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berenikeasteria's review against another edition
3.0
Margaret George is well-known for her chunkster epics in historical fiction, each focusing on the life tale of one historical figure. Thus far she’s told the stories of the lives of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Kleopatra VII, and Helen of Troy. I’ve only read her works on Henry VIII and Helen of Troy thus far, and thought they were very good and well worth reading. So on the strength of George’s previous books and her skill as an historical fiction author, I decided to read Mary Called Magdalene. I knew the subject matter would be about Mary Magdalene, not a topic I had much interest in, however on the strength of George as the author I hoped she would be able to place the story in historical context and tell a compelling, interesting story that would come to life on the pages.
Having read it, I didn’t hate Mary Called Magdalene, but I didn’t love it either. It’s another one of those books that just didn’t engage me – for a whole variety of reasons, which shifted as the book progressed. The book is divided into three eras of Mary’s life: her life before she met an adult Jesus, her life as Jesus’ disciple, and her life as an apostle after Jesus’ death. In the first of the three sections I was really drawn in at the beginning. George begins in Mary’s early years, fleshing out a believable background for her, giving her a chance to grow and become established as a personality before she meets Jesus, filling out the setting with wonderful historical detail and creating an immersive experience that felt authentic to the times and explained the times and Mary’s position in it. This had me really turning the pages for the first one hundred pages. Unfortunately, this section begins to go on and on and on, starting to drag over the 282 pages that it takes up. I felt like it went on too long and a hundred or so pages should have been enough to tell us all we need to know before the main story kicks in, when Mary meets Jesus.
Just under the next five hundred pages are spent on Mary’s time as a disciple of Jesus. Having checked the stats, that sounds like a lot, and it’s obvious that this section really is the heart of the novel. But it feels so short. Mary and some others wander back to their homes so everyone can announce their intention of joining Jesus, then meet up again, the disciples and Jesus all wander about the remote countryside for a while, occasionally preaching and answering questions from crowds, and then suddenly bam, it feels like Jesus’ mission has barely begun when he decides to go to Jerusalem, and then it felt like a tumbling rush of preaching in the temple, Judas’ betrayal, the crucifixion, and it’s all over. Phew. What gives? I felt like Jesus’s mission had only just begun, and I know some of the anecdotes in the Bible were left out. Some of these left out anecdotes are later mentioned in the novel when Mary, as an apostle, notes certain stories like turning water into wine and calls them parlour tricks and claims they never happened. Okay. But other anecdotes are left out by Mary and not mentioned later. And then some episodes are included that seem like they would fall under Mary’s disdainful definition of a parlour trick, such as the multiplication of the bread and fish. My point is this doesn’t feel consistent and I don’t understand why some episodes are left in and some are left out, there doesn’t seem to be a particular pattern or reasoning at work.
In addition, the character of Jesus didn't feel how I would expect - he didn't come across as compelling, or enlightened, or kind. He starts off obviously very knowledgeable and intelligent, and seems kind of mysterious and like he knows more than everyone else. This drew me, and the disciples in the story, in initially. But the initial impression never dissipates or evolves into something more. This character never becomes compelling, he seems nice enough at times but he never seems especially kind, and he seems more quick witted and always with an answer ready on his tongue, prepared beforehand, rather than enlightened as such. I expected to be bowled over by the wisdom of this character, to experience real moments in the book of awe and revelation alongside the disciple characters. But that never happened. And sometimes he seemed strangely out-of-character, such as momentarily spiteful over a petty issue that really should be beneath his dignity, and not very peaceable or love-your-enemy at all. Even the character of Mary is astonished that he should disregard his own teachings and react with such anger and fury. So, for me the core of the story kind of lacked heart. The inconsistency of the miracles mentioned above was confusing, but even more importantly I think the crucial part of any retelling of Jesus is capturing the story of a compelling personage and his radical ideas - more so than the miracles - and George failed to capture that character. There doesn't seem to be much point in a retelling of the Jesus story without that heart.
After the core of the book, which covers Mary’s life as a disciple, we reach the final section of the book, Mary’s life as an apostle after Jesus. Astoundingly, this section of the novel covers less than one hundred pages, and Mary skims over events in a series of letters to her daughter. I was left thinking, “is that it”? I would imagine that the early years of the church following Jesus would be some of the most crucial years of all. This was a time after all when this small group was still on shaky ground. Its establishment and growth during this time were crucial events that affected much of the succeeding two thousand years, and there was a strong element of risk that it would fade away and not survive as an established religion. Mary Magdalene’s role and involvement in this early church would have been key, and fascinating. But it’s skimmed over and summarised. I would have thought that this part of Mary’s life would have dual importance alongside her time with Jesus, or at the very least, the unnecessary time spent on the beginning of the story should have been transferred into this part of the tale. The beginning of Mary Called Magdalene really should only have been about 100 pages, whilst the final section of Mary’s life should have been given the full 282 pages. In this section, Mary even refers briefly to some huge events that occur – but in passing only, and the novel really would have been the better for it had these events been given more page space.
I haven’t really talked about the writing in the novel because it’s unnecessary, and not an issue. It’s as good and solidly consistent as Margaret George’s other novels. George writes well, though somehow she always misses out on writing of true genius by a hair’s breadth – the writing not imaginative enough, the characters not human enough, the plot just missing that extra something. That said, George is probably my favourite author not inside my inner circle of sheer unadulterated literary perfection – she always writes well, produces decent plots and interesting subject matter, with good attention to historical detail and long enough epics to really get into the subject. Mary Called Magdalene is below the standards of her other works however – usually solid 8 out of 10, or at least a 7 – for other reasons. There are odd pacing issues which make sections of the book feel completely out of sync with their actual length, and which shift the focus onto the wrong parts of the story, to the book’s detriment I feel. The characterisation of Jesus is as good as George’s other characterisations in her other novels, I would say, but it’s so crucial here with such an incredibly famous figure and for me she doesn’t get it right. At the end of the day I think this one is well-written but the story isn’t well told.
