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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
When I picked this book up in the library I honestly thought I was going crazy wanting to read this. Oh, how I was wrong. This book is something really awesome. I don't know how to describe my relationship with it. Just imagine that back in the day it got on the list of forbidden literature. It was just telling the truth about the catholic church and how it worked back then. Pointing out it's flaws and mistakes…
I am an atheist. I can't say that I can't deny the existence of God, but nor can I prove it. Despite that this book really spoke to me in it's own unique way and I loved it.
Sometimes the naivity of the main heroin (yes, the main character is a girl - how amazing for that time) drove me crazy, but even that supported the cruelty of the regime back then. If I gave this book anything less than 5 stars I would be lying not only to everyone seeing it, but also to myself.
I am an atheist. I can't say that I can't deny the existence of God, but nor can I prove it. Despite that this book really spoke to me in it's own unique way and I loved it.
Sometimes the naivity of the main heroin (yes, the main character is a girl - how amazing for that time) drove me crazy, but even that supported the cruelty of the regime back then. If I gave this book anything less than 5 stars I would be lying not only to everyone seeing it, but also to myself.
Értem, miért van az 1001 listán, de ez nem jelenti egyben azt is, hogy érdekes vagy élvezetes olvasmány, ill. határozottan kipöckölhetné innen 1000 másik könyv is. Az a határozottan közepes, ami, ha nyomtatott könyv lenne, már menne is a „csere” polcra, és csak annak ajánlanám, akit érdekel az olvasónak való kiszólás technikája.
Letto per le sfide
1001 libri da leggere prima di morire
1001 libri da leggere prima di morire
I picked this book from my TBR classics shelf. I needed a book for “N” for the A-Z classics challenge and a French Classic for Classics Bingo. I haven’t read anything by Diderot before The Nun. I’m not big on philosophy, which is what Diderot was famous for, but I had wanted to read this story for a long time.
This was a strange story which I have reason to believe may be somewhat based in fact. Diderot’s sister was a nun who died in a nunnery after going mad. Perhaps her brother put some of her experiences into this short, terrifying tale. Somewhere in the notes it also mentioned that Suzanne’s story is based off another young nun’s actual accounts of her life at a convent. Diderot was not a fan of religion either so this piece could have been written to simply oppose the Catholic Church which was extremely powerful in his 18th century France.
The main character, Sainte Suzanne is a young girl who is forced into the convent by her parents. She is the child of an affair her mother had with a man who wasn’t her husband. Suzanne’s two legitimate sisters spend all their parent’s money so that Suzanne is forced to take the holy vows to keep her off the street.
At the first nunnery, Suzanne is horribly abused both physically and emotionally by the Mother Superior and her cronies. She is moved to another nunnery through the kindness of an overseeing church official and her devoted lawyer. In the second nunnery, she quickly becomes the favorite of her new Mother Superior.
With this next part, I couldn’t tell if Diderot wanted to write a lesbian nun story or one entirely about abuse within the church. Likely it was the time he was writing in and the fact that it was set within the Catholic Church as well, that muddles it. This whole part of the story came off pretty homophobic; according to the priests, the Mother Superior’s and the other nun’s desires for each other clearly are a form of madness and possession of the devil so claims some of the priests. There was another nun, Sister Therese who was jealous of Suzanne being the mother superior’s new favorite which is why I thought that at least she was probably a lesbian.
Diderot explicitly has Suzanne talk about many instances of kissing and caressing so its clear that the relationship she has with the Mother Superior is highly sexualized. Again, I’m not sure if this is supposed to be like the 18th century novella version of a badly written Yuri manga about nuns or if it was supposed to be straight up abusive. It at times comes off like Suzanne is actually in love with the Mother Superior (the same can be said of Therese who acts like the desperate ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to get her former lover back). Then there are other points where Suzanne is scared of the Mother Superior. I’m not really sure what to do with this book exactly.
I rated this 2.5 stars! I liked Suzanne’s voice and it was interesting to read about what the experiences of a nun could have been in 18th century France. However, I didn’t like how confusing the second nunnery is with Suzanne and the Mother Superior. I couldn’t easily classify this as a romance or an abusive situation. The whole idea that one woman “infects” another with lesbianism is just so stupid and homophobic, I can’t even. Either women are into other ladies or they’re not. The fact that this was set within the Catholic church in the late 1700s only added to prejudices and confusion.
