Rating: 
Summary: A Good Way to Whet your Appetite
Review: This book contains a reasonable description of what the Gospel of Mary is, where and how it was found, and what it implies for early Christianity. It is not the last work on the subject, but it is written in a fairly accessible way, and avoids the conspiracy theories that are so common when discussing the early history of Christianity. Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel does show a feminist bias. This is not nessesarily a bad thing considering that the Biblical gospels show a strong patriarchal bias, but it is distracting and I found myself translating the translation at times. My only other concern with this book is that it is not always made clear that the Gospel of Mary was not written until at least a generation after the death of Jesus, and was probably not written by anyone who had first-hand knowledge of the what the Apostles did in the days after the Crucifixion. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about the Gospel of Mary, and about Gnostism, but this should not be the only book that you read on the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Profound and scholarly
Review: This is quite simply the best exegesis ever written of this gospel. The translation is also readable, though since I'm not a Coptic scholar, I can't say how it compares with others in print. Leloup's insights combine both hard-nosed historical scholarship and a deep sensitivity to spritual and philosophical questions, the fruit of a person who has done inner work on himself, not merely academic intellectual work. This quality alone separates it from all the other versions in print, which fall short on philosophical depth.
Rating: 
Summary: I Liked The Female Perspective, But There Is Another Book...
Review: What I enjoyed the most about The Gospels of Mary Magdalene was the fact that it was written with a female perspective. As a woman I find the Old Testament to be "Barbaric" at times towards women. Jesus loved everyone equally rather male or female. The only problem I had with this book was that it left me wanting to know more. I found more in a book here on Amazon called The Book of Thomas by Daniel Aber and Gabreael that went places most author's fear to tread. It is written from an Esoteric Christian perspective as well. It dealt with issues such as The Christ Consciousness, Universal Law, The Genetic Code, The Levels of Heaven and Hell, Reincarnation, and much more.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Goes a Long Way
Review: While the Gospel of Mary Magdalene is incomplete, it gives a sample of some beliefs and perspectives that were rejected by the early Church. You cannot read it alone, however. Accompany it with the Gospel of Thomas, the Odes of Solomon, and other gnostic works and you get a complete understanding of the Gnostic perspective, i.e., Christ is within.
The commentary is excellent and helps to clarify the historicity of the gnostic philosophy.
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