Scan barcode
cinephilegirl_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
I like it a lot. But the ended it was different that I expected. I have mixed feelings about it. The show take the story to another level but I like the both. I couldn't picture Ignatius as anyone but Sam Reid and he is also in the cover of the Spanish edition.
zarakoconnor's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very cool cult vibes, but I preferred the TV adaptation. Wish there was more exploration of the priest’s background in the church and the gothic lore of the monastery.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
My mom really liked this book and kept telling me how glad she was that she had read it. So then I was concerned that I would not find it at all worth reading.
Should not have worried. My mom and I don't agree on all books, but this one was a delight. This story of Carla, Margarita, Iphigenia, nuns who continue to serve God long after the church have forgotten them is a well told tale of good triumphing over everything.
I really enjoyed the nuns, the sheep and the priest who means so well, but learns better. This is an unusual story that won't appeal to everyone, but I thought it was wonderful.
Should not have worried. My mom and I don't agree on all books, but this one was a delight. This story of Carla, Margarita, Iphigenia, nuns who continue to serve God long after the church have forgotten them is a well told tale of good triumphing over everything.
I really enjoyed the nuns, the sheep and the priest who means so well, but learns better. This is an unusual story that won't appeal to everyone, but I thought it was wonderful.
madeleinekl's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy, funny and sensual - recommend to anyone with a passing interest in nuns/leaving society.
cinnamonpuns's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
martydah's review against another edition
3.0
Since other readers have commented on the weirdness of this novel, I won't belabor the point. I gave this book three stars because it was an imaginative view on the question of faith and its relevance in the 21st century. It was also very well written and easy to get into, despite the seemingly bizarre characters.
mazza57's review against another edition
1.0
This has to be the weirdest book I have ever read. £ nuns live in a crumbling monastery cu off from the worl. the entrance hidden and overgrown. A pries is sent by the Bishop to assess the monastery for its saleablility to a conglomerate who want to build a paradise away from it all. Not surprisingly the 3 nuns are far from enamoured by the prospect. They begin to act like a triumvirate of Annie Wilkes In Stephen King's [b:Misery|10614|Misery|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554220401l/10614._SY75_.jpg|3230869].
Their attempts to stop the priest leaving descend into a level of increasing horror for the reading as the sisters encase both his legs in plaster and don't allow him even the decency of tending to his personal needs. AT this point i think the author to a dose of one of the sister's herbs and engages in symbolism and activities that are just nauseating and unnecessary as they drink their own blood and smear it around.
I felt it just went too far, it was a very uncomfortable read although the ending did bring a bit of lightness to the story. It is certainly not one i would recommend to anyone else and if it is indicative of the rest of the author's opus she is not one i would read again.
I am not sure how to rate it as i can see that some might think it quite clever but I am still washing the sour taste out of my mouth
Their attempts to stop the priest leaving descend into a level of increasing horror for the reading as the sisters encase both his legs in plaster and don't allow him even the decency of tending to his personal needs. AT this point i think the author to a dose of one of the sister's herbs and engages in symbolism and activities that are just nauseating and unnecessary as they drink their own blood and smear it around.
I felt it just went too far, it was a very uncomfortable read although the ending did bring a bit of lightness to the story. It is certainly not one i would recommend to anyone else and if it is indicative of the rest of the author's opus she is not one i would read again.
I am not sure how to rate it as i can see that some might think it quite clever but I am still washing the sour taste out of my mouth
triciasreadings's review against another edition
4.0
If you have 3 Nuns in an old run down monastery on a deserted island with sheep as company then of course there’s going to be knitting. When a priest turns up to value the buildings because he wants to turn it into a resort your going to have a mutiny- and this is Lambs of God.
Beautifully written and a great story. Amusing at times yet a little dramatic, but a fairly easygoing read.
I recommend this to anyone who is looking for light and fluffy. There is lots of worship - cause it is about Nuns- but they are some kickass survival nuns so it’s worth it.
