Today The New York Public Library released the latest installment of Insta Novels: "The Yellow Wallpaper," a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The story was illustrated by Buck (@buck_design) and is available to read on the Library's Instagram account (@nypl).

Insta Novels, a reimagining of Instagram Stories to provide a new platform for some of the most iconic stories ever written, was first launched in August 2018 with a newly digitized version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Magoz (@magoz). The program, created by  independent advertising and creative agency Mother in New York  and developed in partnership with the Library, aims to make some of the greatest stories ever written available even more widely.

How It Works

First, go to the Library's Instagram account (@nypl) and tap "The Yellow Wallpaper" in the highlights section, right under the bio.

Rest your thumb on lower right part of the screen to hold the page, and lift your thumb to turn the page. (The lower right thumb holder is designed to double as a flip book: if you lift your thumb and let the pages flip, you'll see an animation.)

Did you miss Alices Adventure’s in Wonderland? You can still read the Insta Novel edition by locating it on our virtual bookshelf in the highlights section of the Library's Instagram account  (@nypl).

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"Life is very much more exciting now than it used to be." ⠀ Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic "The Yellow Wallpaper" is now live on #InstaNovels. To start reading, check the @nypl Highlights for the whole story. ⠀ (Not sure how to read Insta Novels? Find our tutorial in Highlights.)

A post shared by The New York Public Library (@nypl) on Oct 3, 2018 at 3:21am PDT

Read More on SimplyE from The New York Public Library

The books coming to Insta Novels are also available on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app, available on the App Store or Google Play.

Anyone can browse classic titles, including "The Yellow Wallpaper," Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and The Metamorphosis, in the SimplyE Collection in the app. Those eligible for library cards from The New York Public Library can also access 300,000+ e-books, from bestellers to classics, by connecting to NYPL in the app.

Other Ways to Read the Stories

There are many ways to read or listen to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, "The Yellow Wallpaper," The Metamorphosis. Anyone can access the full text of the stories on the Project Gutenberg website. NYPL cardholders can check out the books and audiobooks via the NYPL catalog. Also, you can find the stories by searching the online catalog of NYPL's Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

After You Read "The Yellow Wallpaper," Read This

Finished reading "The Yellow Wallpaper?" Here are some similar stories you may enjoy.

A perfect readalike for "The Yellow Wallpaper" is another short story called "The Husband Stitch" from Carmen Maria Machado's collection Her Body and Other Parties (find in NYPL catalog). We also recommend two Sylvia Plath poems, "Morning In the Hospital Solarium" and "Tulips."

Brush up on essential feminist reads with our reading list Know Your Feminisms.