I have always been interested in the mystic Julian of Norwich . Her famous quote ,"All shall be well & all manner of things shall be well" has always been a favourite of mine. This along with the absolutely gorgeous cover drew me to this book. I don't know if it was just my frame of mind, but I really struggled to get into this. I dipped in & out for a while but it just wasn't for me. I'm sure many will love it. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

ulian was the first woman to write a book in English, way back in the 14th century. It is known that Julian was an anchoress in a Norwich church but not a lot more. I, Julian invents her story. Mother Julian is a heroine of mine and I absolutely loved this imagining of her life.

This was such ab interesting fictional.biograpy of a remarkable women.
I found the section after she went into the hermitage a little harder to read and slower than the rest, but I still enjoyed it.

“1347, the first pestilence rages across the land. The young Julian of Norwich encounters the strangeness of death: first her father, then later her husband and her child. When she falls ill herself, she encounters mystical visions that bring comfort and concern. But in the midst of suspicion and menace, when the Church is actively condemning heretics, Julian is not safe.

I, Julian is the account of a medieval woman who dares to tell her own story.

Battling grief, plague, the church and societal expectations, and compelled by her powerful visions, Julian finds a way to live a life of freedom - as an anchoress, bricked up in a small room on the side of a church. Helped by Thomas, a Benedictine monk from Norwich Cathedral, she writers of what she has seen and offers word of counsel to others. Julian's manuscripts are protected by trusted sisters and are passed from hand to hand, become the first book to be written by a woman in English.”

I have long been fascinated with the lives of medieval anchoresses and this book takes us back in history through the fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich. It begins when Julian is 7 and it ends with her second death. Julian’s first death comes when she is voluntarily enclosed in her cell attached to a church in Norwich to spend her days in prayer and contemplation. Julian decided on this life following the death of her husband and child and after she was sick herself and had visions from God. I found this book to be really interesting and well researched.

Many thanks to Holder & Stoughton and Net Galley for the copy of this book in return for an honest review.

‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’
Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The first 40% or so was very great and I was excited to read about her life as an anchoress but the reality is, once enclosed the story becomes a lot of constantly agonising over visions and a lot of internal back and forth over the meaning of God. It became terribly dull, I ended up skimming the final 20%.

The concept of an anchorite, or in this case an anchoress, has fascinated me ever since I googled the term when my dad sent me a CD by someone called The Anchoress (she’s very good, by the way!). So when this book popped up on NetGalley, I was all in. And to be fair, the front cover would pretty much mean an insta-buy for me (it is gorgeous).

This novel imagines, what the autobiography of Julian of Norwich would be like. Julian was born in the mid-1300s, and after some serious losses during periods of pestilence - her father and then husband and daughter - she decides that she doesn’t want to remarry.

When she becomes very I’ll and almost dies, Julian experiences visions of God, and decides that she will devote her life to prayer. When a position as an anchorite in Norwich Cathedral becomes available, Julian Starts to prepare.

I found this an absolutely fascinating read. Basically, as an anchorite, you become dead to the world. You go to your own funeral wearing a shroud, and then you’re taken into a room where the door is bricked up. Your only contact with the world is through two small windows: one is for contact with a servant (you need to be able to afford one - they feed and clothe you, and pass cleaning materials as well through hole), the other opens on to the altar in the church. You pray, you listen to penitents or people wanting to confess, and your speak to your confessor (how on earth would you be able to sin?!). And then you pray more.

Ok, I admit that this review may not sell the book (I hope it does!) to its best advantage, but I really did find it fascinating! The fact that Julian’s faith was so strong that she could lock herself away from the world entirely was so alien to me. To be honest, I would imagine that devoting yourself to the cloistered life as a nun might be more favourable to dying young in childbirth as so many women did then. However, I very much doubt that the life of an anchorite was easy!

This is a thoroughly believable, well-written book. One to be savoured. I loved it.

📚 #NetGalley ARC review 📚

Title: I, Julian
Author: Claire Gilbert
Release date: 13/04/23

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read this ARC ahead of its release later this year.

First up, the cover. It's stunning. I'm a sucker for the stained glass look and I would happily have this as a print. Gorgeous.

But, we're not meant to judge books by their covers, right? So I won't. But it's hard to pinpoint exactly how I felt about it upon finishing, as along the way I found myself alternately exasperated and absorbed.

