Matrix: A Novel

An illegitimate daughter is born in the twelfth century. Her maternal lineage is that of the Amazons—tall warrior women who do not back down from any fight. Her name is Marie, and she is so often described as plain and ugly that the description becomes a distraction. Lauren Groff’s latest novel, The Matrix begins as Marie is banished to a far-off abbey to become its new prioress at age seventeen.

There are many brilliant passages in the book and the commentary on women’s power—particularly the way women tend to thwart one another—is timely and moving. But, time passes swiftly in The Matrix and that isn’t always a good thing. While the protagonist Marie is a proto-feminist and her accomplishments are staggering and impressive, the gaps in time and the journalistic style of the book can feel like a rush to reveal the next installment of Marie’s life rather than a deep and thorough exploration of her character.