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savannahreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
Huh. Interesting, and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would, but it does not make even my top ten favourite L’Engle books, and it’s certainly not one I want to own.
nesskraem's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat dated, particularly when it comes to the character's reasoning for her choices about marriage and love, but the intertwining of past/present stories really works nicely.
imyerhero's review against another edition
5.0
Every time I read a Madeleine L’Engle book, I feel compelled to immediately go out and buy it. It’s frustrating that most people only associate L’Engle with the Time Quartet and are never even aware that she wrote stand-alone novels – some of them much better than the Time Quartet as they struggle more universal issues.
This book tackles that one universal emotion we as a race revere the most – love. The basic plot of the novel is split in two. The modern day story of Charlotte Napier, who has run away from her husband after he has hurt her deeply. Charlotte has, oddly enough, run to Portugal to her mother-in-law’s house in an attempt to understand what’s happened to her marriage and her life. While there, Charlotte stumbles across a book of love letters – which introduces the second plot. Sister Mariana is a nun who lived in Beja, Portugal during the seventeenth century and has become involved with a French officer. The letters of passion and anguish strike a sore spot in Charlotte’s heart and although there are only five of them, she reads them and talks with those who are studying Mariana in hopes of a chance at healing.
While at first I struggled with reconciling Mariana and Charlotte’s stories, or even finding a point to the entire novel which I knew L’Engle would have – the book was still completely inescapable. I could not put the book away, there was always one more section I felt I needed to read. If you’ve ever read a L’Engle story, you won’t find this surprising.
One of the wonderful things about this story, is that “Letters of a Portuguese Nun” is a real book, Mariana Alcoforado was a real person, and while there is speculation that she is, indeed, the author, L’Engle’s fictionalization of Mariana’s story could be very close to what actually happened. So even if you don’t allow Charlotte’s story to affect you, it’s hard not let Mariana’s.
As with most of L’Engle’s novels, (as I mentioned earlier) it’s sometimes hard to find a point to the story when you first begin. You know the author is trying to say something, you may just have a hard time grasping what it is. My favorite L’Engle novel is “Certain Women” but this book contains a very similar and equally strong punch when you near the end and she begins to resolve to two stories and reveal the outcome and lessons learned. If you have never read one of this wonderful woman’s novels, I strongly urge you to remedy that problem.
This book tackles that one universal emotion we as a race revere the most – love. The basic plot of the novel is split in two. The modern day story of Charlotte Napier, who has run away from her husband after he has hurt her deeply. Charlotte has, oddly enough, run to Portugal to her mother-in-law’s house in an attempt to understand what’s happened to her marriage and her life. While there, Charlotte stumbles across a book of love letters – which introduces the second plot. Sister Mariana is a nun who lived in Beja, Portugal during the seventeenth century and has become involved with a French officer. The letters of passion and anguish strike a sore spot in Charlotte’s heart and although there are only five of them, she reads them and talks with those who are studying Mariana in hopes of a chance at healing.
While at first I struggled with reconciling Mariana and Charlotte’s stories, or even finding a point to the entire novel which I knew L’Engle would have – the book was still completely inescapable. I could not put the book away, there was always one more section I felt I needed to read. If you’ve ever read a L’Engle story, you won’t find this surprising.
One of the wonderful things about this story, is that “Letters of a Portuguese Nun” is a real book, Mariana Alcoforado was a real person, and while there is speculation that she is, indeed, the author, L’Engle’s fictionalization of Mariana’s story could be very close to what actually happened. So even if you don’t allow Charlotte’s story to affect you, it’s hard not let Mariana’s.
As with most of L’Engle’s novels, (as I mentioned earlier) it’s sometimes hard to find a point to the story when you first begin. You know the author is trying to say something, you may just have a hard time grasping what it is. My favorite L’Engle novel is “Certain Women” but this book contains a very similar and equally strong punch when you near the end and she begins to resolve to two stories and reveal the outcome and lessons learned. If you have never read one of this wonderful woman’s novels, I strongly urge you to remedy that problem.
jenniferaimee's review
emotional
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
In this book, a young woman flees problems in her marriage by visiting her mother-in-law in Portugal, where she finds a published collection of love letters written by a Portuguese nun to her lover some 300 years before. The book alternates between the story of Charlotte, the “modern” (for the time the book was written) woman seeking refuge, and Mariana, the young nun whose romance upends her convent.