Beautifully written and a great story. Amusing at times yet a little dramatic, but a fairly easygoing read.
I recommend this to anyone who is looking for light and fluffy. There is lots of worship - cause it is about Nuns- but they are some kickass survival nuns so it’s worth it.
lmwanak's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was an interesting book. The first book SG recommended to me, and it did not disappoint. I wanted something that involved faith but also myths, slow and reflective and maybe funny. Lambs of God fell into many of these categories.
Three forgotten nuns on a remote island receive a visit from a priest, who is assessing the land for a high-class resort that would put money back into the church. For the nuns, this will not do. The crumbling monastery is their home, and the priest is anathema to everything they know. So, well, they prevent him from finishing the assessment.
The book wants to be funny. The nuns are uncivilized in the eyes of the priest and isolated from outside human contact, they are portrayed as almost as animalistic as the sheep they care for. Carla is the youngest (roughly around her upper 40s, I think) and the most eccentric and child-like, having spent all her life at the monastery. Margurite is the most suspicious, and rightly so, given what we learn from her past. Ipaphengia is the oldest and has the curious talent of having the keenest nose, able to smell anything from anywhere on the island. Their faith has evolved to a mixture of Catholicism and paganism, with a smattering of retold fairy tales thrown in (they love to tell stories -- my favorite scene is when Margurite retells Beauty and the Beast and the priest gets upset). And there's knitting. So much knitting, that it feels like a religion itself.
Among this idyllic life, however when the nuns learn of the priest's plan, they drug him and hold him captive by plastering his legs together so he can't run off. I think this is supposed to be humorous, but I found it horrifying. Pompous and arrogant as the priest is, it was very uncomfortable seeing him held captive and at the mercy of the sisters. There's also an action done by Carla that is very non-consensual (it isn't made clear, but the implications are enough). It's all very weird and uncomfortable and definitely took some enjoyment out of the book for me.
Writing-wise, I enjoyed the slow, rambling nature of the book. There's a lot of 3rd person POV mixing and muddling, but I think it works in this in that it gives a clear picture of what everyone is thinking (and it's been a long, long time since I've read an Omni-pov book. I kind of miss it.) Some of the revelations in the book did leave me wanting a bit more. I wanted to know why Ipaphengia chose the monastic life when we're given reasons about the other two. What was life like when there were more sisters in the monastery? What will happen to the sisters now? The ending seems happy, but it still gave me a sense of bleakness.
Three forgotten nuns on a remote island receive a visit from a priest, who is assessing the land for a high-class resort that would put money back into the church. For the nuns, this will not do. The crumbling monastery is their home, and the priest is anathema to everything they know. So, well, they prevent him from finishing the assessment.
The book wants to be funny. The nuns are uncivilized in the eyes of the priest and isolated from outside human contact, they are portrayed as almost as animalistic as the sheep they care for. Carla is the youngest (roughly around her upper 40s, I think) and the most eccentric and child-like, having spent all her life at the monastery. Margurite is the most suspicious, and rightly so, given what we learn from her past. Ipaphengia is the oldest and has the curious talent of having the keenest nose, able to smell anything from anywhere on the island. Their faith has evolved to a mixture of Catholicism and paganism, with a smattering of retold fairy tales thrown in (they love to tell stories -- my favorite scene is when Margurite retells Beauty and the Beast and the priest gets upset). And there's knitting. So much knitting, that it feels like a religion itself.
Among this idyllic life, however
Writing-wise, I enjoyed the slow, rambling nature of the book. There's a lot of 3rd person POV mixing and muddling, but I think it works in this in that it gives a clear picture of what everyone is thinking (and it's been a long, long time since I've read an Omni-pov book. I kind of miss it.) Some of the revelations in the book did leave me wanting a bit more. I wanted to know why Ipaphengia chose the monastic life when we're given reasons about the other two. What was life like when there were more sisters in the monastery? What will happen to the sisters now? The ending seems happy, but it still gave me a sense of bleakness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Misogyny