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A review by mediaevalmuse
Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley
3.0
Probably closer to 3.5 stars.
I picked up this book while on my quest to collect as much historical fiction set in the middle ages as possible. I worked on a medieval Irish museum exhibit, and medieval Irish literature is a side interest of mine in academia, so I was prepared to be either way critical or super into this novel. Overall, it was ok. It was definitely better than I expected, and I think the author wrote it well. It just overused some tropes that generally irritate me.
Things I Liked
1. Prose: Horsley’s prose is very well-crafted. I loved the metaphors she uses to describe the main character’s sensations and feelings of running through the woods or the joy of learning. I also loved the way she describes grief and intimacy as connected emotions which envelop the narrator’s everyday life.
2. Thought-Provoking Narrative: For lack of a better term, I’ll call this novel “thought-provoking.” Horsley presents reader with a number of things that prompt the reader to consider his or her own approach to a topic. For example, Horsley writes Gwynneve as reflecting on major theological questions, such as the Pelagian heresy, which further opens up opportunities to consider the role of religion and deities in everyday life.
3. Multilingualism: This book is sprinkled with both Irish and Latin phrases, which is a great reminder that a large number of religious persons were multilingual. It also provides a nice contrast between vernacular and Latin traditions that mirror the pagan versus Christian tension in the book.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Attitude Towards Femininity: There are moments when Gwynneve talks about avoiding stereotypical female roles in the beginning of the novel (such as marriage, motherhood, etc.) but then indulges in her sexuality and longs for those things with her druid master, Giannon. Horsley does something kind of similar with Gwynneve’s mother, too. It felt a little like Horsley was trying to craft stereotypical “strong female characters” to me.
2. Druids: I’m a little tired of druids being portrayed as magicians or sorcerers. Granted, Horsley did emphasize that druids are primarily storytellers and poets, with their “magic” reputation being largely created by Christians. But even so, I was a little disappointed that the druids still felt like magical forest people. A lot of druids are said to do party tricks to thrill people, which kind of felt cheap to me - if your religion is being overtaken by Christians, why confirm their claims?
3. Flat Characters: Many of Horsley’s secondary characters felt a little flat to me. I had a hard time feeling invested in Gwynneve’s connection to other people (except for maybe her mother).
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in medieval Ireland, paganism vs Christianity, druids, conversion narratives, and theology.
I picked up this book while on my quest to collect as much historical fiction set in the middle ages as possible. I worked on a medieval Irish museum exhibit, and medieval Irish literature is a side interest of mine in academia, so I was prepared to be either way critical or super into this novel. Overall, it was ok. It was definitely better than I expected, and I think the author wrote it well. It just overused some tropes that generally irritate me.
Things I Liked
1. Prose: Horsley’s prose is very well-crafted. I loved the metaphors she uses to describe the main character’s sensations and feelings of running through the woods or the joy of learning. I also loved the way she describes grief and intimacy as connected emotions which envelop the narrator’s everyday life.
2. Thought-Provoking Narrative: For lack of a better term, I’ll call this novel “thought-provoking.” Horsley presents reader with a number of things that prompt the reader to consider his or her own approach to a topic. For example, Horsley writes Gwynneve as reflecting on major theological questions, such as the Pelagian heresy, which further opens up opportunities to consider the role of religion and deities in everyday life.
3. Multilingualism: This book is sprinkled with both Irish and Latin phrases, which is a great reminder that a large number of religious persons were multilingual. It also provides a nice contrast between vernacular and Latin traditions that mirror the pagan versus Christian tension in the book.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Attitude Towards Femininity: There are moments when Gwynneve talks about avoiding stereotypical female roles in the beginning of the novel (such as marriage, motherhood, etc.) but then indulges in her sexuality and longs for those things with her druid master, Giannon. Horsley does something kind of similar with Gwynneve’s mother, too. It felt a little like Horsley was trying to craft stereotypical “strong female characters” to me.
2. Druids: I’m a little tired of druids being portrayed as magicians or sorcerers. Granted, Horsley did emphasize that druids are primarily storytellers and poets, with their “magic” reputation being largely created by Christians. But even so, I was a little disappointed that the druids still felt like magical forest people. A lot of druids are said to do party tricks to thrill people, which kind of felt cheap to me - if your religion is being overtaken by Christians, why confirm their claims?
3. Flat Characters: Many of Horsley’s secondary characters felt a little flat to me. I had a hard time feeling invested in Gwynneve’s connection to other people (except for maybe her mother).
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in medieval Ireland, paganism vs Christianity, druids, conversion narratives, and theology.