My first Lauren Groff and my mind is not quite made up. I loved the characters, the world building and how the relationships between the women were written but I did struggle a little with the pacing and it often felt very slow. Time seems to pass very slowly then all of a sudden race forward with not much to report. I wanted a bit more of a clear ending too as that fell a bit flat for me personally.

This was my first venture into Lauren Groff’s writing as I still haven’t got around to reading ‘Fates and Furies’, even though I have read so much about it. I didn’t really know what to expect from Groff’s writing but the reviews for ‘Matrix’ had been so good, I was excited to start reading it.

The book is set in the 12 century and we follow 17-year-old Marie who has been ousted out of the Queen’s court in France and is sent to be the Prioress of a monastery. Marie is not marriageable because of her height and looks but through determination and strong will, she manages to bring the Abbey out of its poverty and into a wealthy place whilst building her own empire along the way.
I enjoyed the writing style, the book flows well and is easy to read. It feels like nothing much really happens in this book which feels like you shouldn’t really enjoy it, but I found this to be quite enjoyable to read. There has clearly been a lot of research into this book and the characters are all interesting and well developed. There were a few points in the story that I found a bit slow even though we seem to speed through the years. Marie was a strong lead character and I liked her style and her relationship with the other women, especially the queen.

Overall, I liked this book but didn’t love it. It's not gripping and I found it easy to put down but still a pleasure to pick up again. I’m glad I read it and will eventually get to ‘Fates and Furies’ too.

2021 gave life to many unforgettable characters, and Marie is one of them. This elegant book gives power and life to a person who is often underrated and dismissed by history, and she will hold a special place in my heart for a long, long time.

This was a really interestingly written book. I read a lot of historical fiction and a lot of the time something is done with the language to make a book seem of its time. That didn't happen with this book, it was written in a strikingly modern tone and yet that did not distract from the setting. I really enjoyed the writing style, I thought the characters were well developed and I liked the choice to explore women's lives and roles away from men. I enjoyed the more fantastical elements, the relationships between the women, and the very grounded and embodied world they lived in, one that didn't shy away from the filth and death of medieval england. I did feel that the pacing was a little odd, and leaped forwards rather suddenly. I also felt the setting could have been more richly evoked. The people were so well done but the spaces they moved through felt roughly sketched rather than thoroughly drawn.
My main criticism here is not a critique of the novel at all, but instead of the audiobook performance. I think the narrator was badly chosen, as her voice felt entirely too modern for this historical book, perhaps the way she chose to read was the problem. It felt like a whiny teenager, not a strong middle aged and older woman as it became throughout the book. She also has an annoying tendency to go up at the end of sentences and to read every sentence in one of three intonations, making the book hard to listen to. Of course this says nothing of the quality of the book but did mar my enjoyment.

I really tried to get into this, I love feminist historical fiction, but for some reason I kept losing focus and did not finish at about 50%
Bearing in mind I was listening to the audiobook. I will seek out a printed copy as I think it will be a totally different experience.
I felt like not a lot happens until halfway in, and maybe that’s the point, but if you’re interested in nuns, France, women’s history- give this a go! I may continue later as the book did seem like it was starting to pick up, but this one just wasn’t for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

A beautifully written story chronicling the imagined life of Marie de France who was banished to an impoverished abbey as a teenager. We follow Marie as she grows into a confident and authoritative woman who transforms the fortune of the abbey and the lives of the women she lives with. A powerful novel that examines gender expectations and roles in twelfth century Europe with all the dangers and pitfalls that accompanied life at the time. This novel is masterful, evocative and immersive, a powerful story of being female in the late Middle Ages. Highly recommended and having listened to it, I am excited to read it. again soon.

This is a deep immersion into the medieval era, well researched, credible and very atmospheric. Marie is the illegitimate child of royalty - in fact the half sister of Queen Eleanor (one of the most powerful and influential figures of the period) - but cannot attend court in France and is summarily shipped over to England to become the prioress of a run down abbey. Her face simply didn't fit, given her tricky heritage and her unfortunate tall and gawky appearance.

