Matrix by Lauren Groff book review

Matrix 

By Lauren Groff 

Rating 4.5/5 

Genre : Monastery, Fiction, Visions, Mysticism

Holy-moly! This book is totally unexpected. I and unaquainted with previous work of the author and  thought it's some science fiction novel because of the title but dealt in topics that are polar opposites to science and technology. It has nuns, monasteries, good and evil, virtue and sin, visions and prophecies..lot of stuff.. This book is probably one of my most swiftest reads..I finished it in under 24 hours. The author definitely has a skill with words and sentences..and some of her insights into spirituality and God are very astute and evolved..left me amazed. I am saving some notes from this book for later reading and they are bang on with my own beliefs. :) 

Coming to the story,  its about a woman Marie who has not been gifted with looks and demeanor of a female but God has different plans for her. She is born out of rape by a royal king and after her mother dies, she gets sent to be a prioress at a remote, poor abbey crawling with sick, hapless women. The masculinity and divinity (?) In her guide her becoming a savior, rescuer and mother to the lot and turning the abbey into one of the richest in the province. Though after her death, her successor casts a doubt to the divinity and her visions which are more materialism oriented than ethereal..so which is true? Has she been gifted with godly visions or got carried away with her own version of what she wanted? Whatever might be the case, Marie is a powerful character and what she has done all her life was for the good for her sisters and companions. I felt utterly repulsed by the sexual relationships between the nuns and the justification of it not being a sinful act because its not effecting their chastity. I am skeptical to call a carnal and sexually unrestrained woman a Saint and holy mother..but thats just my opinion.  :)