The Wild Girl

by Michèle Roberts

In the parched soil of Provence, a fifth gospel has been discovered. It is Mary Magdalene's account of Christ's teaching and her relationship with him, and it unveils a new Christianity which embraces the female equally with the male. The author won the 1992 W.H. Smith Literary Award.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Religion, Womens Studies, Theology, Modern

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 1984

About the author

Michèle Brigitte Roberts is the author of fifteen novels, including Ignorance which was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction and Daughters of the House which won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her memoir Paper Houses was BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in June 2007. She has also published poetry and short stories, most recently collected in Mud: Stories of Sex and Love. Half-English and half-French, Roberts lives in London and in the Mayenne, France. She is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Reviews

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finding the words to write this review is not going to be easy. The author tells us in the preface that she wrote it as if from a dream in which she heard the word of Mary Magdalene but it is a very, very confusing dream and when Mary in the book starts to have dreams/visions/hallucinations, it becomes more what I would imagine a drug-induced trip would be like. We are also told that the author was a Convent educated Catholic who left the church to love as she chose and for that, I feel so sorry. I am a cradle Catholic and went to a convent school and I know how hard it is to spend your life trying your best to obey the Commandments of God and the rules of the church, I have been plodding on for seventy years. It is the same whatever your particular religion may be there are always those rocks in the road that we stumble on and life is hard. I get the feeling that there is a fair bit of dislike of the Catholic church, of priests and of men in general in this outpouring and I do know that there is no one more anti-Catholic than an ex-Catholic.
In this story, Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala, a small place near Galilee is mixed up with Mary of Bethany, near Jerusalem. I was sad that out of at least six Mary's in the New Testament the author chose one of the very few that we are actually told about in the Gospels, Mary of Bethany to portray as the immoral one (called Magdalene)? Mary of Bethany is the Sister of Martha and Lazarus and she is, like her sister, a homebody, her worst fault was sitting listening to Jesus preach whilst Martha did the housework, for which Jesus praised her. However, she is portrayed as a girl who right from the age of about fourteen is rebellious and totally without morals, using sex for her own gains after initially being raped whilst making her way to Alexandria. Once she arrives there she is in training to be a professional sex worker, takes part in a lesbian affair, learns about pagan gods and witchcraft and spells. It is suggested that when Lazarus is raised from the dead that it is one of Mary's spells that does the trick, no need for Jesus.
When Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive oil in this story it is Peter who complains of the waste of money whereas in the Gospel it is Judas who says these words, he keeps charge of the money bag for the group. As the story progresses things get more and more surreal, all of the disciples are sleeping with each other men with women and also same-sex together, Jesus and Mary Magdalene are off cavorting naked in the field. In those days this would have been a heinous sin and against the law, even Our Lady, Mary the Mother of Jesus was in danger of being stoned when she was found to be pregnant if God had not sent a message to Joseph telling him to marry her. These people were good devout Jewish men and women and they would not have gone against their faith or their natural inbred good morals to behave in this way it is way too far-fetched.
The word Apostle is never mentioned and the only two of the twelve mentioned by name are Peter and John everyone is a disciple.
I was disappointed that what I had hoped to be an imagining of the life of Mary Magdalene as a proper and respectable woman which she probably was; a tomb has been found with her name on it with an engraving of a woman holding manuscripts which may indicate that she was an educated person, and a friend of the Apostles and Jesus.

[Liv Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking. Surprisingly modern yet ancient telling of the unveiling of a Christianity that embraces the female and celebrates women’s spirituality. Who knows, if this was thought as a part of the Christian faith I might have been a believer.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be an engaging response to certain gaps in biblical scripture, but instead found if to be a confused, badly written novel that struggles to create a textual world worth encountering. Roberts' writing simply doesn't have the scope to do justice to the complex ideas she raises in her writing. She spends too much time indulging in vague, endless metaphors which lead nowhere. The text hovers between bad writing and interesting ideas, a frustrating mixture.
I finished the novel with no clear sense of, or liking for, Roberts' Mary Magdalene, who is arrogant and selfish. Roberts' sense of narrative structure and timing is poor, and many passages are almost impossible to follow, or just plain ridiculous: 'I jabbed him in his private parts so that he released me with a yelp of pain.' Sigh.
It's a book which flings about watery and often flawed images; a novel which elevates itself only to fall somewhat flat.