She thus leaves all that she knows behind, including her beloved maid, and is thrust into a leadership role. She now has to find ways of motivating and bringing together a motley sisterhood, a group of women largely left to rot in their spartan surroundings. Food is scarce and life is incredibly hard, and it is very much a hand to mouth existence.

The author is incredibly talented at painting the time and place, the cold and harsh conditions and the rigorous religious piety at the heart of the community. The sisters have to toil in the fields in all seasons, combat easily sparked fires, deal with disease and ailments, and generally manage their household; this is very much a story of female resilience, courage and determination. Marie was gifted in many ways to lead her community, well suited to combat political upheaval and she was a terrifically skilled adversary when it came to male interference and domination.

I came away from this novel having learned more about life in an abbey in that period, and I was left feeling extremely grateful that I wasn't born into that harsh life and period. It is not my go-to genre but feel that if readers have any interest in the life and times of women, brought together for a variety of reasons, then this is a wonderfully told story, brought to life by a very skilled and talented hand.

‘She rides out of the forest alone. Seventeen years old, in the cold March drizzle, Marie who comes from France. It is 1158 …She sees for the first time the abbey, pale and aloof on a rise in this damp valley, the clouds drawn up from the ocean and wrung against the hills in constant rainfall.’

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Matrix’ by Lauren Groff in exchange for an honest review. It was read by Adjoa Andoh with a running time of 8 hours, 52 minutes at 1x speed.

This was my first experience of Lauren Groff’s writing, though I have been aware for some time that she is a highly regarded American author. I was impressed by her ability to craft this powerful work of historical fiction that focuses on the lives of religious women in medieval England.

‘Matrix’ was inspired by the life of Marie de France, a 12th-century poet and translator of Aesop’s Tales. Very little is known about Marie’s life though given her level of education it is considered likely that she was a noblewoman. There is also speculation among historians that Marie was Mary, the Abbess of Shaftesbury Abbey and half-sister to Henry II.

Lauren Groff has embraced this theory and also has Marie descended from a long line of women warriors and crusaders. She is considered too coarse for courtly life and so is sent away to grotty Angleterre to take up duties as prioress of an impoverished abbey.

It’s pretty bleak in soggy ole Angleterre and Marie initially pines for France and the Court, for her secret lover Cecily, and for Queen Eleanor to whom she is very attached. Still, she isn’t one to mope and works hard to inspire her new sisters to change the fortunes of the Abbey.

Over the years she comes to realise that through her position she actually wields more power than she could ever have imagined. She is not particularly religious when she first enters the Abbey, yet she almost imperceptibly finds faith, especially in terms of devotion to the Virgin Mary. She begins to experience powerful visions from the Virgin that guides her work.

When I was studying European history I was quite surprised to learn how much influence women in religious orders held. I was pleased that Lauren Groff has highlighted this important role for medieval women.

As I only had access to an advance copy there was no Author’s Note or Acknowledgements that might provide background on the novel. However, I discovered that medieval historian Katie Bugyis served as Groff’s historical consultant for the novel. Bugyis’ specialty is medieval religious women in England and so a partnership that ensured that the novel was grounded in solid historical research.

In addition to this well executed premise, Lauren Groff’s writing is evocative and lyrical; a pleasure to read (and listen to).

With respect to the audiobook, Adjoa Andoh is an acclaimed actor of stage, screen and radio drama and also an award-winning narrator of hundreds of audiobooks. Over the years I have enjoyed her readings across a number of genres. Her voice is mature and melodious and an excellent choice for this work of literary historical fiction.

After this positive experience I now plan to explore Lauren Groff’s back catalogue.

Now, I if you think a book about a 12th century nun running an abbey would be boring, you’re wrong.

Matrix is loosely based on the life of Marie de France, if you’re looking for a wholly accurate representation of her life then this probably isn’t the book for you. I believe that to truly enjoy this book you have to distinguish our main character from the historical figure. I took Marie to be entirely fictional with some traits merely borrowed from her inspiration.

