In "Matrix" by Lauren Groff, readers are transported to the 12th century, where the protagonist Marie navigates a world of power struggles, religious conflicts, and societal expectations. As a product of rape and a homely young woman, Marie finds herself in a run-down abbey in England, where she rises to become the prioress. Through intricate details of monastic life and the strength of women like Marie and Eleanor, the author paints a vivid picture of a feminist novel, showcasing the defiance and resilience of women in a male-dominated society. With themes of power, spirituality, and female autonomy, "Matrix" weaves a tale of transformation, growth, and the complexities of leadership within the confines of a medieval convent.
Groff's writing style in "Matrix" is praised for its poetic smoothness and meticulous attention to detail, creating a rich tapestry of characters and settings. The novel delves into Marie's journey as she builds a women's utopia guided by her visions of the Virgin Mary, challenging societal norms and forging her path as a powerful abbess. Through Marie's evolution from a novice to a formidable leader, readers are taken on a captivating exploration of female empowerment, resilience, and the pursuit of a different world within the walls of the abbey.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include sexual themes, religious scrutiny, and violence.
Has Romance?
There are subtle romantic elements between nuns, but romance is not the central focus.
From The Publisher:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION
One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2021
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, NPR, The Financial Times, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Vulture, Marie Claire, Vox, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and more!
"A relentless exhibition of Groff's freakish talent. In just over 250 pages, she gives us a character study to rival Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell ." - USA Today
"An electric reimagining . . . feminist, sensual . . . unforgettable." - O, The Oprah Magazine
"Thrilling and heartbreaking." -Time Magazine
"[A] page-by-page pleasure as we soar with her." -New York Times
One of our best American writers, Lauren Groff returns with her exhilarating first new novel since the groundbreaking Fates and Furies.
Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.
At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie's vision be bulwark enough?
Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Lauren Groff's new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.
Ratings (16)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (5) | |
Liked It (2) | |
It Was OK (3) | |
Did Not Like (3) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (51):
Read It (15) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (23) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (10) |
2 comment(s)
Well written and a promising premise however O didn't end up enjoying it as much as other seem to have been. I don't think it's a bad book by any means but I wasn't able to get invested in the story or writing. Maybe a book I need to revisit someday to see if my feelings have changed but for now I got lukewarm feelings for it
10/10 makes me want to be a bad ass nun
What can you read after
Matrix?
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