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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This is one of my favorite books. Mark Twain called it his greatest work of love and his ultimate masterpiece. It's written from the viewpoint of the Secretary of Joan of Arc- both of whom grew up as simple peasants in the same small village. The writing seems truly from a different time, and somehow he's able to tell the story of Joan of Arc and also show how the narrator is feeling as he's telling it. I feel like I have spent time in 15th Century because of the depth of this work, and I'm inspired by his portrayal of this simple country maid who raises and leads an army to success, and also holds firm to her values and beliefs in the face of persecution.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
💬 'i wished i had been brave enough to be a coward.'
💫 found the final ⅓ way more engaging that the rest of the book because twain was forced to stick to the trial itself. when persecuted, joan was enigmatic and headstrong but the lead up felt so patriachal and condescending in its obsession with characterising her (leader of armies!) as unendingly meek and gentle and docile. even as a warrior she was just a woman taking orders (from god). it makes for a boring character. a shame because i thought the premise of a fictionalised autobiography could be very fun; and joan is such a compelling figure as someone whose execution was not just for heresy or violence but ultimately for the crime of being transmasculine.
💫 i would like to direct your attention to jaonni by kate bush (which i discovered while reading this)
💫 found the final ⅓ way more engaging that the rest of the book because twain was forced to stick to the trial itself. when persecuted, joan was enigmatic and headstrong but the lead up felt so patriachal and condescending in its obsession with characterising her (leader of armies!) as unendingly meek and gentle and docile. even as a warrior she was just a woman taking orders (from god). it makes for a boring character. a shame because i thought the premise of a fictionalised autobiography could be very fun; and joan is such a compelling figure as someone whose execution was not just for heresy or violence but ultimately for the crime of being transmasculine.
💫 i would like to direct your attention to jaonni by kate bush (which i discovered while reading this)
You know that question that people sometimes ask; 'If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead who would it be?' Well, I've always said Joan of Arc, and I don't really know why. I don't remember learning anything about her at school or any distinct conversation about her.
So I decided it was time to get to know her a little bit better. I thought it was pretty cool that Mark Twain calls this his best work and that he spent so many years researching her. I also think it's cool that he wrote something that expresses such clear adoration of her and her character. And if I get asked that question about who I'd choose to meet again, it would absolutely, hands down be Joan of Arc after reading this. I love her ability to listen to her truth and to live by it regardless of outside influences and consequences. She had the ability to blend a soft heart with a warrior spirit which is no small task. More than anything I respect her ability to listen to her intuition and live by it regardless of any outside noise.
Although I loved the topic, the writing is a bit heavy to push through, especially the battle scenes. I'm not sure if it's because it feels dated or if it's just Twain's style. I'd honestly give this more of a 3.5 because of the writing but the topic and the way he chose to write about her bumps it to a 4.
I'm glad this was the first thing I read about her because anything more factual I read now will probably make much more sense to me.
So I decided it was time to get to know her a little bit better. I thought it was pretty cool that Mark Twain calls this his best work and that he spent so many years researching her. I also think it's cool that he wrote something that expresses such clear adoration of her and her character. And if I get asked that question about who I'd choose to meet again, it would absolutely, hands down be Joan of Arc after reading this. I love her ability to listen to her truth and to live by it regardless of outside influences and consequences. She had the ability to blend a soft heart with a warrior spirit which is no small task. More than anything I respect her ability to listen to her intuition and live by it regardless of any outside noise.
Although I loved the topic, the writing is a bit heavy to push through, especially the battle scenes. I'm not sure if it's because it feels dated or if it's just Twain's style. I'd honestly give this more of a 3.5 because of the writing but the topic and the way he chose to write about her bumps it to a 4.
I'm glad this was the first thing I read about her because anything more factual I read now will probably make much more sense to me.
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
To the surprise of no one, Twain handles this novelization of Jeanne d'Arc's life quite ably. And the man sure could write a death scene [spoiler alert?]
Excellent reading. Well paced, interesting, exciting, and even though it’s not one of his ‘humorous’ books, quite funny. The characters are all incredibly visualized, and it’s a pleasure to take part on their adventure.
The story is told by one of Joan’s friends and confidants, not by Joan herself. The events were thoroughly researched by Twain, but I suspect he blends facts with a heavy dose of imagination. He does bring Joan to life, though.
Looking forward to Part 2.
The story is told by one of Joan’s friends and confidants, not by Joan herself. The events were thoroughly researched by Twain, but I suspect he blends facts with a heavy dose of imagination. He does bring Joan to life, though.
Looking forward to Part 2.