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msaari's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
Marie de France (fl. 1160–1215) oli runoilija, joka syntyi nykyisen Ranskan alueella ja eli Englannissa 1100-luvun loppupuolella. Hänen elämästään ei tiedetä juuri mitään, mutta tutkijat pitävät häntä yhtenä ensimmäisistä ranskankielisistä naisrunoilijoista. Monet tutkijat ovat sitä mieltä, että Marie de France oli Shaftesburyn luostarin abbedissa Marie.
Tähän teoriaan nojaa Lauren Groff, jonka romaani Mestarinna kuvaa Marie de Francen elämää. 17-vuotias Marie on orpo ja syntynyt avioliiton ulkopuolella, mutta koska hänen isänsä on kuninkaallista sukua, hänellä on ollut paikka Westminsterissä kuningatar Eleonoora Akvitanialaisen hovissa. Nyt kuningatar on saanut ratkaisun Marie-ongelmaansa: Marie lähetetään priorittareksi luostariin.
Luostari on kammottava paikka: se on köyhä, synkkä paikka, jossa nunnat ja oblaattilapset kuolevat nälkään ja tauteihin. Marie ei osaa englantia ja luostarissa oleminen on yksinkertaisesti hirveää. Marie haluaisi päästä takaisin hoviin ja toivoo herättävänsä rakastamansa Eleonooran huomion kirjoittamalla tälle ihastuttavan runoelman. Toivo osoittautuu kuitenkin turhaksi.
Hyvä on, hän ajattelee katkerana. Hän pysyy tässä loukossa ja elää hänelle sälytetyn elämän niin hyvin kuin taitaa. Hän tekee kaiken voitavansa ylentääkseen itsensä tällä maallisella tasolla. Hän elää niin, että hänet pois heittäneet joutuvat katumaan tekojaan. Jonain päivänä he vielä näkevät hänen majesteettisuutensa ja tuntevat suurta kunnioitusta.
Marie perehtyy luostarin asioihin ja ymmärtää, että parannettavaa on. Abbedissa Emme on ollut kehno perimään vuokria luostarin vuokralaisilta. Lisäksi abbedissa on pannut nunnat tekemään sitä työtä, mitä kukin huonoiten taitaa, opettaakseen sisarille nöyryyttä. Marie pistää vuokralaisiin kuria ja määrää nunnat töihin näiden vahvuuksien mukaan. Nunnien asema alkaa pikkuhiljaa kohentua.
Lopulta luostari voi hyvin ja kun Emme menehtyy, Mariesta tulee uusi abbedissa. Luostarissa alkaa ennennäkemätön kukoistuksen kausi. Marie johtaa luostaria rautaisella otteella ja Neitsyt Marialta saamiensa näkyjen kautta.
Lauren Groff kuvaa Marien elämänkaaren taitavasti ja sujuvasti. Aika kulkee luontevaa tahtia: välillä hitaammin, välillä nopeampina pyrähdyksinä, välillä sopivasti tulevaa ennakoiden. Marien vahva ote luostarista on kiehtovaa luettavaa, kirjassa on vahvaa feminististä paloa. Tätä korostaa ympäristö, jossa nunnilla ei ole mitään valtaa mihinkään. Marien voimakas nousu kukoistukseen on ihanaa luettavaa, kunnollinen voimaantumistarina. Vastoinkäymisiäkin toki riittää ja ne ovat paikoin julmia ja sattumanvaraisia, kuten aikakauteen toki kuuluu. Kokonaisuutena tarina on kuitenkin ihastuttava.
Mikään erityisen historiallinen kuvaus Mestarinna ei ole. Se kuvaa kyllä aikakauttaan kiehtovasti, mutta Groff on pikemminkin käyttänyt Marie de Francea kertoakseen itse haluamansa tarinan. Historiallinen Marie de France tunnetaan nimenomaan lai-runoistaan, jotka tässä kirjassa kirjoitetaan nopeasti alkuvaiheessa, eikä niihin juuri palata. Tämä Marie ei ole varsinaisesti runoilija, vaan visionääri ja voimakas johtaja.
