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cyndireadsbooks's review against another edition
I just could not connect with this book on any level. Beautifully written but not for me.
maddiecaf's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
staciek3's review against another edition
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A coworker lent this book to me saying he tried to lend it to two other coworkers and they returned it unread. Challenge accepted! I had no idea what the book was about, but this particular coworker and I love our books, so I gave it a go. The only other book I attempted to read by this author was Florida, which I didn't like at all. However this book was nothing like that. It was based on the 1100's about an abbey filled with nuns. The main character Marie was quite interesting. The whole abbey setup with all the women there was interesting. I don't wish to spoil anything here, but suffice to say these women get along just fine without any men. They thrive actually and it's truly telling. The way Lauren writes is really quite something. I cannot quite put it into words, but I really enjoyed the writing. I wouldn't mind reading more of her fiction.
izzy_reads7's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I liked the ideas of these characters. Our main character, Marie, is a bastard, but she grew up in a castle. She grew up around queens and nobility and is being sent away to an abbey to become an abbess, to be a nun. We see her life being upended and thrown into Catholicism. However, I did not feel any emotional connection towards Marie; even towards the end, she grew to irritate me at times, but I never felt too strongly towards her whatsoever.
I did really enjoy the atmosphere, though. It was dark, damp, and almost Gothic. For some reason, it really reminded me of the early parts of *Great Expectations* by Charles Dickens.
The writing was great as well. It was descriptive, but it got the point across without being purple prose. Additionally, there were parts that were very reflective, like the title of this book and why it was chosen, and what it means.
The main theme of the book is womanhood. We follow this character through practically all of her life, seeing the stages of womanhood and what they bring, and how nearly 900 years later, women still have the same expectations. They go through the same emotions and experiences in life, even if it is just slightly different. However, there was a lack of clarity as we are thrown into Catholicism like Marie, so it might be intentional. But I am someone who was not raised Catholic, so I found a lot of these practices and terms to be really confusing, and that took away from my reading experience.
Since I felt nothing for the characters and was confused by much of the plot, I could not love this book. It was a fine read, and there were things that I liked, such as the atmosphere and writing style, but I recommend borrowing this book or getting it as an e-book or audiobook rather than having a physical copy take up room on your bookshelf. This was a five-star prediction for me, but sadly, I am rating it a three-star.
joliefolie's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
liz_mcc's review against another edition
2.0
Oof this was a slog. I love Lauren Groff but this one just didn't hold my attention. I was most into it when I sat and read large swaths of it at once, making me think I would have enjoyed it more as a novella half the length. As it exists, this was just too episodic (hardship falls on the abbey, Marie figures out how to deal with it, repeat) and I couldn't keep track of the supporting cast of nuns. Groff's writing is beautiful and poetic, as always, and I thought I'd love this abbey as female-utopia idea, but the plot and characters were just not compelling enough to make me want to pick this book up (hence why it took me 5 months to read!).
adaska's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
strawberries_for_sal's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
louisabooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5