[Ranita lectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta historia es a la Biblia, lo que la peli de Maléfica es a la Bella durmiente. Me ha encantado ver este "quinto evangelio" escrito por María Magdalena. Ha habido un par de escenas que me han hecho llorar y el final ha sido super catártico para mi. 4,5!!!

" You have raped me, I cried out as all the others had:
many times. You have denied me a soul. You have denied that I may baptise and offer the bread and wine. You have denied my voice. You have refused to listen to me when I try to speak of the sacred marriage in the soul without which there is no resurrection and no life. You have sent me into exile, and you you have barred me from the holy city of Jerusalem."

[Michele Brooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the story of Jesus from A woman's perspective. It's also about Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus. It is a book of revelation, that embraces a different aspect of Christianity- women are equal with men and their spirituality is recognised and celebrated.
I have read this over the Easter weekend, which felt quite apt. Putting aside any Christian beliefs, I love the old and new Testaments for the wonderful stories that they are and I always enjoy stories re- worked from the woman's viewpoint. I really enjoyed this.

[Victor Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be more easily available. I was only able to find a very old copy from a vendor on Amazon with pages so brittle I doubt it will last through the more than one reading it deserves.
Reviewers are calling it the Fifth Gospel--as if it were not fiction--which is not correct. The Gospel of Thomas deserves that title. And there is already, among the apocryphal gospels, a Gospel of Mary Magdalene, which, as I am familiar with it and the other apocryphal gospels, Michele Roberts does an admirable job of including in her novel. This was the element that most fascinated me and lent a truth to her narrative not available in those based only on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Those who might see this as a fanciful feminist version of the Jesus/Magdalene story should know that the intimacy between the two has a basis in recorded history, fragments that remained despite all the efforts to edit sex and Mary Magdalene out of the gospel.
An inspirational book for spiritual men and women alike, and an excellent background text for those interested in the controversial (spiritual/sexual) elements in The Da Vinci Code, The Last Temptation of Christ, and other works in the same vein.

[szara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's quite hard for me to put into words my thoughts about this book...
Let's start with saying I attended a meeting with Michelle Roberts and she's such a wonderful person, with so many brilliant things to say.
Also, I really loved her style, smooth and neat.
But then, there's the content. It's not even about it being controversial and religious. I'm not really religious person at the moment.
Still, sometimes it was a struggle to get through the plot. It was ridiculous more than once or twice. There was even a moment (after Jesus' death) when for about fifteen pages I had no idea what was happening and I didn't even care to re-read it and catch the idea. '
I know that Michelle Roberts wrote some good books and I plan to read them. But I would not recommend "The Secret Gospel..." to anyone, I'm afraid.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This work of fiction purports in the story to be the long lost fifth gospel. In the story, Mary of Bethany and Mary of
Magdala are conflated and made to be the same person. From the beginning, I didn't like that. I also didn't like that
Mary and Jesus had a physical relationship that was quite free and open and perfectly acceptable to all the disciples
and even to Jesus' mother. I also didn't like the style of writing. I wish some of it were true though. 2.7

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book caught my interest because of the subject matter, but once it hit about 3/4 through, it really lost momentum. Perhaps something is lost in the translation. I finished it because I only had about fifty pages left, but it felt arduous for a book that's relatively short (198 pages).

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sexy read for any recovering Christian.

[Johanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clunky, boring, blah. There are way better tales of Mary Magdalene out there.

[Ceanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried to slog through it, but just could not get into this story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but I found it a bit slushy and not overly gripping. I kept reading, waiting for some sort of message to come through but nothing happened.

