House Full of Insects
by Hymn Herself
Mental IllnessAdded on January 15, 2026
Description
Go behind the locked doors of a psychiatric hospital with Hymn Herself, the painfully self-aware and occasionally psychotic narrator of "House Full of Insects." The book is based on Hymn's inpatient stints at McLean Hospital, the famed facility that also served as the setting for "Girl, Interrupted." "House Full of Insects" is a collection of short stories based on true experiences. The stories are not presented chronologically; instead, the reader follows Hymn from room to room, learning about the realities of daily life in a psychiatric hospital as well as the turmoil in Hymn's own head. At turns wildly funny and heartbreakingly honest, "House Full of Insects" gives a human perspective on the taboo subject of living with mental illness."House Full of Insects" is approximately 14,500 words. Published by PrinGen Publishing (www.pringen.com).
Reader Reviews
As someone who occasionally works with individuals with mental illnesses, a book like this is invaluable in giving you a perspective as to what it is like to be in a mental institution, manage a mental illness and deal with suicidal ideation.
At times disturbing, sometimes frightening, painfully sad and occasionally funny; HOUSE FULL OF INSECTS gives a valuable glimpse of life at the institutionalised end of the mentally ill spectrum.
House Full of Insects is, in one word, fantastic. The story itself both touching and moving, and the book gives off an aura reminiscent of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. I read it in one sitting, and during that time I went through a whole spectrum of thoughts and feelings—and that is something that is hard to get out of me. Every word, every emotion felt real and I must acclaim the author for that. House Full of Insects deserves all my praise.