6 out of 10.
redheadorganist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery
cathy_alice's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of Mary Magdalene's entire life, from childhood to her death. I enjoyed seeing this controversial historical figure in her own element, with no one sitting in judgment of who she was and her relationship to Jesus. The woman who emerged from these pages was initially very troubled. She was doing her best, but she was literally plagued by demons. She met Jesus when she had given up all hope. He gave her her life back, but her old life didn't want her back. Her family was ashamed of her, partially because of the time she had spent alone with unrelated men, and partly because she believed Jesus's message. With nowhere else to go, she became one of his first followers and traveled and worked miracles in His name.
My problem was that it was too long. Had it been about half this size, it would have been perfect. I started to feel like this whole group was wandering up and down Israel without any real idea what they were doing. There are only so many pages of that I can read.
I haven't read very many historical fiction books set around Jesus and his apostles, so I liked seeing all of them as "real" people, in language I could understand. I had a much better idea of their individual personalities after finishing this. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Biblical scholar, but I feel that the author stayed true to the sense we get of them in Scripture.
I also liked seeing what everyday life was like in those times. I especially liked reading about women's lives.
Since I mentioned the relationship with Jesus, I'll say that I thought it was pretty delicately handled. I am pretty open-minded, but it all felt plausible to me.
I did find out the problem with sort of getting to see Jesus in a new light: the crucifixion is all new too. My reading pace practically stopped when I knew I was getting close. It wasn't as graphic as I was afraid it would be, but it still hurt to read it.
Those with more patience for aimless wandering may enjoy this more than I did. I do recommend it as a book that lets you see some central figures of Christianity in more of an everyday light.
My problem was that it was too long. Had it been about half this size, it would have been perfect. I started to feel like this whole group was wandering up and down Israel without any real idea what they were doing. There are only so many pages of that I can read.
I haven't read very many historical fiction books set around Jesus and his apostles, so I liked seeing all of them as "real" people, in language I could understand. I had a much better idea of their individual personalities after finishing this. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Biblical scholar, but I feel that the author stayed true to the sense we get of them in Scripture.
I also liked seeing what everyday life was like in those times. I especially liked reading about women's lives.
Since I mentioned the relationship with Jesus, I'll say that I thought it was pretty delicately handled. I am pretty open-minded, but it all felt plausible to me.
I did find out the problem with sort of getting to see Jesus in a new light: the crucifixion is all new too. My reading pace practically stopped when I knew I was getting close. It wasn't as graphic as I was afraid it would be, but it still hurt to read it.
Those with more patience for aimless wandering may enjoy this more than I did. I do recommend it as a book that lets you see some central figures of Christianity in more of an everyday light.
epruta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
taxideadaisy's review against another edition
4.0
Mary, Called Magdalene is a well researched and thoughtfully written piece of historical fiction. Margaret George did her homework, and brought to life a woman who grew up in the fish-processing town of Magdala, with a family and family business depicted so well you can almost taste the fish sauce (her family's specialty). Mary's encounters with idols and demons are richly drawn; her thoughts and feelings about her husband and family seemed authentically voiced.
If you are looking for another book in the “Jesus and Mary Magdalene have a love child” vein, you will be disappointed.
I am not a Bible and ancient lives scholar, so I don't know whether it's believed that Mary Magdalene did indeed live a long life, but the premise seems fair. Going with that premise, we have in Mary, Called Magdalene, a large canvas filled with several areas of her life – from her time growing up, her struggles with demonic possession, various (completely normal) problems with her family, her longing for her estranged daughter, and of course her time with Jesus and then the years after his death and resurrection.
The story is told through Mary's eyes, and it is a work of fiction, based on much research (and you can find further reading and other notes at the back of the book). Whether or not you believe in demonic possession, or the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you may enjoy this book as a story of one woman's life in the beautiful ancient world.
PS: I very much like the fonts (Aldus and Kallos Book) used in my copy. They catche the eye at first with beauty, but do not distract as one reads.
If you are looking for another book in the “Jesus and Mary Magdalene have a love child” vein, you will be disappointed.
I am not a Bible and ancient lives scholar, so I don't know whether it's believed that Mary Magdalene did indeed live a long life, but the premise seems fair. Going with that premise, we have in Mary, Called Magdalene, a large canvas filled with several areas of her life – from her time growing up, her struggles with demonic possession, various (completely normal) problems with her family, her longing for her estranged daughter, and of course her time with Jesus and then the years after his death and resurrection.
The story is told through Mary's eyes, and it is a work of fiction, based on much research (and you can find further reading and other notes at the back of the book). Whether or not you believe in demonic possession, or the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you may enjoy this book as a story of one woman's life in the beautiful ancient world.
PS: I very much like the fonts (Aldus and Kallos Book) used in my copy. They catche the eye at first with beauty, but do not distract as one reads.
picaresque's review against another edition
I've tried twice over the many years this book has been on my shelf, and each time I've tackled the 600-pager I have failed. At about the half-way point I find myself yelling, "what's the point?" It has so much potential for an interesting, soul-excavating, spiritual journey. But, in my eyes, fail.
cass_10e's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. I got it from my ex-boyfriend's family for Christmas, right after it came out. I didn't get a chance to read it until my second year of college, which was two years later. I think it is one of the lesser of the [author: Margaret George] novels, but that's still saying a lot!
The author did her research, just like for all her other books, so we get insights into the life of this mysterious woman that we don't necessarily get in church.
The author did her research, just like for all her other books, so we get insights into the life of this mysterious woman that we don't necessarily get in church.