A review by lisa_setepenre
How To Be a Medieval Woman by Margery Kempe
3.0
How To Be A Medieval Woman contains excerpts from Margery Kempe’s autobiography, which is considered significant because it is the first (known) English autobiography in history. This ‘little black book’ is perhaps mistitled. This is not a collection of advice on how one should be behave, and there is little in the contents about daily life for medieval woman. In fact, one gets the view that Kempe liked to see herself as utterly unique and far more special than anyone else.
Setting that to the side, however, this is an intriguing little book. At first, I felt sad for Kempe (who refers to herself throughout as ‘that creature’) – the limitations she was faced with, the very religious, very patriarchal society she was living in. Then I started wondering if she was the full quid as she began having visions and conversations with Jesus Christ. Then I started sympathising with most of the people who would get angry and upset with her – she didn’t seem easy to be around!
Setting that to the side, however, this is an intriguing little book. At first, I felt sad for Kempe (who refers to herself throughout as ‘that creature’) – the limitations she was faced with, the very religious, very patriarchal society she was living in. Then I started wondering if she was the full quid as she began having visions and conversations with Jesus Christ. Then I started sympathising with most of the people who would get angry and upset with her – she didn’t seem easy to be around!