Triggers: Abuse (physical, emotional, possibly sexual) and homophobic ideas
This was a strange story which I have reason to believe may be somewhat based in fact. Diderot’s sister was a nun who died in a nunnery after going mad. Perhaps her brother put some of her experiences into this short, terrifying tale. Somewhere in the notes it also mentioned that Suzanne’s story is based off another young nun’s actual accounts of her life at a convent. Diderot was not a fan of religion either so this piece could have been written to simply oppose the Catholic Church which was extremely powerful in his 18th century France.
The main character, Sainte Suzanne is a young girl who is forced into the convent by her parents. She is the child of an affair her mother had with a man who wasn’t her husband. Suzanne’s two legitimate sisters spend all their parent’s money so that Suzanne is forced to take the holy vows to keep her off the street.
At the first nunnery, Suzanne is horribly abused both physically and emotionally by the Mother Superior and her cronies. She is moved to another nunnery through the kindness of an overseeing church official and her devoted lawyer. In the second nunnery, she quickly becomes the favorite of her new Mother Superior.
With this next part, I couldn’t tell if Diderot wanted to write a lesbian nun story or one entirely about abuse within the church. Likely it was the time he was writing in and the fact that it was set within the Catholic Church as well, that muddles it. This whole part of the story came off pretty homophobic; according to the priests, the Mother Superior’s and the other nun’s desires for each other clearly are a form of madness and possession of the devil so claims some of the priests. There was another nun, Sister Therese who was jealous of Suzanne being the mother superior’s new favorite which is why I thought that at least she was probably a lesbian.
Diderot explicitly has Suzanne talk about many instances of kissing and caressing so its clear that the relationship she has with the Mother Superior is highly sexualized. Again, I’m not sure if this is supposed to be like the 18th century novella version of a badly written Yuri manga about nuns or if it was supposed to be straight up abusive. It at times comes off like Suzanne is actually in love with the Mother Superior (the same can be said of Therese who acts like the desperate ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to get her former lover back). Then there are other points where Suzanne is scared of the Mother Superior. I’m not really sure what to do with this book exactly.
I rated this 2.5 stars! I liked Suzanne’s voice and it was interesting to read about what the experiences of a nun could have been in 18th century France. However, I didn’t like how confusing the second nunnery is with Suzanne and the Mother Superior. I couldn’t easily classify this as a romance or an abusive situation. The whole idea that one woman “infects” another with lesbianism is just so stupid and homophobic, I can’t even. Either women are into other ladies or they’re not. The fact that this was set within the Catholic church in the late 1700s only added to prejudices and confusion.
Triggers: Abuse (physical, emotional, possibly sexual) and homophobic ideas
I love this book. It is very sad, sometimes depressive, but the story is so good. It is written in the nice old languague, easy to read. Main character is telling her life story through the letters. She is sharing nice and not that nice parts of her life and her internal thoughts. I recommend this book.
It’s amazing to me that this novel is the result of an 18th century version of catfishing! Diderot takes aim at the exploitative and repressive practices of Church convents while crafting a novel that is both an exciting/fun gothic romp and a rather sensitive and empathetic portrait of people trapped by the monastic system. The direct treatment of homosexuality is pretty stunning for its time, considering this wasn’t meant to be a work of smut or erotica. It’s no wonder that it was originally circulated just among his friends and only published in full after his death.
I found this to be an enjoyable introduction to Diderot’s life and work, even if it's unlike most of the dialogue-based fiction for which he is known, and which I am currently reading. As always, Leonard Tancock’s introduction and translation were superb. He remains my go-to translator for French literature.
I found this to be an enjoyable introduction to Diderot’s life and work, even if it's unlike most of the dialogue-based fiction for which he is known, and which I am currently reading. As always, Leonard Tancock’s introduction and translation were superb. He remains my go-to translator for French literature.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found this intriguing in its critique of the "religious life" and everything that it requires. There is sin upon sin committed in every convent she resides in, painting an interesting opinion on religion during the enlightenment. I was never really bored during this book and found myself wanting to pick it up instead of avoiding it. The narrator has a clear and persuasive voice and great attention to detail. I have never read anything like this though it does have some resemblances to other pieces from the Enlightenment so I recommend it if you enjoy De Sade, Rousseau, Godwin, or Voltaire.