Reviews tagging 'War'

Matrix by Lauren Groff

18 reviews

eliya's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was a challenge for me. 
It took me 15h 21m technically, with the Libby app open whether or not I was actually reading. 

I’ve never read a historical fiction book for me, and the beginning was a little slow. Once it picked up, the pace ebbed and flowed, and, I began to appreciate how beautifully it is written. So many passages that I want to keep and remember forever, the word choice and the poetic cadence of Lauren’s Groff’s writing is best described by a friend of mine as “delicious.” absolutely. 

I love women and I’m so glad I read this book even though this book is way smarter than I will ever be. Gonna go finish weeping now. 

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careinthelibrary's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0


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edamamebean's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Probably the best book I’ll read all year. It’s small in scale—never leaving the abbey—but it’s proportions are mythic. The writing is so beautiful that I had to stop and underline often. Lauren Groff is not only a good writer, she’s also a wise one. 

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deebee223's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75


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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Review:
Admittedly, it took me nearly 200 pages to really start to get used to Matrix by Lauren Groff and its poetic, fluid, somewhat stream-of-consciousness writing style as well as its unique storyline that often produces more questions than answers. Even then, it was not until the end of the story that I fully appreciated the book for what it is. At the heart of the story is the character of Marie, an admirable but flawed nun whose ambition leads her to transform a starving, poor abbey into a magnificent, self-sustaining wealthy fortress. Marie’s character arc is wonderfully executed, and I appreciated the large cast of supporting characters as well.
 
My favorite part of Matrix, however, is its thematic exploration of religion, feminism, ambition, power, sapphic love, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. This is the sort of book that I could read many times over and glean new meaning each time; it is the type of book that begs to be analyzed in a literature class. Groff trusts in the intelligence of her readers and never oversimplifies or hits the reader over the head in order to make her point.
 
 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like Matrix if:
·      You go into the book with an open mind
·      You are someone who is interested in themes of religion and queerness
·      You enjoy poetic writing styles
 
You might not like Matrix if:
·      You dislike flowery writing and fluid plot structure
·      You prefer exciting plots and clear explanations for events
 
A Similar Book: 
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladsone. Similarities between these books include:
·      Beautiful, lyrical, intelligent prose
·      Friend/enemy relationship between two strong women from different worlds
·      Themes of feminism, queerness and humanity’s relation to the natural world

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laurajeangrace's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5


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ciaomara's review

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dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Gonna be frank, this book is actually kind of a bummer. I think it was good, but I can’t say I  enjoyed myself while reading it. 

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isabelgalupo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A transportive read. I love the mystical elements and the testaments to female strength. At times just a little difficult to wrap my head around because it described such an alien and surreal- feeling world.  

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savvylit's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

On the surface, a book about a 12th-century abbey may not sound particularly riveting. Yet, in creating this fictional biography of Marie, Groff conjures a very compelling and loveable protagonist. Without spoiling too much, Marie is possibly the most powerful female heroine in English literature. Her wit and her dedication to her sisters is both unmatched and admirable.

It is hard to put into words why Matrix was such a joy to read. This book contains so much and does it all so well. Gorgeous prose, religious fervor, heartbreak, revenge, lesbian sex, labyrinths, boundless female power, divine visions, sisterly solidarity, and passionate love.

If you like historical fiction or strong female heroines (or both!), I implore you to read Matrix.

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apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

3.0


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