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The Song at the Scaffold
Gertrud Von Le Fort wrote
The Song at the Scaffold
in 1931, five years after converting to the Catholic Faith. At that time she was considered Germany's most influential Catholic poet and novelist.
The Song at the Scaffold is a novelette set in the time of the French Revolution, an epoch that vividly demonstrated man's capacity for both heroism and brutality. It is a very intense story dealing primarily with the Carmelite Convent at Compiegne but also encompassing the Paris mob, the Reign of Terror, Women Revolutionists, etc., climaxing in the martyrdom of sixteen Carmelite nuns.
Excellent reading for both students and adults-
The Song at the Scaffold is a novelette set in the time of the French Revolution, an epoch that vividly demonstrated man's capacity for both heroism and brutality. It is a very intense story dealing primarily with the Carmelite Convent at Compiegne but also encompassing the Paris mob, the Reign of Terror, Women Revolutionists, etc., climaxing in the martyrdom of sixteen Carmelite nuns.
Excellent reading for both students and adults-
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
47 people are currently reading
960 people want to read
About the author
Gertrud von le Fort
54 books40 followersGertrud von Le Fort was a German writer of novels, poems, and essays. She came from a Protestant background, but converted to Catholicism in 1926. Most of Gertrud's writings come after this conversion. In 1952 she won the Gottfried-Keller-Preis award.
Her novella Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold) was the original basis for the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc. She also wrote a book called The Eternal Woman, which was published in paperback in English on March 1st, 2010.
Pseudonymes: Gerta von Stark, Petrea Vallerin
Her novella Die Letzte am Schafott (The Last on the Scaffold) was the original basis for the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc. She also wrote a book called The Eternal Woman, which was published in paperback in English on March 1st, 2010.
Pseudonymes: Gerta von Stark, Petrea Vallerin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
September 2, 2014
What a wonderful coincidence that I read this book immediately after reading C. Milosz' essay collection To Begin Where I Am: Selected Essays!
For C. Milosz was trying to analyse the reasons behind the unimaginable horror surrounding the two World Wars, and the Russian and French Revolutions in his essays. His analysis was that man from the time of Renaissance and Reformation believed only in the nature of man and in his faculty (Reason). Man became the absolute deciding norm of moral values and he became the sole judge of his actions. In other words, the place that was due to Divine was taken over by man. That initiated the horror.
In this novel, Gertrud Von Le Fort speaks exclusively of the execution of the Carmelite nuns of Compiegne during the French Revolution. It was the time when the mob ran the show and conformity was obligatory. If anyone was not conforming to the New State he or she was executed mercilessly. In such a situation the religious order was seen as a threat for it showed its allegiance to someone else (God) and not to any man made ideas. The religious institutions were seen as 'prisons of religion' and belief in God was mocked at. Using the opportunity the Church institutions were confiscated and religious orders were dissolved with state law. To enter a convent was a crime. Those who had made vows were charged under some fabricated law suit for which the only punishment was to face the Guillotine.
Interestingly C. Milosz in one of his poems speaks of French Revolution as an act of "killing in the name of universal, beautiful ideas."
This novel is based on a true event - the execution of the Carmelite nuns of Compiegne who faced the Guillotine singing SALVE REGINA and VIENI CREATOR. But the author has introduced a fictional character in the figure of novice Blanche and through that character explores the inner spirit and struggle that went through the characters before facing the final moment of execution. It is here the author shows her skill in analyzing deep into the psychological depths of the characters. The questions of sacrifice for the nation, sacrifice for the faith, pure sacrifice (a sacrifice without any hope), and the mortal fear of death get special attention. The ending of the novel can inspire as well as shatter you.
In a simple sentence it is a story of simple, weak, mortal, fearful human being made strong by God.
In analyzing the French Revolution she is in alliance with C. Milosz. Or may be, it is the other way round. Milosz is in alliance with Von Le Fort. Both of them do not entirely believe in human nature as the foundation for moral values. The Reason can not only be the final deciding principle.