I picked this up because Madeleine L’Engle wrote several of my favorite young adult books growing up. I hadn’t realized she’d written adult fiction until I saw this book on the shelf at my library. It’s a little experimental, very introspective, and unfortunately, its final message about marriage is old-fashioned and harmful. That being said, I did like the writing, and I might try another adult book by L’Engle—only after checking the reviews, though. I can’t say I’d recommend this one. Aside from the overall message, elements of the story (particularly the nun’s romance) did not feel believable.
I picked this up because Madeleine L’Engle wrote several of my favorite young adult books growing up. I hadn’t realized she’d written adult fiction until I saw this book on the shelf at my library. It’s a little experimental, very introspective, and unfortunately, its final message about marriage is old-fashioned and harmful. That being said, I did like the writing, and I might try another adult book by L’Engle—only after checking the reviews, though. I can’t say I’d recommend this one. Aside from the overall message, elements of the story (particularly the nun’s romance) did not feel believable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Rape
eupomene's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this book when I was in school - I read it numerous times and underlined passages. Madeleine L'Engle's writing shines when she's telling us about love, faith, fidelity, and where God lies in all of this. In this later reading of mine, I still find wisdom and magic here, though the two stories really don't hang together for me. Contemporary Charlotte, fleeing her disintegrating marriage after a great grief, runs to Portugal where her mother-in-law is, trying to find a point of reference; finds instead a little book called Letters of a Portuguese Nun. These letters (which do exist) are Madeleine's springboard to the other story, of Sister Mariana Alcoforado, the 17th century nun who fell in love and compromised her vows with a French soldier. Mariana's story is heart wrenching and beautifully told. Charlotte's angst and grief, while understandable, is harder to follow. I gather that one story is meant to turn upon the other, and here is where things fall apart. Still worth reading, since Madeleine's philosophies shine through.
The present edition also has a different ending than the earlier eds. I'm not entirely certain I don't appreciate the earlier one better. If you like the book, be sure to seek out an older edition and see what you think.
The present edition also has a different ending than the earlier eds. I'm not entirely certain I don't appreciate the earlier one better. If you like the book, be sure to seek out an older edition and see what you think.
ibeeeg's review against another edition
4.0
Full Review:
http://ibeeeg.blogspot.com/2009/02/love-letters-by-madeleine-lengle.html
Charlotte - Who is she? Why is she deeply saddened? What happened between her and her husband?
I want to know.
The letters of Sister Mariana were very moving - they were full of love - they are deep. Yet, are the letters an unselfish love? A proper love?
As we (the reader) learn more of Charlotte and her life we learn much more of Mariana. Their lives paralleled each others even though Mariana lived back in the mid-17th century.
"...I've never rejected you..."
"There is always one who is more..."
The Love Letters is a deeply moving book about a woman's struggle to learn to accept herself, forgive herself. A story about learning to move away from oneself to truly love another.
Yes, this is a story about love and acceptance - forgiveness.
http://ibeeeg.blogspot.com/2009/02/love-letters-by-madeleine-lengle.html
Charlotte - Who is she? Why is she deeply saddened? What happened between her and her husband?
I want to know.
The letters of Sister Mariana were very moving - they were full of love - they are deep. Yet, are the letters an unselfish love? A proper love?
As we (the reader) learn more of Charlotte and her life we learn much more of Mariana. Their lives paralleled each others even though Mariana lived back in the mid-17th century.
"...I've never rejected you..."
"There is always one who is more..."
The Love Letters is a deeply moving book about a woman's struggle to learn to accept herself, forgive herself. A story about learning to move away from oneself to truly love another.
Yes, this is a story about love and acceptance - forgiveness.
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