The ball of the madwomen

A powerful and moving novel, The Ball of the Madwomen exposes the condition of women in the 19th century. It's the work that inspired the Prime Video film.

La Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, 1885. Dr. Charcot holds the City of Lights spellbound with his hypnotic displays on women considered mad, hysterical, and alienated. But the truth is far more complex—these women are often simply inconvenient, unwanted wives, wayward daughters, or people who have lost something precious.

For Parisian society, the highlight of the year is the Ball of the Fools, when the cream of society comes to observe the patients of La Salpêtrière dressed in their finest clothes. For the women themselves, it's a rare moment of hope. A festive evening that, deep down, hides a sordid reality: the ball is just another of Dr. Charcot's experiments, determined to transform the patients of La Salpêtrière into "proper" women.

Thanks to Victoria Mas's refined writing and admirable historical reconstruction, The Ball of the Fools , a terrible but powerful novel, has become a hymn of freedom in honor of all women.

“In this dark and enchanting gothic treasure, Victoria Mas explores the pain, trauma, and sisterhood behind the walls of Paris's infamous Hospital de la Salpêtrière.” – Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

“A dark and magnificent tale of spectacular wickedness, savage injustice, and the inextinguishable strength of women... As moving as it is macabre.” – Emma Stonex, author of The Lighthouse

“An essential read.” – Cosmopolitan

"Enjoy the dance of this little masterpiece and allow yourself to be dazzled. It will surely reach the bestseller lists." – The Parisian