I end with two quotes that serve as author's commentaries on French Revolution:
1. "You know that people had decided to reverence Reason alone! Ah! but Reason was betrayed as well as Faith!."
2. "O dear disciple of Rousseau! As always I admire your cheerful and noble faith in the indestructible nobility of human nature even when mankind is tasting most desolate failure."
For C. Milosz was trying to analyse the reasons behind the unimaginable horror surrounding the two World Wars, and the Russian and French Revolutions in his essays. His analysis was that man from the time of Renaissance and Reformation believed only in the nature of man and in his faculty (Reason). Man became the absolute deciding norm of moral values and he became the sole judge of his actions. In other words, the place that was due to Divine was taken over by man. That initiated the horror.
In this novel, Gertrud Von Le Fort speaks exclusively of the execution of the Carmelite nuns of Compiegne during the French Revolution. It was the time when the mob ran the show and conformity was obligatory. If anyone was not conforming to the New State he or she was executed mercilessly. In such a situation the religious order was seen as a threat for it showed its allegiance to someone else (God) and not to any man made ideas. The religious institutions were seen as 'prisons of religion' and belief in God was mocked at. Using the opportunity the Church institutions were confiscated and religious orders were dissolved with state law. To enter a convent was a crime. Those who had made vows were charged under some fabricated law suit for which the only punishment was to face the Guillotine.
Interestingly C. Milosz in one of his poems speaks of French Revolution as an act of "killing in the name of universal, beautiful ideas."
This novel is based on a true event - the execution of the Carmelite nuns of Compiegne who faced the Guillotine singing SALVE REGINA and VIENI CREATOR. But the author has introduced a fictional character in the figure of novice Blanche and through that character explores the inner spirit and struggle that went through the characters before facing the final moment of execution. It is here the author shows her skill in analyzing deep into the psychological depths of the characters. The questions of sacrifice for the nation, sacrifice for the faith, pure sacrifice (a sacrifice without any hope), and the mortal fear of death get special attention. The ending of the novel can inspire as well as shatter you.
In a simple sentence it is a story of simple, weak, mortal, fearful human being made strong by God.
In analyzing the French Revolution she is in alliance with C. Milosz. Or may be, it is the other way round. Milosz is in alliance with Von Le Fort. Both of them do not entirely believe in human nature as the foundation for moral values. The Reason can not only be the final deciding principle.
I end with two quotes that serve as author's commentaries on French Revolution:
1. "You know that people had decided to reverence Reason alone! Ah! but Reason was betrayed as well as Faith!."
2. "O dear disciple of Rousseau! As always I admire your cheerful and noble faith in the indestructible nobility of human nature even when mankind is tasting most desolate failure."
June 3, 2019
Story of the horrors of the 'enlightenment" and age of 'reason'. Began with the guillotine and continues today in abortion clinics worldwide. Nice read with some interesting and all-to-human characters.
April 13, 2020
Listened to this in one day! Sublime!
December 7, 2024
Questo romanzo scritto da Gertrud von le Fort [1876-1971] nel 1955, narra le vicende terrene di Bianca de la Force, nata in una nobile famiglia francese, che fin dalla prima infanzia svela una timidezza eccessiva che sembra impedirle di vivere con leggerezza e spensieratezza la sua vita interiore e di relazione; divenuta adolescente sceglie la via della clausura in un convento di suore carmelitane ma, pur ottemperando alle ristrettezze di questa vita di meditazione e interiorità, la sua indole e le sue titubanze, la sua irresolutezza, nel momento storico del Terrore, durante la Rivoluzione Francese, quando più funesta fu l’azione di Robespierre e del suo governo e più intensa la repressione e le condanne alla ghigliottina anche a carico degli ecclesiastici, questo porterà a divergenze tra la Madre Superiora che persevera a credere nella fede della giovinetta convinta che sacrificherebbe la propria vita per l’amore dell’Eterno e suor Maria, vice priora, che invece è dell’opinione di rimettere la ragazza alla vita secolare perché convinta della sua debolezza di spirito che farebbe il gioco dei rivoluzionari…. Racconto di intensa umanità, impreziosito da una scrittura semplice e delicata, intriso di una compunta religiosità.
