I thank the person who made me read this and await further recommendations (Yes, I know there's Jane Eyre, she's staring at me crossly from the book shelf. Her time will come.)

This was fascinating. I didn't quite enjoy the fantasy part in the second half (especially the Hypatia part) but the historical part made me understand the middle-ages a whole lot better than any studying I ever did. The obsession with symbols and the religious discussions remind me of fandoms today which makes me wonder what kind of religions we'll have in 500 years.