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A review by saphiraas
The Book of Gothel: Memoir of a Witch by Mary McMyne
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4 stars.
An enjoyable read! This story flips the fairytale we all know, Rapunzel, on its head by instead focusing on the life of Mother Gothel, the "villan" of the tale. Reading this, however, you realize Gothel / Haelewise isn't a villan at all. It's really the terrible men and the patriarchy that is the true villan of the story as the suppress and perpetuate violence against women. In the end it's the men in this story twist and turn the fairtyale so that completely divorced from the actual truth.
The love story between Mattaes and Haelewise was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I think that was probably my favorite part of thee whole novel. Watching them chose each other again and again despite all the obstacles the world threw at them. The celebration of their love was really beautiful and perfectly written and I love how it wasn't tied to shame, only joy and pleasure. Their love was far from perfect but it grew from childhood friendship and it was long-lasting until the very end. Incredibly powerful and romantic <3
This story is a real testament to all the crap women had and still have to endure in a patriarchal world. The way the witches in this story are persecuted, vilified, and called sinful heretics felt very relevant to the real world. Also, the way this world completely disregarded the "Mother" diety in favor of the "Father" felt relatable to the way women's accomplishments and power and constantly downplayed and taken over by men irl.
This story is definitely a slow burn and there were times when it didn't quite grab my attention as much. There were definitely a few sections that could have been shortened, but as a whole I enjoyed reading about the mysterious earth magic and hidden coven of powerful witchy women hidden in plain sight. I'm glad I read this in the fall because it provided the perfect druid, witchy ambience.
"Everything that is done can be undone."
An enjoyable read! This story flips the fairytale we all know, Rapunzel, on its head by instead focusing on the life of Mother Gothel, the "villan" of the tale. Reading this, however, you realize Gothel / Haelewise isn't a villan at all. It's really the terrible men and the patriarchy that is the true villan of the story as the suppress and perpetuate violence against women. In the end it's the men in this story twist and turn the fairtyale so that completely divorced from the actual truth.
The love story between Mattaes and Haelewise was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I think that was probably my favorite part of thee whole novel. Watching them chose each other again and again despite all the obstacles the world threw at them. The celebration of their love was really beautiful and perfectly written and I love how it wasn't tied to shame, only joy and pleasure. Their love was far from perfect but it grew from childhood friendship and it was long-lasting until the very end. Incredibly powerful and romantic <3
This story is a real testament to all the crap women had and still have to endure in a patriarchal world. The way the witches in this story are persecuted, vilified, and called sinful heretics felt very relevant to the real world. Also, the way this world completely disregarded the "Mother" diety in favor of the "Father" felt relatable to the way women's accomplishments and power and constantly downplayed and taken over by men irl.
This story is definitely a slow burn and there were times when it didn't quite grab my attention as much. There were definitely a few sections that could have been shortened, but as a whole I enjoyed reading about the mysterious earth magic and hidden coven of powerful witchy women hidden in plain sight. I'm glad I read this in the fall because it provided the perfect druid, witchy ambience.
"Everything that is done can be undone."