I found it all a bit pointless really.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time or money invested.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book I picked up years ago sitting on my 'to be read' bookshelf using as inspiration for ideas an ancient treatise discovered presenting an alternative version of Christianity called the Nag Hammadi gospels. The Wild Girl in the story is a version of Mary Magdalene and the alternative version casts women as responsible for more than simply fulfilling the roles of mother and wife - though these roles too are honoured. An interesting read.

[Rosebud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains spoilers. 3 - 3.5

Not sure.

Confusing at times, unbelievable at others. It is the story of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus, wherein they have sex and produce a daughter.

I’m all for feminism and it raises interesting ideas and debates. But I’m not sure I liked the book overall and thought the plot was weak.

Great concept by a usually very good writer. But I was expecting it to be better, and think it could’ve been. A missed opportunity.

[Kelly Hemmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never been more annoyed with a book when I finished it. The whole thing felt very superficial and lacked any sort of depth. There were no segues between sections. And it was sometimes impossible to tell if something was actually happening or if it was just a vision or a dream. I was so close to giving it up but only had about 30 pages to go so I mostly just finished it out of spite.

[Esjay C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book under its previous title: The Wild Girl. I loved it especially since it called the "WHAT IF" into question by telling a different order of events! I then tried to get a few of my friends to read it but appears they felt the topic a tad taboo for their liking. Intriguing.

[Jessica Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other books about Mary Magdaleneand her gospels, but this enriched my relationship to Mary and Jesus in SUCH a deep, beautiful and profound way! I enjoyed the story very much and I definitely recommend.

[Just This · Rating 3 out of 5]

imaginative, feminist retelling of the story of mary magdalen, and of what christianity really should have been like.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really beautifully written, alternative interpretation of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus.

[HN]

I am pretty sure this isn't true because it is fictional which means it isn't real.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really
Enjoyed this, so interesting and what a different world it would be....

[D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. What was the point? Write a different novel and story line instead of this sick & twisted blasphemous book.

[Robin Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but I wanted SO MUCH MORE

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see what it is going for and it's well executed for that end but I struggled to get into it. Maybe because there's no real suspense (for obvious reasons). I liked that Martha gets some screentime (although not much) . In fairness i read this while i had flu and had trouble concentrating so i may not be the best judge, but it seemed very hard to follow in places.

[Emma Mckay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by the secret sources found on Mary Magdalene in Nag Hammandi in Egypt 1945, which were not published in the bible, this daring novel takes on the misogyny at the heart of historical Christianity and re-writes a new testament; embodying a fifth gospel, by Mary Magdalene. Roberts leaps over the religion induced splits in womens physches and reintergrates creativity, sexuality, maternity and power. Mary Magdalene is no longer the repentant whore of legend but a prophet, the lover of Jesus, a heroine who envisions a Christianity that puts women at its heart.The novel leaves us to question how different Christianity and life for women would be if these had been included in the bible. An easy yet very controversial read.

[Laurie Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

A femisnist take on the life of Jesus. Very interesting. The reason why I only give it 3 stars is that I expected the character of Mary Magdalene to really enthrall me. I suspect I would have felt much more strongly about her had I read it at the time of publication. We've had so many fascinating feminist characters before and since then than she didn't feel quite intense enough.
Still, a good read that puts the Christian mythology into perspective by acknowledging its Pagan origins and its internal contradictions. If to you Jesus' message is about love rather than steadfast rules, you will not be shocked.

[Laura Lynch · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdene is a novel loosely based on the life of Jesus and the apostles. The story is told from Mary’s perspective and presents many un-orthodox and feministic views about God and Biblical events. I had a hard time with some of the concepts explored, especially Mary M’s affair with Jesus outside of marriage. I took the book with a grain of salt but found it controversial.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagined story of Mary Magdalene using several of the stories about her that have been put forward over the years. Interesting and well written I wish I had read it years ago as it would probably have pleased me more, not having read much less well written versions.

Worth a read for a slightly feminist view of Jesus' life and the way that things could be warped.