her annoying, even dislike her?
Ans. - Are you kidding? No way, why on earth I would find her annoying or dislike her? It was not her fault of course. I felt really sad and sorry for her. As she very much possessed with that hospital gown and could not get out off from it. It’s pathetic to having a experience like it when you actually are the affected person if you know what I mean. I like her and I wish the story has a good ending with her solving the problem. But anyway I feel quite positive about her character�
Q.4 - What three words would you use to best describe this story?
Ans. - It was OK�
Q.5 - Did the story make you remember events in your own life, and reconsider them in any way?
Ans. - Well, no offense but I think the answer is already given in Q.2�
Q.6 - Was there anything in the story that you could strongly relate to?
Ans. - Sorry to say as I mentioned already I just don’t want think about my past�
Rating : 4 out of 5�
Thanks to - Emilie Autumn...
July 28, 2019
I was very confused by this. It was a short story so of course there wasn't too much going on but it wasn't gripping or engaging it was just odd.
I understand the themes of madness, obsession, mental and physical health deterioration here, but it didn't flow. Where did any of this come from? Why did the character get so upset by a spot of blood? What were her motives? Why did any of this happen?
If this had expanded on itself a lot more, or been a bit more fleshed out then it would have been interesting. I liked the concept but it didn't quite work for me. I'm sure someone else might enjoy it but considering I have followed EA's work for years (and have a first edition hardback of her novel) I was expecting a bit more from this.
I understand the themes of madness, obsession, mental and physical health deterioration here, but it didn't flow. Where did any of this come from? Why did the character get so upset by a spot of blood? What were her motives? Why did any of this happen?
If this had expanded on itself a lot more, or been a bit more fleshed out then it would have been interesting. I liked the concept but it didn't quite work for me. I'm sure someone else might enjoy it but considering I have followed EA's work for years (and have a first edition hardback of her novel) I was expecting a bit more from this.
March 14, 2024
I saw this story while I was cleaning out DNFs on my lists, saw that I read it years ago and rated it 5 stars, but I couldn’t remember why. So I reread it.
While I no longer think it's 5 stars, I still don’t think it’s too bad. I can relate to the mc’s severe anxiety as it consumes her, all over one simple tiny drop of blood. It's difficult to explain to others if they've never been through it themselves.
The ending though is what brought me to take this down 3.5 stars (4 for ŷ, since I can’t do .5’s). It was so � I don’t know. Actually, I think that’s a good way to put it. I don’t know what happened in the later half of this story and it feels like the author didn’t either.
While I no longer think it's 5 stars, I still don’t think it’s too bad. I can relate to the mc’s severe anxiety as it consumes her, all over one simple tiny drop of blood. It's difficult to explain to others if they've never been through it themselves.
The ending though is what brought me to take this down 3.5 stars (4 for ŷ, since I can’t do .5’s). It was so � I don’t know. Actually, I think that’s a good way to put it. I don’t know what happened in the later half of this story and it feels like the author didn’t either.
February 14, 2021
Quick, psychological, and mysterious. It’s a very short story that’s well written, sets you up and gives you a spin around. It’s like a snack from the banquet that is her novel “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls�. I’d recommend the read to any fan of the author.
March 14, 2018
I’m sad to report I was really disappointed with this. I really enjoyed The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls (hardback 2nd edition) but this just wasn’t for me. Just as the story began to get going... it stopped! The last section in particular felt really rushed. The whole thing could have benefitted from a few more pages; perhaps even been a full-length novella? Things don’t necessarily need to have been explained more thoroughly � I actually really liked the ambiguity � but I wish the story had been a bit richer. Characterisation too.
Despite a few clunky, overlong sentences that I occasionally found myself tripping over (e.g. “The thin, waxy paper covering the table stuck to the backs of her thighs, crinkling loudly as she attempted to pull the gown more snugly behind her, and she thought how much it was like the paper that the meat was weighed out on and wrapped up inside of at a butcher counter her mother shopped at on Sundays when the chicken was half-price because it was four days old.�), I did find myself gripped and anxiously turning the pages. The atmosphere and creepiness is really quite good, written in the style of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman etc. what with the fallible narrator, the building dread, the slow descent into madness over something seemingly innocuous...
