Magdalen Rising: The Beginning (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
Two and a half. But it won't let us gives halves. Overall: The book didn't work for me. In specific: there are some well-articulated moments (see below).I think maybe my hopes were too high for this book. I was hoping for a book that really put a female-male balanced spiritual world-view. But instead, I got a strong dose of humanist feminism (beating men at their own game) scrubbed over with a sort of New Age/Celtic goddess magic-and-powers idea. As I read, what I kept hoping for was that the young Maeve would realize that she wants to be herself for being herself, rather than fall into all the patterns that have been set up by the women in her life. But she persists throughout the entire book being the same kind "strong" woman as those she grew up with. (I don't think that "taking crap" from men makes someone a strong woman. I think it diminishes her.)[For the record: I'm NOT a humanist-feminist. I'm more in the line of though that Elaine Showalter advocated in the eighties, where women are not judged, by themselves or by men, according to the male standards of worth. Instead, they are taken for their own worth (and not in a hierarchical way). For a book that embodies the kind of strong womanhood I align myself with, read [book: Wise Child].]Another issue I had with this book is its carefree way with anachronism. This book is supposed to be taking place right when Christ is born and growing up. So having a character with wild hair being compared to punk rockers and the Statue of Liberty, and having the main character meet a goddess who calls her "honey" really jars me. Okay, last issue: I feel like the book tries waaaaay too hard to put in every possible and impossible reference to sexuality, sex, or human bodily functions. It's a good reminder for why I prefer to read children's literature. In children's literature, the focus is on telling a good story, not trying to get a certain rating. So, obviously this book didn't resonate with me or give me what I was looking for. I never did come to like the main character. I always wished she had used her brain more and her hormones/"guts" less. I didn't have a lot of patience while I read this book, so I read a large chunk of it in a "skimming" sort of fashion. But, there are a couple of moments where certain contrasts are brought to light quite well. Here are a couple of pieces (with some editing to keep the flow of the ideas):_______________First piece: [During a discussion about spiritual gifts, and how the male comes from a culture where every day he wakes up and thanks God he isn't a woman, just like every other man in his area. The female comes from the Isle of Women, where being a woman was the best and only thing to be.:]"You know, it's a good thing you don't live in my country. You'd be accused of sorcery. Some people believe it's unlawful to allow a sorceress to live.""Well, what about you? With your tornadoes and striking people dead and changing children into goats.""Thank God I was not born a woman.""What's that got to do with anything?""You see, I was born a man. I might grow up to be a prophet or a healer. I might become a great leader who will free the people from Roman rule. I might be the Messiah. Who knows? People take a wait-and-see line with a boy.""Why not with a girl?""It's just different."_________Here's another: [Another conversation about male vs. female in spiritual stories, etc.:]"If I was your Isaac, I'd never let my father near me again. And the sun standing still at Jericho. A woman turning into a pillar of salt just for looking over her shoulder. Our stories couldn't possibly be more far-fetched than those. I know what's really eating you. In our stories, women get to do something besides giggle when they conceive after their blood has stopped. In our stories, women get to lay down the geasa from time to time."_________________Another: [Spoiler: Main character gets raped and is pregnant. This is during a conversation she's having with the man she loves.]No doubt you understand better than I did then how touchy men are about their girlfriends getting pregnant. How do I know it's mine? are often the first words out of a man's mouth (or in his mind) even if it couldn't possibly be anyone else's. Well, that's the question, isn't it? The one at the root of all patriarchy. How do I know it's MINE? No matter how angry I was with my mothers, I was still virtually clueless about patriarchy. Though two millennia separate your time and ours, I am sure you know more than I did then about how an upright first century Jew would regard a despoiled virgin. You are familiar with the epithet: whore. Things haven't changed all that much. In your time, politicians win points in the polls for proposing to punish unmarried teenaged mothers like me, not to mention our children. No father? no food.__________________Another piece: [Spoiler: This is from a conversation where the main character is trying to find out why her father, who ended up on the Isle of Women at one point, and ended fathering her, was angry about it.]"But I still don't understand. Why is he so furious with my mothers and with me? I just don't get it. When King Bran hears the name Tir na mBan, he practically swoons with ecstasy. As soon as he retires, he wants to go there. To me, my mothers are just my mothers. But the way some men talk about Tir na mBan, you'd think my mothers were goddesses or something. My mothers clearly expected him to be thrilled when he woke up. Why wasn't he?""I don't suppose Moses would have liked it either. King David might have. Maybe King Solomon, but I'm not so sure. Even with all his wives, seven hundred I believe, Solomon was in change. The wives were HIS. That's the sticking point. you see, when a man goes to your mothers' island, he's theirs.""I still don't get why that's a problem.""It's a problem, Maeve. At least for some men it would be. Trust me on this one.""Would it be a problem for you?""I don't know. To tell you the truth, I can hardly imagine it. I'd like to think we could work something out."__________Another piece: [Discussing druidic human sacrifice.:]"Even if I became a god after death, why would I want to help the people who strangled me, stabbed me, and drowned me? Does that make any sense to you?"Viviane looked nonplussed. In every religion there are questions you are simply not supposed to ask. If you're properly indoctrinated, it won't occur to you to ask them._______________Another piece: [Spoiler: This is part of a conversation when the main character finally tells someone of rank that her father raped her.]"I suppose I've always known," he said at last. "I suppose we all have.""Then why---""Because we cannot know," he answered before I could finish asking. "It is not the story we want to hear. It is not the one we are telling."____________So, that's it. I won't be reading the rest of the series because this book wasn't my version of a strong woman. I was mostly impatient with her and waiting for her to prove that women can have common sense. Alas.
