Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain

For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain is the interwoven stories of Julian of Norwich, an anchoress whose writings are the earliest known surviving works by a woman in English, and Margery Kempe, a Christian mystic, whose book (which she dictated) is thought to be the earliest surviving English autobiography. While not interested in religion per se, I enjoyed this well-written story of two ordinary medieval woman whose extraordinary experiences with faith changed the course of their lives.
The book has 2 main parts. The first , told in alternating short sections, is the first-person story of their lives - childhood, marriage, motherhood, their religious visions, actions and reactions. Three interconnected things really stood out to me - the differences in their class background, their differing personalities, and the contrasting reactions to their religious visions. The 2nd part is the record of the meeting between the two. A lot of it is written as a transcript of their conversation. I’m not sure how I would have felt reading it but on audio with two distinct narrators, it worked well.

Content Warnings

blueberry0531's review

Go to review page

dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

jellafon's review

Go to review page

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow… just brilliant

Content Warnings

shelfofunread's review

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

bearbookshelf's review

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reflective and gentle, this story is more revealing of the author, perhaps, than the women it's about. The accounts of these women, particularly Julian, are heavily fictionalised, and I believe that should be more thoroughly acknowledged. However, the author has done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of both of these women's texts and a challenging nod to imbalances in late medieval society. Overall, an enjoyable and reclusive read that reminded me why I find medieval visionaries so inspiring and interesting.

Content Warnings

More...