The 7 pages of study questions (50 in total for a 24 page story!) also felt entirely unnecessary; I’d have much preferred more book. They were also quite pointed and telling, destroying the ambiguity (e.g. “Do you think anything occurred in the main character’s life prior to her first doctor visit that prompted her to react to the gown the way she did?).
Not my cup of tea I’m afraid. Two stars for the atmosphere and potential, but The Gown was let down by a lack of editing and being far too short. I really hope Emilie Autumn continues to grow as a writer. I’d love to read more stories from her because I do think she has so much talent (speaking purely about writing here but she is an amazing musician too) and I can’t wait to see what she produces next.
Despite a few clunky, overlong sentences that I occasionally found myself tripping over (e.g. “The thin, waxy paper covering the table stuck to the backs of her thighs, crinkling loudly as she attempted to pull the gown more snugly behind her, and she thought how much it was like the paper that the meat was weighed out on and wrapped up inside of at a butcher counter her mother shopped at on Sundays when the chicken was half-price because it was four days old.�), I did find myself gripped and anxiously turning the pages. The atmosphere and creepiness is really quite good, written in the style of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman etc. what with the fallible narrator, the building dread, the slow descent into madness over something seemingly innocuous...
The 7 pages of study questions (50 in total for a 24 page story!) also felt entirely unnecessary; I’d have much preferred more book. They were also quite pointed and telling, destroying the ambiguity (e.g. “Do you think anything occurred in the main character’s life prior to her first doctor visit that prompted her to react to the gown the way she did?).
Not my cup of tea I’m afraid. Two stars for the atmosphere and potential, but The Gown was let down by a lack of editing and being far too short. I really hope Emilie Autumn continues to grow as a writer. I’d love to read more stories from her because I do think she has so much talent (speaking purely about writing here but she is an amazing musician too) and I can’t wait to see what she produces next.
February 10, 2023
It's such a neat effect how much power and impact the sentence "cold water for blood" took me to a creepy place in my mind. Everyone who has tried to wash blood out knows exactly the experience. It's quite an effective use of words
This depicts anxiety and how it creeps in and takes hold so well. It's even worse it's over something so insignificant but prominent. It's not a thing that makes much sense unless you have experienced the anxiety yourself.
It comes on hard, it doesn't really have a systematic way to happen, and then it's there and you're dealing with it.
Another neat aspect of this short story is our protagonist sees everyone around her incorrectly. Doctors and medical people are often not persons able to enter and touch bodies and here she sees them as people she needs to make impressions with and panics when she cannot. Minor moments freak her out. She is terrified to be seen in a bad light by these people she likely will never see again in her life.
As well as the well-known terror of waiting for a medical diagnosis or hospital visit.
While terribly short, I think the shortness adds to the anxiety, a rapid speed story with a fast pace. It's basically an anxiety inducing story about anxiety.
I think it's masterfully clever.
It even grips onto a bit of existential terror if that's what scares you, the reader. It didn't me, but I noted it. An extra layer of terror for many.
This nails the medical experience so well it's great. Especially the repeated visits and the many different diagnoses. It's all a lot of moving around and being treated how this story touches it. It's not personal and sometimes the lack of it being personal can be even more scary.
I didn't terribly care for the ending but it only slightly damaged the original 4.5 star review. It wasn't a deal breaker for me. It was just the obvious way out a lot of stories and movies seem to be taking and through that it felt a bit lackluster.
4 stars.
This depicts anxiety and how it creeps in and takes hold so well. It's even worse it's over something so insignificant but prominent. It's not a thing that makes much sense unless you have experienced the anxiety yourself.
It comes on hard, it doesn't really have a systematic way to happen, and then it's there and you're dealing with it.
Another neat aspect of this short story is our protagonist sees everyone around her incorrectly. Doctors and medical people are often not persons able to enter and touch bodies and here she sees them as people she needs to make impressions with and panics when she cannot. Minor moments freak her out. She is terrified to be seen in a bad light by these people she likely will never see again in her life.
As well as the well-known terror of waiting for a medical diagnosis or hospital visit.
While terribly short, I think the shortness adds to the anxiety, a rapid speed story with a fast pace. It's basically an anxiety inducing story about anxiety.
I think it's masterfully clever.
