Rating: 
Summary: Descriptive, evocative, sensuous and beautiful. Read it.
Review: The arrival of a young, eager and devout postulant throws a country convent into turmoil.
She becomes a mirror of truth within the convent walls, revealing to all the motives of their own hearts. Hansens evocative prose conjures the earthy smells sounds and colour of an idyllic country convent setting. I enjoyed tremendously his keen appreciation of the minutiae of life, the tiny details that are so important and potentially explosive in a closed order. The setting never once overwhelms the characters but gives meaning and support and indeed sense to their harsh draconian lifestyle. The atmosphere elevates the simple, the everyday and ordinary to the level of rite, ritual and liturgy. What I can only call the organic 'oneness' of the sisterhood is marvelously portrayed as their daily, seasonal and even menstrual cycles merge. It is this harmony which is threatened by the arrival of Mariette Baptiste. As she travails in her own devotion to God, she is favoured and feared in equal measure. The juxtaposition of sexual and religious ecstasy is clearly evoked by Hansen, allowed to evolve but never endangers the story. Within the convent Mariette is the catalyst that stirs reaction. To some she is the image of not just a youth, but a life left behind. To the complacent she is a threat to the routine they have come to accept. To the luke warm, she is an offence. But to those who seek genuine devotion, she is a gift from God. Descriptive, evocative, sensuous and beautiful. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest novels ever written
Review: The written word has a unique property among media: it can show without telling; it can present an incomplete picture that only the reader can finish. There are precious few books that have embraced the format as skillfully as Mariette. Mariette in Ecstasy isn't meant to educate about the life in a convent. It's a book that grapples, like none ever written since the Bible, with the strange question of faith versus reality - but it does it, in a certain manner, from a _secular_ standpoint. Whether or one embraces spirituality will not interfere with level of interest that book is likely to create in a reader's mind. "Mariette" is a universal book that allows its readers to ponder some of life's thornier questions. The book is simply masterful. It's easy upon casual cover browsing to believe that you really know what it's about; that it's somehow historical fiction; or that it's meant for Catholics. Don't believe any of this, though. Just open it up and start reading. If you are a writer, and have ever attempted to write a story that forces your readers to ponder a question without your obvious assistance, then you know what a difficult task this can be. But you also know the awe this can inspire when it's done well. Mariette in Ecstasy epitomizes this ideal, and it's a marvel to behold.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest novels ever written
Review: The written word has a unique property when compared to other media: it can show without telling; it can present an incomplete picture that is up to the reader to finish. There are precious few books that have ever done a better job at taking advantage of the book format as Mariette in Ecstasy. Despite what you might read elsewhere, Mariette in Ecstasy is NOT a book that is meant to educate about the life in a convent. It's a book that grapples, like none ever written since the Bible, with the strange question of faith versus reality - but it does it (surprise!) from a secular standpoint (those who have read the book know what I am talking about). Whether or not the reader has a faith has nothing to do with the level of interest that the book will create. This is a universal book that allows the reader to ponder some of life's thornier questions regarding belief in a higher power. The book is simply masterful. Don't get caught up thinking you really know what it's about, or that it's somehow historical fiction, or that it's meant for Catholics. It's not! If you are a writer, and have ever attempted to write a story that forces the reader to ponder a question without you (the author) providing the answers, then you know what a difficult task this can be. But you also know what awe this can inspire when it's done well. Mariette in Ecstasy epitomizes this ideal, and it's a marvel to behold. (My personal take? The purpose of Mariette in Ecstasy is to present a powerful, skeptical view of the idea of faith in a higher power, and the strings that people attach to it.)
Rating: 
Summary: Mariette is a tease
Review: There are two types of bad books. Reading the first type is like pulling teeth - each page is a chore. Reading the second type, like Mariette in Ecstasy, goes quickly. You rapidly turn pages, thinking something will happen any paragraph now. But it never does. At the end of the book, you feel cheated and teased. Such is this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Discourse on Sensuality and Religion
Review: This book captivated me with the first set of small, image laden vignettes and only got better. Not only is the plot intriguing, the language used is so rich and fertile that I felt I could taste it. Each scene has an undercurrent of mingled sensuality and religion running through it and the reader becomes aware of how the two seemingly dichotomous aspects of life are highly dependent on each other. This book left me with heightened senses; it left me wanting more. I recommend reading it slowly and focusing on what's implied, not just what's being said.
Rating:
Summary: Proof that the best art is often subtle.
Review: This book goes to the depth of two things you hold dear; namely the ability to embrace your senses and than let them go according to what you have come to see as rational. This book lead me to a greater self-awareness of this division in myself and the reality of its individuality. In contrast to other reviews I have read, Hansen does indeed give you reason to doubt Mariette's claims, but only circumstantial evidence is given and an "argument" for it is never made. It is truly left for you to decide the validity of her claims. A beautiful novel. Court is in session!
Rating: 
Summary: This book brings up questions regarding faith and acceptance
Review: This book has forced me to rexamine my beliefs on miracles and God's ways. Was Mariette faking? Was this really the work of the Devil? Or was this the sign of her exceptional devotion and her destiny for saintliness? I loved this book and i highly recomend it for religous and non-religous alike.
Rating:
Summary: a gorgeous, indulgent, sensual novel
Review: This book is a celebration of passion and longing and beauty, and is now one of my favorite novels. It might very well be the best novel published in the 1990s.
Rating:
Summary: A Surprising End
Review: This is a beautiful story rife with poetic imagery, only to name two of myriad: "cattails sway and unsway" and the picture of a nun rolling out dough "like a slow, white pig." If you enjoy the language of the story as much as the tale itself, this book is a definite treat. The ending will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing
Review: This was ambitious of Hansen, who has labored skillfullly but without distinction in general. Worth the read, though without the profundity the subject matter might suggest. I am waiting for Hansen to break out with his masterwork (and beginning to worry that he is satisfied to interest and intrigue us without realizing his full potential).
| 