The life of the Marie in this book may divert a bit from history but she is engaging and relatable in her own right. I enjoyed following her story from illegitimate sister of the King and admirer of the Queen to reluctant prioress, and finally, to confident abbess. Marie is the type of character you want to root for despite questioning some of her decisions, particularly as she settles into her position of power. I would have liked Marie to come up against some bigger threats, she seemed to successfully take on any challenge that came her way, but it was refreshing to have a main female character that exerted so much strength and control.

We cover most of Marie’s life in this book and some areas did feel a bit rushed but it was interesting to consider the main influences on her life and how these continually shape her character.

A real highlight of this book is Groff’s beautiful writing and how she pulls you into the Middle Ages and life at the abbey.

I listened to the audiobook version and found the narrator really easy to listen to, she did a fantastic job of giving a voice to Marie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the premise of this book! A giantess too rebellious for the royal court? A bunch of quirky nuns? Warrior women? A cause to fight for? LBGTQ+ rep? Yes please!

Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat for me and I can't really pin point why! It felt really slow moving and I had to really try to stay interested in it.

I loved Marie's character and some of the Nun's were really loveable and they were the highlight for me.

It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't what I really wanted it to be.

I am sorry this wasn't for me at all. I struggled to get into it, because it felt as though there was no beginning - you just join in along the story somewhere and try to get an idea of what is happening. I really liked the description but the book just didn't deliver.

Fantastic narrator, brings the book to life!

A lady is sent to a nunnery expected to be a failure, but excels. Good story which follows her life and times in the nunnery.

So this review is going to be very short. I am not sure of what I listened to.

I think this is a reminder that I can’t do any Historical Fiction as audiobooks. I don’t know what it is but I think when there are a variety of characters, it’s hard to follow as an audiobook.

So maybe it’s an okay story, just not as an audiobook. I don’t want to be too harsh!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Lauren Groff for a copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, and was not expecting to - a book about nuns and poetry...

The book is based on the true story of Marie de France, potentially the first female french poet. Both the story and narrator brought this tale to life and I was hooked throughout - I think I listened to this all in one day!

I would definitely recommend this narrator and will be looking for more audiobooks read by her!

Matrix is set around the life of Marie, a young woman who gets thrown out of court and starts a new life at an abbey as the prioress. The book spans 50 years from Marie first joining the abbey to various other points throughout her "career" and life. I found the time jumps to make this story feel a little unbelievable, I think Marie's character changed so much between the times that it lost the honesty and enjoyment that the first section had.

I did really enjoy the elements of sisterhood and women working against the system in a patriarchal society and think that Groff handled these parts well.

Note: I put this down at 80% and my review is reflective of that portion of the book.

Matrix is, without a shadow of doubt, a masterpiece. Utterly mesmerising; a bold and and entertaining tale which bears no resemblance to anything I’ve ever read.

The story is set in the mid 1150s, a dull and dark time in British history. Marie, the central character is expelled from the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry ll and sent as a prioress of a nunnery. It’s an inauspicious premise for a rollicking tale which, to my surprise, had me totally captivated from the start. Marie is exceptional in every way. She’s a giant, literally, who stands two heads too high. She’s educated, intelligent and longs to gain favour with Queen Eleanor, return to court and her lover, Cicely.

The novel follows her over some fifty years and the storytelling is captivating. Goff explores so many themes, particularly the role of women in a male and religiously dominated world. But it’s under the guise of a brilliant and humorous narrative where ideas are thrown around and the reader has to catch them. Her writing is very visual and descriptive. A nun’s face is likened to that of an over ripe meddlar fruit. On arriving at the run down nunnery, she encounters two nuns. One is mad and the other angry and after 30 hours on the road, she falls off her horse into a pile of manure. Such passages had me laughing; the humour throughout is balanced and brings every scene to life.

This is a story which works at every level. It’s a rollicking good tale in the tradition of Fielding’s Tom Jones, in that there’s a purpose behind the story. Marie is on a quest of empowerment and change; the reader becomes one of her followers. This is simply the most original and enthralling book I’ve read for some time. I listened to the audio version and the narration is superb.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley. This is a book I’ll be buying in hard copy, it’s so good I want it on my shelf.