Julian of Norwich: A Very Brief History (Very Brief Histories)

I have a copy of The Revelations of Divine Love to read, but I figured that this would be a good start, putting the lady and her writing into context. I've seen a programme by Dr Ramirez on Julian of Norwich. It is interesting, we don't know much about her apart from what she chooses to tell. Her work is compared to some other English mystics of the same period in terms of the themes and language used in the book. The survival of the text itself is a mystery, in that it treads a fine line around being heretical and managed to survive the upheaval of the Reformation before a copy in a nunnery of English Nuns in France survived the French revolution.
This is a short introduction to whet the appetite.

As an aside, I love the cover design, show more with an image of Julian visible through the J shaped aperture of the front cover. A picture of her face is on the inside page. As an anchoress, she would have spent her time peering out at the world through a window this feels rather apt.

Re-read. 2024
Having read Revelations I decided to revisit this to remind myself of the details of Julian's life and the survival of the text itself. Previous thoughts on my review seem to still stand. show less

Julian of Norwich is a mystery woman, little is known about who she was and her life prior to her giving her life to God and writing. Julian is most famous for her 'Divine Revelations', a series of writings inspired by a set of visions Julian had in the mid-1300s. The beauty of her writing has inspired many.

This is a very short book but is very satisfying for that. Ramirez places Julian's life and writings in the context of the Middle Ages and the town of Norwich - a prosperous place but one that suffered greatly through waves of plague. The book is equally passionate about the beauty of Julian's writings and the danger that her potentially heretical thoughts could have placed her in. Even the story about how the Diving Revelations was show more almost lost to history is fascinating. show less

A good entry level book into the life of the 14th century mystic, Julian of Norwich. A woman of obscure origins, who, have what is described today as a "near death experience" goes on to write an account (Revelations of Divine Love) of what was spiritually revealed to her during this time - the first ever book written by an Englishwoman.

Ramirez's book deals with the history and the legacy, which lasted generations after her death.

Book received from NetGalley.

The first time I had ever heard about Julian of Norwich was in my first British Literature class and I was fascinated by her. Her "Revelations of a Divine Love" are the earliest known surviving by a female writer. As soon as I saw this offered on NetGalley I requested it hoping to learn a bit more about this unique nun. Since Julian of Norwich lived in the Medieval era there is very little that can be found out about her life, prior to her becoming an anchoress. The book gives a bit more insight into her writing and just how rare something like this is. I suggest the book for those who study literature and history both since it will give more information on women writers in Medieval Britain.