Charting the life of real historical figure Julian of Norwich (female, despite the name), overall it is an interesting (albeit fictional) insight into what might make a person decide to symbolically 'die' in order to live out their days as an anchorite: someone bricked up in a religious building in order to commune with God.

Had the whole story been told in what I'll call 'normal' prose I think I would have loved it. I wanted to love it! But there are so many parts where it felt like conventional formatting, punctuation etc was abandoned and that made it really hard to follow, for me.

It could have been just a poor conversion to the Kindle format (the author's name and book title interrupted the text frequently - I assume they would be at the top of each page in a normal book), and if so then I can't critique the book itself for that. But equally there was one paragraph that was eleven lines long...and was a single sentence. 😳 Maybe it was meant to represent Julian's racing thoughts, or the out-of-control nature of experiencing her visions, but I felt it just made it really hard to read, and off-putting.

On the positive side though, when the prose was more typical, i.e. telling us things that were actually happening and moving the story forward, I really enjoyed it. There is a lot of beautiful writing in here. And BOY could I relate to all Julian's yearnings for solitude 😅 I'll not be imprisoning myself in a cell any time soon...I'm not quite that bad...but I found it strangely calming, being in there with her once she commits to her new life.

"At last, I can ask the world to recede, and it will." Amen, sister 🙏🏼

3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

#IJulian #NetGalley #bookreview #reading #books #bookstagram #booklover #booknerd #bibliophile #bookworm #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram

The medieval English mystic, Julian of Norwich, is the earliest known female author in the English language. She ought to be a very significant individual in the cultural history of this country, but very little is known about her except that she lived through a time of plague and religious persecution, experienced a series of religious visions, and became an anchoress in a cell attached to a church in Norwich. A novel that seeks to explore her life, therefore, is very welcome, not least because of the picture it evokes of the experience of women in the Middle Ages, and the religious climate of the time.

Claire Gilbert’s fictional autobiography is beautifully written but, understandably, somewhat short on significant plot events. As a consequence, it often feels as though there is unfilled space in the narrative. Moreover, the treatment of Julian herself is just a little too reverent. I wanted more depth and more colour. It’s an intriguing portrait but I came away from the book feeling that the central character remained still partly obscured by a cloud of unknowing.

As much as this novel began well, though maybe with too many uses of the word 'words' to the point it was repetitive, I found this quite hard going. The start was not exactly lively, but describing the life of a small girl during the Black Death was poignant in that before we only read about pandemics, and now we can all give a first-hand account of one. But I'm afraid I lost it when Julian really started to find God. I'm sure readers who are interested in the effects of religion, how people experience it, it is a fascinating insight into one person's epiphany, but it was just a bit much, renditions of pain and suffering, it wasn't engaging and it was hard to sympathise.

I do believe Ms Gilbert is an accomplished writer but this one wasn't for me. But please don't let me stop you giving it a go.

In all honesty I went into this book expecting something else and struggled with what it actually was.

I found it very slow and didn't enjoy the writing style. However, it is a beautifully descriptive book and is clearly well received by many.

Not for me, but if it's for you grab this book for a weekend read. Snappy chapters may keep you occupied all weekend.

After the death of her father in the first great pestilience, Julian finds herself wanting to retreat from everyday life. Her mother lives alone in a small cottage but Julian is expected to marry and does so. Her husband is kind and Julian becomes a mother but both are taken from her by the next wave of pestilence. Despite having an offer of marriage Julian wishes to live a contemplative life but a serious illness leads to powerful visions and Julian realises she wants to dedicate herself to God. When an opportunity to become an anchoress presents itself, Julian chooses to this and lives for many years, accompanied only by a servant. Despite opposition from the heretic-seeking Church, Julian commits her visions to parchment.
I have long been fascinated by the tale of Julian of Norwich, a late 14th century anchoress bricked up in a Church with her only contact through a window on the world. In this book Gilbert has turned scant facts into a wonderful fictional autobiography. The writings of attributed to Julian are beautiful and Gilbert's prose does them justice. This is great book.

"I, Julian" by Claire Gilbert is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century English mystic and author.

The novel is written as an autobiography, with Julian herself narrating her life story. Julian was born in 1342 in Norwich, England, and as a young woman, she dedicated herself to a life of prayer and contemplation. When she was 30 years old, she fell seriously ill and had a series of visions that changed her life.

Julian's visions were of Christ, and they brought her great comfort and peace. She wrote about her experiences in a book called "Revelations of Divine Love," which became an important work of Christian mysticism. In the novel, Julian describes the process of writing the book and the challenges she faced in sharing her experiences with others.

Throughout the novel, Julian reflects on her relationship with God and the challenges she faced in a society that was deeply patriarchal and dominated by the Church. She also shares her thoughts on topics such as sin, redemption, and the nature of God.

The novel offers a vivid and intimate portrait of Julian's life and spirituality, as well as the social and religious context of her time. It also explores themes of faith, doubt, and the search for meaning in life.

Overall, "I, Julian" is a compelling and insightful novel that brings to life one of the most important figures in Christian mysticism. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and thoughts of a remarkable woman who had a profound impact on the world.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, and no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

O, guiding night;
O, night more lovely than the dawn;
O, night that hast united
The lover with His beloved,
And changed her into her love. (Dark Night of the Soul, Juan De la Cruz)

This are some verse from a poem by Juan de la Cruz and they are the best way to describe how I pictured Julian in this book.
I’ve been thinking that women mystics’ are fascinating and exceptional women, women who chose to follow their spiritual instinct and often chose a different way of life.
They often risked to be burned at stake as heretic. Julian, who wrote in English, could have shared the same fate of Marguerite Porrete who was burned at stake for her ideas and who wrote The Mirror of Simple Souls.
Julian is one of the few mystics who wrote about her experience and her reflection.
I re-read Revelations of Divine Love, the book written by Julian, before reading this novel and the fictional Julian and the historical Julian resonated in my mind.
It’s not always an easy book and some of Julian’s reflect are quite removed from our experience. She lived centuries ago but her words, her spiritual experience can inspire and make us reflect now.
There’s a lot of spiritual strength in this fictional Julian: an unusual woman with a need for me-time and a direct relationship with the Divine.
Claire Gilbert knows what she’s talking about and her voice and Julian’s mixes and create a story that flows and kept me reading till late in the night.
This is an excellent book, a book about an exceptional woman and her age.
I was sad to read the last page as I loved this story and the characters.
Many thanks to Hodder Faith, Rhoda Hardie for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.

I enjoyed the slower pace of I, Julian (and wonder if the title is meant to evoke images of Claudius?) and the emphasis on internal monologue. I am not a huge fan of action-packed writing which can often not be written very well.

I knew of Julian of Norwich before reading I, Julian but did not know much beyond that she had written an important early work, in English, which was radical at the time. I, Julian certainly helps to communicate how radical and brave Julian was, with well-researched historical context and just the right amount of 'artistic licence' to bring a scant record to life.

Claire Gilbert’s extensive academic research shines through in her exquisitely presented fictionalised account of the life of the 14th century anchorite Julian of Norwich. Central to the novel is the role of spirituality in Julian’s decision to completely withdraw from public life and devote herself to meditation and writing. As one of the first female anchorites of the time, Julian was a fascinating inspiration to other women although her writings were a troubling preoccupation to the established order during a time of religious upheaval.
While at times this book proved a little tedious due to my unfamiliarity with the formal biblical language and writing style (further evidence of Gilbert’s expertise) I have to admit that my interest was kept alive by the subject’s remarkable life story. What a wonderful novel!

The narrator of this fictional story is the protagonist Julian. It is set in the fourteenth century.
The book opens with Julian as a small girl, an intense sensitive only child, and how life is seen through her eyes.
Moving forward Julian lives through various waves of the pestilence, and loses some of her beloved to this, as lots of death occurred during those sad times due to it.
Julian and her mother are very religious, and the church is always a main feature of their lives.
Julian herself becomes seriously ill, and during the end of the illness experiences visions.
Consequently Julian decides to become an Anchoress, to be classed to the world as dead, to be placed in a small room added on to the end of a church, bricked in for the remainder of her life.

I have been vaguely aware of what an anchoress is, but do not know a lot about that subject, so when I had a chance to read this book I was very interested.
It was interesting reading about Julian’s life during that era, and about how the establishment of the church affected people’s lives.
The book is fictional, but reading the notes at the end of the book there was an actual person named Julian who was an anchoress.
This book was a different type of read for myself, but I liked reading it. I certainly cannot imagine being bricked into a room personally, but some people during those times did choose that lifestyle.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

This is a cleverly written fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich, focusing on her relationship with God as it develops through her life.
Julian of Norwich was the author of the earliest surviving writing in English by a woman, detailing her visions of Christ and her interpretation of them. She became an “anchoress”, dedicated to a life of prayer and meditation, literally sealed into a small cell by bricks, with a couple of small windows and no means of exit. There until the day she died.
She lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and the historical events of the time are influential on the course of her life, especially the loss of so many during the Black Death. The events from local history led her to become so focused on seeking and serving God. There is much fascinating detail in the book, offering an understanding of what life in the medieval period may have been like.
It is intriguing to consider the thought process and personal story that may have led her to decide to take up an anchorage, to us perhaps one of the strangest callings in the church. To be locked up for life, voluntarily imprisoned in a cell like room beside a church, dedicated to a life of prayer, on display for all to see and consult with on spiritual matters.
The reader will gain an understanding of what it may have meant to her to be confined, solitary. The book describes it as there being nothing now between her and God. No distractions or relationships. Just fully focused on prayer, worship and communing with God. When you get over the horror that it first creates, in fact there is something attractive about it.
The process does seem to break her though, which is believable. The solitude magnifies her doubts and inadequacies. But through her brokenness she emerges stronger, shedding her old self and truly living in step with God.
It is written as an internal monologue offering a deep dive into the thoughts and emotions of the character. It is a very engaging read and the author has established a very appropriate tone of voice, believable as Julian’s voice.
Julian’s decision to write in English, the spoken language of the day, rather than French or Latin, reminded me a bit if how Christ would have spoken Aramaic in the day to day, which was not generally written. But was the language to communicate the Gospel to the masses.
Throughout there is an interesting undertone of women realising that they can think and act according to their own judgement, to make their own decisions, contrary to the way society would have expected them to behave. Hence how she went on to be such an influential woman and a free thinker, liberated by Christ.
It is the radical view that all can live in relationship with God, rather than just through the priesthood or the church, that sees her suffer persecution by the church. The abuses of power by the church led her to realise that following Jesus is about relationship, personal relationship with a loving Father, who wants to commune, relate and communicate with us all. Quite the opposite of what the church at the time seemed to be showing.
This is a work of fiction, but it is clear that much research and thought has gone into creating this fascinating book.

A fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich (1343 - after 1416) who lived through some of the most tumultuous times, seeing several waves of the bubonic plague & the beginning of the questioning of Roman Catholicism & the Church in England. In this fictional account, after losing her husband & daughter to the plague & drawn to contemplation by the visions of God she has had since childhood, Julian decides to become an anchorite or anchoress. This was where the person underwent a figurative death to the outside world & was walled up inside a small room on the side of a church. The only access to the outside world was usually a small window into the church where they could watch Mass & receive the sacrament & sometimes one to the outside so they could speak to visitors, listen to their worries, dispense advice, & pray for others.

It seems that Julian spent an astonishing 20+ years inside her small cell Plenty of time to write her book 'Revelations of Divine Love' which the British Library website says is the first English language work authored by a woman. There are lots of historical events noted in this fictional book which were not mentioned in the actual work, & it does not hold back in describing several crises of faith. There are many pages discussing the visions & what they might mean, including theological debates on the nature of God's love & human sin.

It is written as if it is being dictated by Julian herself, & it's quite jarring at the beginning but the reader soon gets the hang of it. The prose, especially when about the visions, is what modern readers would term 'flowery' or 'purple' prose which is in keeping with the writing of the time but is more difficult for readers today as we are generally unaccustomed to it. Personally, I tend to reader faster through those parts & concentrate on the more historical side of things. I've always had a fascination with the history of the Church & especially female ascetics - I completed an extended essay on the 'fasting saints' such as Catherine of Siena during my Masters course. I enjoyed reading this, I think the author created a believable backstory & incorporated the historical events well - it can be a little hard going at times though. Overall I rate this one 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Interesting and beautifully written book. I struggled somewhat with the idea of a 'fictional autobiography' but being a fan of Julian of Norwich I still think it's worth reading. Beautiful prose and such an interesting woman.

Fabulously evocative with vivid descriptions. Intense and absorbing.

The book is undoubtedly well-researched and is a fascinating portrayal of the life of Julian.

I struggled a little with the writing and found it slow to move the plot along.
Not fully my 'cup of tea' but I can see why it is being so well received by others.