It even grips onto a bit of existential terror if that's what scares you, the reader. It didn't me, but I noted it. An extra layer of terror for many.
This nails the medical experience so well it's great. Especially the repeated visits and the many different diagnoses. It's all a lot of moving around and being treated how this story touches it. It's not personal and sometimes the lack of it being personal can be even more scary.
I didn't terribly care for the ending but it only slightly damaged the original 4.5 star review. It wasn't a deal breaker for me. It was just the obvious way out a lot of stories and movies seem to be taking and through that it felt a bit lackluster.
4 stars.
August 30, 2024
It's been a few months since I read this, and I haven't read any other reviews, so take that as thou wilt.
I enjoyed it! Unlike TAFWVG, it's not labeled as an autobiography. (Perhaps she learned her lesson with her first book?) But it does make me wish she would write and publish more psychological based books in the same genre!
My only complaint (if you can call it that; closer to confusion than actual negativity) were the questions at the end. They reminded me of questions in a grade school literature book, questions meant to be answered in class, or given as homework and *then* answered in class. It wasn't that the questions weren't intriguing; they definitely were! But it felt a lot like the author intended the book either for grade school students (junior high to high school) in class, or at least that age where such questions wouldn't strike the reader as odd. I can perhaps see them being useful to adults in a book club? Or a small group of friends reading the same one? But then again, it's a LOT of questions! How many am I supposed to answer? What's the grading curve? I never did well on such things, as I almost always just take whatever story I'm reading at face value, and rarely dig into it deeper.
Besides that, I thought it was a pretty great and solid story! I highly recommend it if you are short on time/focus, but still enjoy a good delving into a delusional person's psyche.
I enjoyed it! Unlike TAFWVG, it's not labeled as an autobiography. (Perhaps she learned her lesson with her first book?) But it does make me wish she would write and publish more psychological based books in the same genre!
My only complaint (if you can call it that; closer to confusion than actual negativity) were the questions at the end. They reminded me of questions in a grade school literature book, questions meant to be answered in class, or given as homework and *then* answered in class. It wasn't that the questions weren't intriguing; they definitely were! But it felt a lot like the author intended the book either for grade school students (junior high to high school) in class, or at least that age where such questions wouldn't strike the reader as odd. I can perhaps see them being useful to adults in a book club? Or a small group of friends reading the same one? But then again, it's a LOT of questions! How many am I supposed to answer? What's the grading curve? I never did well on such things, as I almost always just take whatever story I'm reading at face value, and rarely dig into it deeper.
Besides that, I thought it was a pretty great and solid story! I highly recommend it if you are short on time/focus, but still enjoy a good delving into a delusional person's psyche.
March 13, 2018
"The Gown" is a study in ambiguity and open-endedness. Perhaps the most pressing question at the end of the story is whether we should trust the narrator's version of events. In this way, "The Gown" participates in the longstanding Gothic trope of the unreliable narrator.It seems factually impossible that the exact same gown should end up in different medical facilities around the country and repeatedly be given to the same patient over a period of many years. The narrator's obsessive behaviors and irrational anxiety add credence to the idea that it might all be in her head. Yet, the answer isn't quite so simple. As some of the discussion questions at the end point out, other characters seem to see the same details in the gown that the narrator does. What is real? Who can you trust? These questions are left unanswered by the end of the story.
See my full review at TheGothicLibrary.com
See my full review at TheGothicLibrary.com
April 3, 2018
Good story, shame the author charges so much.
The good: Emilie Autumn's writing style has definitely improved since The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, and the idea of a story focused on repressed shame over something seemingly trivial spiraling out of control worked well.
The bad: It felt a little rushed, like too much time passed between sections without being elaborated on. As I think I said in my review of TAFWVG, Emilie Autumn needs to learn to show rather than tell.
The ugly: Truth be told, I would have given this a 4 rather than a 3 were it not for one detail: the price. I managed to get it for free via Kindle lending library (side note, who knew that was a thing) but normally, this story is £2 on Kindle and £5 for a paperback, which I'm sorry but that isn't acceptable for a 40 page short story.
The good: Emilie Autumn's writing style has definitely improved since The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, and the idea of a story focused on repressed shame over something seemingly trivial spiraling out of control worked well.
