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ilupoli's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book and the ending was so perfect, it almost made me give it 5 stars. Beginning was a bit slow but overall another banger from Lauren Groff!
gukk's review against another edition
3.75
This book moves pretty quick for an account of the life of a medieval nun!
t_michz's review against another edition
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
3.25
madelinemcr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
sarareader's review against another edition
Just not digging the audiobook. Hard to follow and not resonating with the characters
endraia's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
joetatum24's review against another edition
4.0
I had a tough time understanding the text fully with the eloquent language. I think it would warrant a reread that may bring out more understanding. I found I often forgot characters and got people mixed up. However, at its core, it’s a lovely story and I’d definitely recommend reading.
marywys's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Very beautifully written, and I enjoyed the unique setting and characters. It's a very episodic, and at times I felt like the momentum was lacking- it reads more like a fictional memoir than a novel with a strong driving plot. That said, I loved the many interesting and complicated female characters, and their interactions and dynamics were what I really enjoyed & what kept me reading.
I did feel that the subplot about Marie pining after the queen was tiring, since the romance was unrequited. I didn't understand the justification for a one-sided infatuation to last so long. It added interest as a motivation for Marie, but by the end I felt it lacked some substance/closure after it being set up as one of the biggest driving conflicts of the plot. I don't think they had to end up together for it to pay off, but I wanted more introspection from Marie when she was finally realizing that it would never happen. I thought it would be so interesting for her to sort through how much of her motivation for her her life's work improving the abbey was really to impress Eleanor and convince her to retire there. It felt like the book moved on really quickly when Eleanor died, and then the maid she hadn't thought about since they split up at 15 turning back up felt like it was included as a consolation prize? To me, that surprise reunion lacked the emotional depth I think the author was going for. Maybe I was just tired out after being strung along for 70 years by Eleanor- my heart was just too closed off to be open to love again.
djax_tx's review against another edition
3.0
Slow start, enjoyed the book overall once I got into it but the ending was rather unsatisfactory. Marie is definitely a fascinating character, but it feels like we just get the facts of her existence thrown at us and then it’s over.