Suomentaja Tero Valkonen on tehnyt hienoa työtä käännöksen parissa. Groffin miellyttävä tyyli välittyy suomennoksesta hyvin. Pakko on myös kehua kansia: Jenni Saari on yksi suuria suosikkejani, mitä kotimaisiin kirjankansien kuvittajiin tulee, ja Mestarinna on jälleen kerran yksi nappionnistuminen Saarelta.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, and Death
ciaomara's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Cancer
Moderate: Sexual assault, War, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
dr_aimz's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Death of parent, Cancer, Medical trauma, Violence, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Domestic abuse
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Cancer, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Animal death
Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Rape
have_a_doris_day's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Terminal illness
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, War, and Rape
erica_palmisano's review against another edition
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
4.5
Gorgeous language, a fascinating period, and amazing characterization. The narrator was topnotch, and u recommend the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Lesbophobia
Minor: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, and War
xjuliaaaaaax's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
3.25
What it's about:
We follow Marie de France over the course of her life at an English abbey from ages 17 til her death at 72. Marie de France is a real historical figure, and is known as the first female francophone poet and writer of a series of lais that are still studied; however, her true identity is not known. Groff has chosen to interpret her identity as that of Marie Abbess of Shaftesbury and half-sister to Henry II, King of England.
In this life, Marie is born to a house of lively warrior-women with free-spirits after her mother is raped by Geoffrey of Anjou, descended from a fairy. With her fairy-blood and wild upbringing, she doesn't fit in at the English court where she is forced to find shelter after her mother's death. As an ugly, unfeminine, illegitimate daughter, she is sent to an impoverished abbey to become the prioress and prevent any risk of competing heirs to the throne.
Convinced she has been sent to a living death, Marie despairs. She's been sent here by the woman she loves, Eleanor of Aquitane, Queen of England. We continually view glimpses of Eleanor through rumors that make their way to Marie, whose love eventually turns to respect and friendship for the beautiful and radiant queen who never stops seeking power. In their relationship we see two similar women born to different fates, one beautiful and given the chance to rule the world through marriage and motherhood; the other ugly, and finding greatness through community with her sister-nuns, and motherhood of a different kind as she raises the abbey from poverty, employees and educates local women, and encourages their nascent talents for the sake of their "island of women."
Marie struggles to find faith like the nuns she leads but is blessed with visions from the Virgin Mary, the holy mother. Her political mind, network of spies and friends, and holy visions establish her power locally, freeing her from the patriarchal hierarchy of the church. She builds a labyrinth around the abbey, protecting the nuns from men who wish to steal and harm them, isolating them from external forces, and securing Marie's power over her abbey.
Through her life, you see her struggle with her pride, which threatens the abbey on more than one occasion when her hand stretches too far and risks attracting too much attention to this group of women uninfluenced by men; her blasphemous tendencies, such as believing women are equal or superior to men, able to conduct mass and take confession, and that God is a woman; and her love for women, which is explored platonically, romantically, and sexually as the thing that both connects her to her community, and threatens to destroy everything she has built if she cannot control her earthly desire.
This book paints a portrait of a complex and remarkable woman who challenged all societal norms of medieval England to create a safe haven for women on earth.
How I felt:
I don't feel particularly strongly about this book. I liked the style of writing, though there are many historical references that are subtly hinted rather than overtly named, such as Geoffrey of Anjou and Richard the Lionheart. You either need to google or have a really strong knowledge of medieval history and society. There's definitely no plot here, it's really a character study. I never truly understood the underpinnings of Eleanor and Marie's relationship. Marie adored her... because she was pretty and charismatic? When she ages I think maybe also because of her power. And then why does Eleanor send Marie away, really? It's only ever hinted at but it is confusing because Marie always seems to think there's a possibility she could win Eleanor's affections, as though she had reason to hope but we are never told what possible reason she could have. I think that was the major flaw because it's the one semblance of a plotline we're given.
