Reviews

Matrix by Lauren Groff

ovenbird_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

There is an electric charge running straight though this book. I know nothing about Marie de France which left me able to read and enjoy this without being fettered by history or preconceived notions. The Marie in this story is mythic--larger than life, not even quite human (one of her ancestors is said to be a fairy), perhaps possessed of magic, and visited by visions. Set free of the expectation of marriage due to her extreme height and "ugliness" she comes into her own power as an abbess. There she lives in a world devoid of men. Men only show up on the periphery of the story and this is a matriarchal tale that plays with the idea of what power women might wield if given an island of their own. Ultimately the women in the abby gain mostly the power to love each other- both sexually and in deep friendship. They write their own rules, release themselves from the weight of sin that is imposed from the outside and find their own strength and worth. There is so much that could be dug into further here. If I had a book club I'd want to discuss this one!

shrrawat's review against another edition

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challenging 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

3.0

 A story of female power and sisterhood, "Matrix" focuses on Marie de France, a bastard sibling to King Henry II, who is sent by Eleanor of Aquitaine to become prioress and later abbess of a failing nunnery. How she raises the nunnery from poverty and sickness to a sanctuary for feminine companionship and power forms the rest of the story.

I found this book to have a very slow beginning, in part because of the literary choice of having no explicit dialogue (perhaps to accentuate the lack of overt voices of women in medieval history) and run-on sentences. Still, as Marie grows into her own as abbess, I found the book to gain a bit more interest, as the community of women grows and prospers. I especially appreciated that most of the book focuses on Marie after she hits menopause (showing that women's lives can flourish into middle age), and that Groff features disabled women among the nuns, expanding the feminine experience displayed in the book. 

zsuzsireads's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lspain_eddington's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

dagnyh's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-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? N/A

4.0

n_nazir's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.5

What a gem of a book, thoroughly enjoyed it.

mlindley's review against another edition

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I loved Part One, but I couldn’t finish. It just slowed way down for me. I wanted to edit out so many scenes. Lauren Groff is a fabulous writer, but this just wasn’t working for me right now. 

biscuithead's review against another edition

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idk just didn't keep me interested, wasn't reaching for it. I like the narrator's voice though so I'll check out what else she does.

kyliemaslen's review against another edition

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love a period drama on film but this was not for me

checkplease's review against another edition

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3.0

The book isn’t the problem, I am. Marie de France would surely agree.