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A review by caitrinhughes
The Secret Magdalene by Ki Longfellow
2.25
Ok, look. I get it. I get why this book is good, it is actually interesting, it is actually up my alley, BUT I felt like it didn't actually start getting compelling until the last 70-50 pages.
It's just so bogged down in philosophy ideas for the first 2/3rds that it's not a fun read. (and as a religion major who took lots of philosophy classes this is normally not a deal breaker for me!) It felt very dull and like I didn't actually get to know these historical figures as characters/people or anything actually deep about them or their desires other than to spread gnosis/ philosophical ideas. Which like, obviously can be someone's main motivation and desire but if the goal was to make these characters fully human or with human wants and desires I think that was a failure.
I also think that having read the Red Tent and Book of Longings really spoiled me because there is a way to do this in an interesting and appealing way! The Secret Magdalene just felt so bogged down in the scholarship Longfellow forgot to make it actually compelling to read.
It's just so bogged down in philosophy ideas for the first 2/3rds that it's not a fun read. (and as a religion major who took lots of philosophy classes this is normally not a deal breaker for me!) It felt very dull and like I didn't actually get to know these historical figures as characters/people or anything actually deep about them or their desires other than to spread gnosis/ philosophical ideas. Which like, obviously can be someone's main motivation and desire but if the goal was to make these characters fully human or with human wants and desires I think that was a failure.
I also think that having read the Red Tent and Book of Longings really spoiled me because there is a way to do this in an interesting and appealing way! The Secret Magdalene just felt so bogged down in the scholarship Longfellow forgot to make it actually compelling to read.