If you like historical character-study with a slightly sapphic tone, I'd recommend it. It's not a sapphic love-story though so do not expect that. But considering it is set in medieval times, it's quite open and accepting of lesbian relationships. No one in the novel is "out" but it feels more like that is because they are nuns than because of any homophobia in the society.
We follow Marie de France over the course of her life at an English abbey from ages 17 til her death at 72. Marie de France is a real historical figure, and is known as the first female francophone poet and writer of a series of lais that are still studied; however, her true identity is not known. Groff has chosen to interpret her identity as that of Marie Abbess of Shaftesbury and half-sister to Henry II, King of England.
In this life, Marie is born to a house of lively warrior-women with free-spirits after her mother is raped by Geoffrey of Anjou, descended from a fairy. With her fairy-blood and wild upbringing, she doesn't fit in at the English court where she is forced to find shelter after her mother's death. As an ugly, unfeminine, illegitimate daughter, she is sent to an impoverished abbey to become the prioress and prevent any risk of competing heirs to the throne.
Convinced she has been sent to a living death, Marie despairs. She's been sent here by the woman she loves, Eleanor of Aquitane, Queen of England. We continually view glimpses of Eleanor through rumors that make their way to Marie, whose love eventually turns to respect and friendship for the beautiful and radiant queen who never stops seeking power. In their relationship we see two similar women born to different fates, one beautiful and given the chance to rule the world through marriage and motherhood; the other ugly, and finding greatness through community with her sister-nuns, and motherhood of a different kind as she raises the abbey from poverty, employees and educates local women, and encourages their nascent talents for the sake of their "island of women."
Marie struggles to find faith like the nuns she leads but is blessed with visions from the Virgin Mary, the holy mother. Her political mind, network of spies and friends, and holy visions establish her power locally, freeing her from the patriarchal hierarchy of the church. She builds a labyrinth around the abbey, protecting the nuns from men who wish to steal and harm them, isolating them from external forces, and securing Marie's power over her abbey.
Through her life, you see her struggle with her pride, which threatens the abbey on more than one occasion when her hand stretches too far and risks attracting too much attention to this group of women uninfluenced by men; her blasphemous tendencies, such as believing women are equal or superior to men, able to conduct mass and take confession, and that God is a woman; and her love for women, which is explored platonically, romantically, and sexually as the thing that both connects her to her community, and threatens to destroy everything she has built if she cannot control her earthly desire.
This book paints a portrait of a complex and remarkable woman who challenged all societal norms of medieval England to create a safe haven for women on earth.
How I felt:
I don't feel particularly strongly about this book. I liked the style of writing, though there are many historical references that are subtly hinted rather than overtly named, such as Geoffrey of Anjou and Richard the Lionheart. You either need to google or have a really strong knowledge of medieval history and society. There's definitely no plot here, it's really a character study. I never truly understood the underpinnings of Eleanor and Marie's relationship. Marie adored her... because she was pretty and charismatic? When she ages I think maybe also because of her power. And then why does Eleanor send Marie away, really? It's only ever hinted at but it is confusing because Marie always seems to think there's a possibility she could win Eleanor's affections, as though she had reason to hope but we are never told what possible reason she could have. I think that was the major flaw because it's the one semblance of a plotline we're given.
If you like historical character-study with a slightly sapphic tone, I'd recommend it. It's not a sapphic love-story though so do not expect that. But considering it is set in medieval times, it's quite open and accepting of lesbian relationships. No one in the novel is "out" but it feels more like that is because they are nuns than because of any homophobia in the society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia and Mental illness
mc860's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Not for me. Never understood the point of the novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
raquelbb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death