The bad: It felt a little rushed, like too much time passed between sections without being elaborated on. As I think I said in my review of TAFWVG, Emilie Autumn needs to learn to show rather than tell.
The ugly: Truth be told, I would have given this a 4 rather than a 3 were it not for one detail: the price. I managed to get it for free via Kindle lending library (side note, who knew that was a thing) but normally, this story is £2 on Kindle and £5 for a paperback, which I'm sorry but that isn't acceptable for a 40 page short story.
November 13, 2018
The Gown
A thought provoking and haunting story. I think it does a very good job, at least the way I see it, of expressing how vulnerable patients are when they visit the doctor. It’s already an uneven power situation, and then one is forced to disrobe and don a gown that is completely open in the back, and that’s all that protects you from the world; it also shifts the power dynamic even more as the doctor is fully clothed. If you are a patient with a mental illness, it can become even more of an issue, because you already feel like you’re not taken seriously, and it strips away one more layer of protection. It’s also easy for your mind to seize on things that seem insignificant to others but become huge to you. Is what happens with the gown coincidence or real? Does it really matter if the character believes it to be real?
I highly recommend this story.
A thought provoking and haunting story. I think it does a very good job, at least the way I see it, of expressing how vulnerable patients are when they visit the doctor. It’s already an uneven power situation, and then one is forced to disrobe and don a gown that is completely open in the back, and that’s all that protects you from the world; it also shifts the power dynamic even more as the doctor is fully clothed. If you are a patient with a mental illness, it can become even more of an issue, because you already feel like you’re not taken seriously, and it strips away one more layer of protection. It’s also easy for your mind to seize on things that seem insignificant to others but become huge to you. Is what happens with the gown coincidence or real? Does it really matter if the character believes it to be real?
I highly recommend this story.
March 3, 2018
This short story reads like a Poe story, with its theme of obsession and tone of creeping horror. The narrator follows an unnamed female protagonist as a certain hospital gown seems to follow her through a series of doctor visits over the course of many years. No matter how far she goes or how old she is, it's always that same blue diamond-patterned gown with a blood drop just above the knee, that she herself had dropped there.
Following the story is a set of study guide questions that help drive home the nuances of the story, although I must say that 50 questions seems a bit much for a 34-page story. Nevertheless, it goes to show that like Autumn's other works, this story is meant to serve as a springboard for discussions about mental health and mental health institutions.
Following the story is a set of study guide questions that help drive home the nuances of the story, although I must say that 50 questions seems a bit much for a 34-page story. Nevertheless, it goes to show that like Autumn's other works, this story is meant to serve as a springboard for discussions about mental health and mental health institutions.
February 22, 2018
Anxiety inducing.
This story made me feel so anxious. I hate wearing hospital gowns my self, and will offer any and all possible excuses to never be undressed, even while in hospital. The description of them lacking modesty, yet being a sign of a proper patient cut into me. I won't lie, the next time I'm forced to wear one, which I sincerely hope will be NEVER, I might just look for that spot.
I think the combination of anxiety inducing prose and social commentary on the medical industry is amazing. I won't hesitate to say that this story made me feel so uncomfortable, but that's what a good story does.
This story made me feel so anxious. I hate wearing hospital gowns my self, and will offer any and all possible excuses to never be undressed, even while in hospital. The description of them lacking modesty, yet being a sign of a proper patient cut into me. I won't lie, the next time I'm forced to wear one, which I sincerely hope will be NEVER, I might just look for that spot.
I think the combination of anxiety inducing prose and social commentary on the medical industry is amazing. I won't hesitate to say that this story made me feel so uncomfortable, but that's what a good story does.
February 25, 2018
This is a short story, about half an hour of reading, where disparate medical moments across a woman's life are tied together by a questionable connective tissue. The narrator isn't necessarily reliable, but that's central to the story (as the rather pointed discussion questions also included try to focus on). It feels intensely personal; the details and moments feel pulled directly from life, even if there are aspects that don't seem like they could be. It paints a picture of a mind that processes the world in a different way - is she mentally ill? Possibly, but that's a broad label that doesn't mean much. Ultimately, it's left up to the reader to judge and decide on their own.
June 8, 2019
I absolutely loved it. Like much of her work (both musical and written!), this story is Gothic, harrowingly truthful and tinged with terror. The creeping sense of anxiety of the story’s unnamed heroine is quickly pushed onto the reader. In many ways it is almost a modern, perhaps more accessible, take on The Yellow Wallpaper, the gown taking the role of that tale’s eponymous wallpaper. Emilie Autumn is brilliant at relating the lows of mental illness and she does it here again, highlighting how the smallest of details can affect how someone views something throughout their lives. That sense of exposure felt wearing the gown was particularly effective to me.
February 22, 2018
Oh my stars! Praises to this story.
I ordered the paperback, but just finished reading the ebook in one sitting and I must say I just can’t. I loved it. The pace, the mania, the mood. It was cathartic to me. It depicted the stages of my own anxiety disorder. I’ve never felt like anyone else could, even without meaning to, depict how I feel. And Emilie Autumn does it so well here. I feel identified. This reads like it’s about all of us. Thank you, EA!!
XOXO,
W11Y ❤️🕸🐀
I ordered the paperback, but just finished reading the ebook in one sitting and I must say I just can’t. I loved it. The pace, the mania, the mood. It was cathartic to me. It depicted the stages of my own anxiety disorder. I’ve never felt like anyone else could, even without meaning to, depict how I feel. And Emilie Autumn does it so well here. I feel identified. This reads like it’s about all of us. Thank you, EA!!
XOXO,
W11Y ❤️🕸🐀
March 28, 2018
An interesting premise, albeit not very gripping. I can forgive it on the basis of this story being a short one. Autumn has an excellent ability to write, evident by The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls - The Gown doesn't demonstrate this as well, however. The protagonist isn't particularly likeable, she is almost irritating. I suspect this was the intended effect, but did not lend itself towards an incentive to care about the story.
February 3, 2024
A really good insight what anxiety means and one can relate a lot to the main character when she navigates the source and the explanation of her fears. The explanation of growing madness. The explanation of the hostility of the outside world.
The only annoying thing is Emilie's voice when she reads - I love her voice when she sings but here it sounds extremely high camp, in a bad way. Sorry.
The only annoying thing is Emilie's voice when she reads - I love her voice when she sings but here it sounds extremely high camp, in a bad way. Sorry.
October 17, 2024
That was an interesting 35 minutes�.. this short story was perfect for October. It gives you all the creepy, weird, story telling vibes. I read The Asylum by Emilie Autumn and was not impressed but THIS. This was worth the time spent reading. Granted, it was only 35 minutes long.� but I actually enjoyed it. I felt anxious, weirded out, and like someone was telling me a story outside by the fire� definitely “ghost story� vibes
July 25, 2018
Way too quick, even for a short story
Oh how I can relate to EA's stories! The Gown left me feeling a little empty and reminding me of my own broken history. I would, and do, recommend it to anyone, especially to those who struggle to comprehend the mentally ill, whether caregivers or medical staff!
Oh how I can relate to EA's stories! The Gown left me feeling a little empty and reminding me of my own broken history. I would, and do, recommend it to anyone, especially to those who struggle to comprehend the mentally ill, whether caregivers or medical staff!
January 12, 2021
I found it confusing, but at the same time I couldn't stop reading...
I loved the piece of writing. The only reason I gave 3 stars is more because of my own inability to understand the story properly. Maybe speaking with the author herself would help to clear my mind and help me make sense of what she wanted her readers to feel?
I loved "The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls".
I loved the piece of writing. The only reason I gave 3 stars is more because of my own inability to understand the story properly. Maybe speaking with the author herself would help to clear my mind and help me make sense of what she wanted her readers to feel?
I loved "The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls".
November 27, 2022
Is it the same gown? Is she just hallucinating? The reader cannot know for sure. The confusion and uncertainty work for this story, it fits. The intense shame and panic our protagonist feels seems out of proportion, but that fits as well, or she would be “well-adjusted� or “normal� and we wouldn’t have this story to read.
February 21, 2018
A must for any Plague Rat
A wonderful short story that I found very similar in style to the classic The Yellow Wallpaper. Emilie is a wonderful writer (and all around artist). This is a story that will stay with me and that I will no doubt read again.
A wonderful short story that I found very similar in style to the classic The Yellow Wallpaper. Emilie is a wonderful writer (and all around artist). This is a story that will stay with me and that I will no doubt read again.
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