Wow. Wow wow wow. Okay. So I got this book randomly out of the library because I was like, "Oh, Mary Magdalen, my favorite Biblical figure," and, "WHOA and a ton of Celtic folklore?! My favorite!" Little did I know that this book was 1. SUPER feminist, 2. beautifully written, and 3. really captivating. And now... it's the topic of my thesis paper!I don't even know where to start in my review, I'm still so dumbfounded over the book. I mean, might as well start at the beginning right?The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the "vulgarity" (or what we would call vulgar these days). Magdalen/Maeve went around smearing her menstrual blood on rocks and calling it art; there were jokes about peeing; there was crude talk of sex; and plenty of the imagery was quite an obvious metaphor for breasts and vaginas. At first it made me uncomfortable, and I think that was the point. Eventually, I laughed along with Maeve, and if anything she helped me to grow more comfortable in my own feminine skin, helped me to accept the "taboos" about my own body. For that alone, this book earned five stars. It helped me to grow as a person.But on top of that, the language was beautiful. I loved Maeve's voice. I see in some of the reviews that it's jarring when she, as narrator, ties this ancient Celtic land to the modern world and uses colloquialisms that Celtic people would obviously not use. But rather than find it unacceptable, I found that it made the story much easier to relate to and made Maeve more endearing.It had some dark points of course; there is a rape scene (however, it is not horribly graphic or drawn out for an unbearably long time). What I found interesting is the ambiguity of Lovernios's story. The flashback Maeve sees of his landing on Tir na mBan is foggy at best; we see his unconscious body on the shores, and Maeve's eight witch-mothers hovering over him and talking about how they will use him to father a child. Is this an implication that they took advantage of him? His own reaction at seeing Maeve, his hatred of his own child, his determination to forget Tir na mBan, made me believe so.It was clear that Lovernios was the main antagonist of the story. However, there was also Viviane. Oh, Viviane. I loved her so much. I've never encountered an antagonist so well-written, so believable. And I love the idea that, instead of having these two girls forever feel bitter and spiteful towards each other, they grow to love each other in a way. I love that undeniable feminine bond that is so often ignored in literature and film. Female characters and their enemies are often pitted against each other; rarely do they become (kind of) friends. It's a solidarity that is too realistic to be ignored.And Branwen, and the Cailleach, and the Crows, and Anu, and Dwynwyn, and even the eight witch-mothers... Every single female character was so lovable. Ugh, and Nissyen! I got a little teary-eyed when he stood up for Maeve in the end...There is also the religious aspect to consider. There is a lot about sovereignty in this novel, and also about paganism versus monotheism. What better place to set the story than Celtic Ireland, right? A nation that has always struggled with its own sovereignty, and that has always had a very intimate and strange relationship between its traditional pagan roots and Christianity. This is probably the topic I will write on when I do my thesis. I am still fleshing out an outline/a specific topic for it and trying to gather my thoughts on it.But, yes. I've decided to write my thesis paper on this novel. I know it is a part of a series, but I'd rather just focus on this first book, 1. because the others are so long (and expensive), and 2. because I don't want to study the series to death and thus ruin it for myself. I would highly, highly recommend this book to all women, and even to men, though I get the feeling many male readers would hate it... Maeve would make them far too uncomfortable. Either way, I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
What do You think about Magdalen Rising: The Beginning (2007)?
The Maeve Chronicles are my favorite adult book series. I have read, reread, and read twice more. I adore everything about Magdalen Rising: her voice, her story, the characters. In this first book, Maeve comes of age, leaves her mothers, and goes to study at a Druid college where she meets Yeshua. A wise woman prophecies that Maeve will be a great lover, and this is the foundation of the series. Maeve learns to love all and sees God in each person she encounters. I'm a little bit jealous of those starting the series.
—Natalia Erehnah
This book swept me away from page one, but let me go again halve way through the book.I loved the way Maeve (Magdalena) was portrayed. Such a fiery hearted young woman, a warrior in the flesh but also with the tongue.I was especially pleased with the down to earth narration, I even found myself chuckling at certain passages of the book. I might understand that there are people out there who don’t like the mentioning of rock stars, New York and so on, but it worked for me. It was Maeve talking to me, trying to make me understand what she mend. You also have to remember that this is a prequel to the much praised Maeve chronicles. This is a book about the teenage years of Maeve and Esus. And that is what you should be expecting. Maeve is a teenager in love, foolhardy, passionate and a bit of a know it all, like most teenagers are. Cunningham waves Celtic lore together with Hebrew tradition in this (and the other novels) in a way that it is actually believable. I am looking forward to indulge myself in the rest of the series.
—Silke
This book is a must for people who are curious about Mary Magdalene. Ms. Cunningham presents a fiction version that is unlike most we have seen. Mauve as we are introduced to her is the daughter of Seven Warrior Witches that comes to the Isle of the Druids to learn the ancient mysteries, where she meets "her twin soul" Esu.There love is forbid, but that doesn't stop our red head vixen! This is the first of a series of three books the last to be published next year! If you love the sacred whore, Wicca, and a good love story; this is book is for you.
—Luna Pantera
