Mariette in Ecstasy Audiobook

" Maybe a little less; nothing much happens. A novice received the stigmata and there is the predictable set of reactions. The issue is left unresolved. I wish the author had spent more time on narrative and less on bunnies and flowers. He seemed to want to mix poetry and narrative, and achieved neither. "

" This book was crazy & gooood. "

" It was a very long time since I read this book (but I've read it twice), I think eleven or twelve years. I had something of a "confused/religious" phase when I happened to stumble across it. What I remember about this one is that it made a very, very deep impression on me. Must re-read it! (I read it in Swedish translation.) "

" Beautiful poetic language and fabulous culmination, but a little frustrating to keep all the characters (with slightly unfamiliar French names) in order in my head. I was continually consulting the cast of sisters, their ages and positions in the convent listed in the front of the book. The subject matter is a bit particular, but anyone interested in monasticism, American religious history, or the fine and subtle matter of the miraculous, would find much in this book to make one happy and reflective. A few years ago I read a collection of essays by Hansen, one of them on the speculative subject of stigmatics, and ever since then, this thin little novel has been on my to-read list, I'm just now getting around to it. He manages to create a beautiful suspense throughout the book, keeping the reader guessing just exactly what is happening and where he is taking us. Really, the last few pages are completely worth the read, and the culminating sentences really gather together the subtlety and nuances of sincere devotion while allowing the reader the freedom to come to her own conclusions. "

" This is a haunting novel of experiencing God. The style is sparse and the pace languid, but the phrasing is poetically rendered. A unique portrait of mystical encounter that, for the most part, rings true as the character falls more deeply in love with God. "

" This book is enjoyable if you have a few hours to read it all at once and ignore the comments on the cover about a "stunning ending". The author's ability to capture life in the convent was very impressive. "

" Interesting - I was quickly drawn into the world, and the ending was well done, if a bit unsatisfying. "

" Possibly the most beautiful book I have ever read. "

" Tedious writing-style and slow progression of characters = bored now. "

" my housemate, former dominican sister, says "it's not all about sex in a cloister." i say, "i read this book in four hours during my eight day silent retreat and it made me tremble." "

" Well done. The language is so well done; this books reads like a moving painting. My mind is still spinning over the details...processing the evidence but savoring the imagery. "

" Sparse prose, esthetic existence and a mystery left for the reader to comprehend - overall, enjoyable. Will add another Hansen novel to my To-Be-Read list. "

" Library Book Club. Very different. "

" The community review by Rob Kauzlaric says everything that I would (although I am not as disturbed by the present tense narrative.) I kept waiting for something to happen, a story or character to develop, 3/4 of the way through the book I realized that there would be no there there. "

" In a somewhat tangential way, reminds me of the movie "Primal Fear". Mariette & Ed Nortons' character have definite parallels. "

" i feel like i knew more about nuns BEFORE i read this book. good writing, though, except for how it's boring as hell. "

" Interesting look at life in a nunery and the difficulty of accepting a miracle even within a religious community. While I enjoyed the book, the end was so unsatisfying, that the earlier part of the book could not redeem it. "

" Completely overrated and so forgettable that I had indeed forgotten that I'd read until today. "

" The writing is beautiful, and the author very realistically portrays human nature--both in our desire to believe and in our jealousy and hatred. Still, the book leaves me strangely hollow. I wish there were more to it. "

" I had wanted to read this book for sometime but I was disappointed with it. It was a fairly predictable story and the ending fell flat without any good resolution. "

" Ron Hansen sure can write. Beautiful language throughout and a story that satisfies and surprises. "

" Looks like the reviews are all over the map on this one. I think Ron Hansen is a talented author. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to others. "

" This book reads like forbidden erotica. Mariette is a young nun having a ecstatic affair with Jesus. Naughty, naughty. It blew my little catholic schoolgirl mind. Of course, that was twenty years ago. "

" I guess this book just was not my cup of tea. RH is a Catholic and I guess that commitment informs the essence of this book. He's a gifted writer so I had no trouble finishing the book. I just didn't "get "it. "

" interesting book (rather what I imagine Saint Theresa's life to be like) but disturbing in that 'Catholic' sense. Well written but strange ending that left me.... underwhelmed. "

" Great writing - suspenseful historical thriller about a nunnery in 1906 - famous author. But the ending...WTF?? "

" A brilliant account of the mystery of faith confronting the ordinary. Hansen is probably one of the best American writers living today. He's incredibly versatile: not one of his books is like any other. "

" Interesting story on early 20th century Catholic nuns and stigmata. "

" Interesting look at life in a nunery and the difficulty of accepting a miracle even within a religious community. While I enjoyed the book, the end was so unsatisfying, that the earlier part of the book could not redeem it. "

" Interesting - I was quickly drawn into the world, and the ending was well done, if a bit unsatisfying. "

" Sentence by sentence a stunning novel—a tight 179 pages, not a word wasted. A cliffhanger written in language that would fill most poets with holy envy. "

" Well done. The language is so well done; this books reads like a moving painting. My mind is still spinning over the details...processing the evidence but savoring the imagery. "

" This is an odd book. Strangely comeplling. The language is simply beautiful. But I am full of doubt at the end, and I don't think I will recommend it. "