Fellow readers, I have to admit that I am baffled by this book. I don’t understand why Matrix, by Lauren Groff, was such a hit with readers and critics. Most of the critics included in the Book Marks round-up I linked to in the previous sentence rave about Groff’s use of language and its feminist take on life at a medieval convent but, for me, this book runs afoul of Kurt Vonnegut’s first rule of writing: “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.” I was so baffled by two decisions Groff made in this book that I feel, in the end, my time has been wasted...
On ne sait quasiment rien de la vie de Marie de France, première poétesse de langue francaise à la fin du 12e siècle.
Aussi Lauren Groff lui a inventé une biographie.
Mise de force dans une abbaye anglaise miséreuse par Alienor d'aquitaine, Marie va vite prendre en main le développement du lieu, le sortir de la pauvreté et en faire un refuge pour les femmes, bloquant tout accès à l'abbaye pour les hommes, jusqu'à devenir une menace pour l'ordre en pratiquant des tâches normalement interdites aux hommes.
Derrière ce récit d'une vie illuminée (Marie se sert de visions divines dont on ne sait si elle y croit pour imposer le développement de l'abbaye) l'autrice invente une communauté de femmes utilisant la religion pour se protéger et développer une véritable sororité entre elles, abrités derrière une sorte de Brienne de Torth ayant rejoint les ordres. Sous sa nature forte et inflexible, …
On ne sait quasiment rien de la vie de Marie de France, première poétesse de langue francaise à la fin du 12e siècle.
Aussi Lauren Groff lui a inventé une biographie.
Mise de force dans une abbaye anglaise miséreuse par Alienor d'aquitaine, Marie va vite prendre en main le développement du lieu, le sortir de la pauvreté et en faire un refuge pour les femmes, bloquant tout accès à l'abbaye pour les hommes, jusqu'à devenir une menace pour l'ordre en pratiquant des tâches normalement interdites aux hommes.
Derrière ce récit d'une vie illuminée (Marie se sert de visions divines dont on ne sait si elle y croit pour imposer le développement de l'abbaye) l'autrice invente une communauté de femmes utilisant la religion pour se protéger et développer une véritable sororité entre elles, abrités derrière une sorte de Brienne de Torth ayant rejoint les ordres. Sous sa nature forte et inflexible, Marie est profondément humaine et tolérante, trouvant des excuses pour ce que l'église considère comme des péchés (comme son amour réel d'autres femmes et le lesbianisme de plusieurs sœurs ou son orgueil) et transforme l'abbaye en véritable sanctuaire pour les femmes, n'oubliant pas pour autant la pauvreté et la maladie hors les murs.
Lauren Groff raconte tout cela dans un style magnifique (la traduction est à la hauteur), mélangeant première et troisième personne, usant du discours indirect libre plutôt que de dialogues directs, nous partageant les pensées de Marie, ses contradictions et ses évolutions sur plus de cinq décennies, nous délivrant des émotions jusque dans les dernières pages dont on ressort ému en ayant l'impression d'avoir partagé une vie hors de l'ordinaire, mettant en scène une pensée actuelle sans qu'elle fasse tache dans la France du 12e siècle. Absolument remarquable.
(seul petit regret : l’œuvre littéraire de Marie de France n'est que peu évoquée)
I am bad at titling my reviews but “holy wowwww” seems to cover it. I loved this. The story of Marie, her efforts to turn the dismal abbey into a fortress, the struggle to defy patriarchy, the love for her sisters that turns into holy love, the carnal and secular love for her various lovers that also becomes holy, just the whole thing. Part way through I came across a review that was so dismissive and childish that it raised all my hackles and the ways in which that review has been bothering me helps me understand why I loved this book so much. If you can’t handle nuance, if you’re not open to the long history of women struggling against what they’re told to believe, then this book is definitely not for you. But it’s full of rage and anger and beauty and love.
I am bad at titling my reviews but “holy wowwww” seems to cover it. I loved this. The story of Marie, her efforts to turn the dismal abbey into a fortress, the struggle to defy patriarchy, the love for her sisters that turns into holy love, the carnal and secular love for her various lovers that also becomes holy, just the whole thing. Part way through I came across a review that was so dismissive and childish that it raised all my hackles and the ways in which that review has been bothering me helps me understand why I loved this book so much. If you can’t handle nuance, if you’re not open to the long history of women struggling against what they’re told to believe, then this book is definitely not for you. But it’s full of rage and anger and beauty and love.
Sadly usual anachronical vision of the middle-ages
2 stars
Very well written with a vocabulary that does make you feel you're somewhere around 1160.
But the premises of the novel are not very believable. For instance the hero, a 16 years old teenager doesn't believe in God. Don't forget that not only was the church back then very powerful and very present in everyday life (mass every day, many saints birth and death days were celebrated every week) but also science was obviously still in infancy which means that people back then didn't have obvious explanations for many aspects of life such as illnesses and natural events such as floods, forest fires, etc. Believing in God then was easy and not believing was not very likely.
Add to that the fact the this young lady transforms an abbey from starting to super rich with nuns fighting and winning against villagers and you realize that this doesn't make for a …
Very well written with a vocabulary that does make you feel you're somewhere around 1160.
But the premises of the novel are not very believable. For instance the hero, a 16 years old teenager doesn't believe in God. Don't forget that not only was the church back then very powerful and very present in everyday life (mass every day, many saints birth and death days were celebrated every week) but also science was obviously still in infancy which means that people back then didn't have obvious explanations for many aspects of life such as illnesses and natural events such as floods, forest fires, etc. Believing in God then was easy and not believing was not very likely.
Add to that the fact the this young lady transforms an abbey from starting to super rich with nuns fighting and winning against villagers and you realize that this doesn't make for a very plausible story.
If the work would have been meant as pure super hero fantasy this wouldn't have mattered.
But that's not how it presents itself and not how I read it.
I had no expectations when I started reading this book and knew nothing about it beyond it being historical fiction by Lauren Groff. And it proved to be an utter joy to read the story of Marie and her life at the abbey. The lyricism of Lauren Groff’s writing is undeniable and sweeps you along as she tells this stunning tale of a young woman cast out from the royal court. The cast of nuns she shares the abbey with are a joy and you cannot help but be caught up in their lives.
I had no expectations when I started reading this book and knew nothing about it beyond it being historical fiction by Lauren Groff. And it proved to be an utter joy to read the story of Marie and her life at the abbey. The lyricism of Lauren Groff’s writing is undeniable and sweeps you along as she tells this stunning tale of a young woman cast out from the royal court. The cast of nuns she shares the abbey with are a joy and you cannot help but be caught up in their lives.
