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zazine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
alexandramilne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
We do not know the date of Mary Ann's birth: she dies in 1887, leaving behind a manuscript hidden in the wall of the house of her employer. This novel is written in Mary Ann's idiosyncratic style: it uses her spellings and dialect, and takes the form of either a very long narrative free-verse poem, or a strangely laid-out novel. Mary Ann has a hare-lip, and is considered by those around her to be "simple", though it is clear that she is anything but: astute, loyal and sensitive, she writes about those around her and the events that shape her life with clarity and insight. Mary Ann's voice and the narrative style employed by Jolly are the most successful parts of the work: often, the reader feels as though she has entered Mary Ann's mind, and Jolly captures the valleys of Stroud and Gloucestershire with much beauty and originality. The passage in which Mary Ann discovers poetry, I found particularly moving --
That the first time I see poetry writ down
It does all go from left to right
I see now it must
But not all the space is filld up
The words have their own pattern
Make a picture on the page
The space that is writ
Speak as loud as the space that is not
I cannot read them right but I like to see
The spaces and all that lie in them
Soon soon I will read them correct
I see the path ahead long and steep
Rising through many tight knit trees
Lit all the way with bright lanterns
So one may step on boldly
I must work and work
I meant to cut that quote earlier -- but I find the whole piece so moving that I was unable to find a place to cut! For me, as someone who writes poetry, it is one of the best descriptions of what poetry can achieve that I've ever read -- and I also really enjoy it as a physical / metatextual discussion of what poetry does on the page and what that means. It's also a great example of how effective Jolly's use of free-verse can be, and how it captures Mary Ann's voice and perspective.
The text falls flat for me in a few ways -- Jolly's exploration of Mary Ann is an attempt to give voice to those in history who are often overlooked -- as Mary Ann says "Should we not rather study / Those things are evr the same // There are always winders to be cleaned" -- but she also inserts tension into the narrative by having Mary Ann foreshadow terrible future events, and discuss mysteries and secrets. The foreshadowing weighs too heavily on the text, and when the events are revealed, they are unsatisfying and don't live up to the portentous discussion. Perhaps this is because Jolly fails to fully realise Mary Ann's emotions surrounding these events. Jolly also gives a great deal of attention to a certain period in Mary Ann's life -- from age 10 - 25, approx -- but then covers the rest of Mary Ann's life very rapidly. I think this does a disservice to Mary Ann, and it would have been more effective to simply not tell the reader what happens next, and allow the narrative to end when the events with which Jolly is concerned come to a close.
Overall, I found parts of this book incredibly uplifting and moving, and other parts rather a slog. I'd recommend it to readers who are interested in a feminist reading of industrial history, and to lovers of free-verse, but there are elements to the text which will frustrate some readers.
That the first time I see poetry writ down
It does all go from left to right
I see now it must
But not all the space is filld up
The words have their own pattern
Make a picture on the page
The space that is writ
Speak as loud as the space that is not
I cannot read them right but I like to see
The spaces and all that lie in them
Soon soon I will read them correct
I see the path ahead long and steep
Rising through many tight knit trees
Lit all the way with bright lanterns
So one may step on boldly
I must work and work
I meant to cut that quote earlier -- but I find the whole piece so moving that I was unable to find a place to cut! For me, as someone who writes poetry, it is one of the best descriptions of what poetry can achieve that I've ever read -- and I also really enjoy it as a physical / metatextual discussion of what poetry does on the page and what that means. It's also a great example of how effective Jolly's use of free-verse can be, and how it captures Mary Ann's voice and perspective.
