Matrix cover art

Matrix

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Matrix

By: Lauren Groff
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £11.20

Buy Now for £11.20

About this listen

NOW AVAILABLE TO PREORDER: the new historical novel from the bestselling author of Fates and Furies

'Luminous, divine, her masterpiece' DAISY JOHNSON

'An audacious piece of storytelling, full of passion, wisdom and magic' SARAH WATERS

'Lauren Groff is a virtuoso' EMILY ST JOHN MANDEL

'How mesmerising can twelfth century nuns be, even in the hands of Lauren Groff? I had barely started it before I was bloody well blaspheming with delight. Matrix is a gorgeous, sensual, addictive read' SARA COLLINS
__________________________________
Seventeen-year-old Marie, too wild for courtly life, is thrown to the dogs one winter morning, expelled from the royal court to become the prioress of an abbey. Marie is strange - tall, a giantess, her elbows and knees stick out, ungainly.

At first taken aback by life at the abbey, Marie finds purpose and passion among her mercurial sisters. Yet she deeply misses her secret lover Cecily and queen Eleanor.

Born last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, women who flew across the countryside with their sword fighting and dagger work, Marie decides to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. She will bring herself, and her sisters, out of the darkness, into riches and power.

MATRIX is a bold vision of female love, devotion and desire from one of the most adventurous writers at work today.
__________________________________
'A thrillingly vivid, adventurous story about women and power that will blow readers' minds. Left me gasping.' EMMA DONOGHUE

'Both epic and intimate, this sweeping novel explores questions of female ambition, creativity and passion with electrifying prose and sparkling wit. A propulsive, captivating read' BRIT BENNETT

Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Medieval Romance Women's Fiction Royalty Middle Ages

Critic reviews

Visionary leader, queer lover, 12th-century writer ... the life of Marie de France is triumphantly reimagined in an assertively modern novel about female ambition and creativity... a highly distinctive novel of great vigour and boldness. From mystical visions that may or may not be divine, to the earthy business of abbey pigs, diseases and account books, Groff does it all with purpose and panache
Groff's writing is muscular and precise, her themes wildly resonant. Women are dismissed and contained, subject to misogynist attacks and abuse, but gain power collectively - "alone, together". Shockingly, this message is as poignant today as it was, perhaps, 800 years ago
A dazzlingly clever tale . . . gorgeously precise prose, always elegantly weighted and perfectly economical
Pitch-perfect
This is a remarkable novel: unusual, profound, transcendental
It's a breathtaking novel
A thrillingly vivid, adventurous story about women and power that will blow readers' minds. Left me gasping. (Emma Donoghue)
Fascinating, beguiling, vivid (Marian Keyes on Twitter)
Luminous, divine, her masterpiece (Daisy Johnson)
An audacious piece of storytelling, full of passion, wisdom and magic (Sarah Waters)
All stars
Most relevant
This is a story about love and a shared life together and female resistance and resilience.
Well written by Lauren Groff and beautifully performed by Adjoa Andoh.

I love a good nun story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Enjoyable and insightful listen. It highlights origination of nun convents I never thought about. Brilliant reading performance

Great book with excellent narrative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A remarkable book, well research, about the fictional story of Marie of France. It gives an idea of life at that time but most importantly about overcoming the difficulties of life at any time. A very uplifting any enjoyable book

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Thorough research underpins this lyrical telling of a great woman of the 12th century, Marie de France, viewed through a feminist lens. Excellent narration too. A tour de force all round!

Rich writing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A lovely book if not a bit strange? It could have been exceptional, as the plot is different, but somehow it reaches interesting heights not exceptional!
The writing is flowery, but engaging.
You root for the main character Marie for the whole book and can’t help, but admire her.
The narration is excellent…

Short and sweet

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews