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_moomin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I read her Lais for a class last spring and was excited to read a fictionalized story of her life, because her vibrant personality and sharp wit come through in her writing, and she was clearly a super interesting person! I enjoyed reading Matrix--the book is rich in historical detail and the prose is magical. The book explores radical protofeminist utopianism that is perfectly suited to the era (see Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies, or Marie's own defenses of women in her Lais). The characters flesh out the world, though Marie and a distant but everpresent Eleanor of Aquitaine are the most fully fleshed out.
The book did feel disconnected from the Marie of the Lais. This writing project of Marie's plays only a passing part in the story, which is focused her role as abbess at a struggling English convent. While the character of Marie in the book is strong and interesting, I think the book might have been stronger if it used the historical Marie as inspiration but didn't make her the main character.
There were also moments when the theology or understanding of medieval religious life didn't sit quite right to me. I'm not an expert on medieval Catholicism, but I read in another review that the author was raised evangelical, which made some of that disconnect or anachronism make more sense.
Overall, Matrix is a good read and a thoughtful, vibrant, and deeply human portrait of Marie de France.
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, Death, and Child death
Minor: Misogyny, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Homophobia
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Dementia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Animal death, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Cancer, Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, War, Islamophobia, and Terminal illness
edamamebean's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Excrement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Child death, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, Dementia, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Vomit, Bullying, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and War
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Grief, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Rape, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Cancer
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Sexism
Moderate: Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Physical abuse, Blood, Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, and Classism
Minor: Excrement, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Violence, War, Torture, and Toxic friendship
babblingbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death
Minor: Rape, Homophobia, Abandonment, Ableism, and Death of parent
The main character is queer, she never gives herself a label, but only sleeps with women throughout the book. There is implied homophobia from society in general, but not much actually included in the text specifically.sincerelyleah's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and War
lizzie_r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Ableism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and War
daisyandherbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
✨Matrix by Lauren Groff✨
This book was probably one of the most poetic books I’ve ever read. It is definitely a piece of literature
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Violence