The text falls flat for me in a few ways -- Jolly's exploration of Mary Ann is an attempt to give voice to those in history who are often overlooked -- as Mary Ann says "Should we not rather study / Those things are evr the same // There are always winders to be cleaned" -- but she also inserts tension into the narrative by having Mary Ann foreshadow terrible future events, and discuss mysteries and secrets. The foreshadowing weighs too heavily on the text, and when the events are revealed, they are unsatisfying and don't live up to the portentous discussion. Perhaps this is because Jolly fails to fully realise Mary Ann's emotions surrounding these events. Jolly also gives a great deal of attention to a certain period in Mary Ann's life -- from age 10 - 25, approx -- but then covers the rest of Mary Ann's life very rapidly. I think this does a disservice to Mary Ann, and it would have been more effective to simply not tell the reader what happens next, and allow the narrative to end when the events with which Jolly is concerned come to a close.
Overall, I found parts of this book incredibly uplifting and moving, and other parts rather a slog. I'd recommend it to readers who are interested in a feminist reading of industrial history, and to lovers of free-verse, but there are elements to the text which will frustrate some readers.
uriah's review against another edition
3.5
The writing was beautiful and I was really invested in Mary Ann but I really think it could have been quite a chunk shorter, like atleast a third shorter if I'm completely honest.
ladyr's review against another edition
5.0
Do not be put off by the fact this stunning book is written in short form prose that looks like poetry.
It is one of the most stunning books I have read for some time - I loved everything about it.
It deserves all the prizes & more.
Historical fiction at its absolute finest and I am still thinking about Mary Ann Sate now days after finishing it.
It is one of the most stunning books I have read for some time - I loved everything about it.
It deserves all the prizes & more.
Historical fiction at its absolute finest and I am still thinking about Mary Ann Sate now days after finishing it.
balancinghistorybooks's review
3.0
I adored Alice Jolly's memoir, Dead Babies and Seaside Towns, and was keen to try some of her fiction. Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile was the only work which I could source through my library, and it intrigued me very much. In this work of historical fiction, which is told entirely in free verse, Jolly introduces us to the elderly maidservant Mary Ann Sate, who is working at the turn of the nineteenth century. It is described as a 'fictional found memoir', and I found the approach which Jolly took to her story and protagonist most interesting.
I enjoyed Jolly's writing; it feels both modern and old-fashioned, and reminded me somewhat of Nell Leyshon's impactful novella The Colour of Milk. Gorgeous, and often quite startling imagery, is produced throughout, and the traditional approach of chapters within the structure does help to make the 600-page story a little more accessible. The style did take a little while to get into, as no punctuation whatsoever has been used, and there is little which denotes the changing of scene, speaker, or ideas. Jolly has also included a lot of colloquialisms, which help Mary Ann's voice to come across as authentic. I very quickly got a feel for her, her life, and the time in which she was living. In some ways, Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile is a remarkable piece of fiction.
Whilst being very well researched, and having a strong historical foundation, there was a real drawback for me with Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile. It was rather too long, and I felt as though the repetition which exists throughout made the story lose a lot of its impact. Jolly has certainly demonstrated that she is a very talented and versatile writer, and she definitely maintained the narrative voice well. Had it been shorter and more succinct, I more than likely would have given it a 4-star rating.
I enjoyed Jolly's writing; it feels both modern and old-fashioned, and reminded me somewhat of Nell Leyshon's impactful novella The Colour of Milk. Gorgeous, and often quite startling imagery, is produced throughout, and the traditional approach of chapters within the structure does help to make the 600-page story a little more accessible. The style did take a little while to get into, as no punctuation whatsoever has been used, and there is little which denotes the changing of scene, speaker, or ideas. Jolly has also included a lot of colloquialisms, which help Mary Ann's voice to come across as authentic. I very quickly got a feel for her, her life, and the time in which she was living. In some ways, Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile is a remarkable piece of fiction.
Whilst being very well researched, and having a strong historical foundation, there was a real drawback for me with Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile. It was rather too long, and I felt as though the repetition which exists throughout made the story lose a lot of its impact. Jolly has certainly demonstrated that she is a very talented and versatile writer, and she definitely maintained the narrative voice well. Had it been shorter and more succinct, I more than likely would have given it a 4-star rating.
luluallison's review
I loved this. The voice of Mary Ann, though beautifully poetic, is so real I felt I knew her.
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