July 17, 2012
“The Song at the Scaffold” by Gertrude von le Forte’s is one of the best novella’s…ever! Vivian Dudro, writer and editor at Igantius Press, engages in a wonderful conversation about the work of German author Gertrude von le Forte who was a writer of novels, poems, and essays. A convert to Catholicism in 1926, most of von le Forte work came after her conversion. In 1952 she won the Gottfried-Keller Prize, an esteemed Swiss literary award.
This book was the original inspiration for the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites written by Francis Poulenc, which premiered in 1957. The opera was based on a libretto with this same title written by Georges Bernanos.
Click here to listen to my discussion with Vivian Dudro of Ignatius Press about this book As Vivian points out in our discussion, von le Forte’s work is as relevant today as it was in the last century. In the course of our conversation, we discuss the influence of the Carmelite tradition and it’s influence on Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) and Bl. John Paul II, as well the role of redemptive suffering in the life of the Christian.
A novella in it’s truest sense, this book contains as much meaning as any tome made up 10x the pages. A NOT TO BE MISSED READ.
This book was the original inspiration for the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites written by Francis Poulenc, which premiered in 1957. The opera was based on a libretto with this same title written by Georges Bernanos.
Click here to listen to my discussion with Vivian Dudro of Ignatius Press about this book As Vivian points out in our discussion, von le Forte’s work is as relevant today as it was in the last century. In the course of our conversation, we discuss the influence of the Carmelite tradition and it’s influence on Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) and Bl. John Paul II, as well the role of redemptive suffering in the life of the Christian.
A novella in it’s truest sense, this book contains as much meaning as any tome made up 10x the pages. A NOT TO BE MISSED READ.
July 3, 2012
Attracted by the idea of a woman crippled by fear who learns to face the world with God. Stayed a bit too long in the emotional and not enough background. It is an interesting topic to mull over though..making a stand and eventually sacrifice for God even when offered an out as the character is in this one. I found the character hardly developed enough and probably would have made an excellent novel with about 200 more pages!
May 30, 2012
Pretty good the first time I read it, fantastic the second time!
March 25, 2021
Interesting and moving period in history. I’ve read about King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as well as different books describing the persecution of priests & them being forced to go underground in order to bring the sacraments to the faithful... many of which were martyred. So it was interesting to hear about this time period from the perspective of nuns. I never considered the crosses and persecutions they bore. Having said that, I feel like this short book was barely enough to scratch the surface and did not go into enough character & plot development. Though one cannot really expect such detail from a 90 page novelette? The author’s writing style is very “poetic”... many things (like the name given to the new novice and exactly when Blanche was martyred) are indirectly stated— leaving the reader to infer the author’s intention. The story, IMO, read more as a play than as a historical novel.
I could draw many parallels to the French Revolution and the chronic government overreach that happens in our own political time.
Good... but, 3 stars because I was just expecting MORE.
I could draw many parallels to the French Revolution and the chronic government overreach that happens in our own political time.
Good... but, 3 stars because I was just expecting MORE.
April 13, 2025
¿Es el sacrificio una idea impuesta por el cristianismo? Así me lo afirmaba una alumna esta semana. Una idea tanto más repugnante cuanto más nos empuja a ello la espiritualidad católica, a veces convertida en regla monástica:
La repugnancia se hace extrema cuando el peso del sacrificio recae no sobre amplias espaldas resistentes, sino sobre personas que encarnan "la infinita fragilidad de todas nuestras fuerzas". Este es el caso de nuestra protagonista, Blanca, mujer delicada "lanzada, por decirlo así, en forma prematura a la luz del mundo por el sobresalto de su madre, pareció no haber recibido otra dote que este mismo sobresalto".
Incapaz por nacimiento de sufrir otra cosa que su extenuada condición, Blanca sin embargo arrostra la valentía de seguir la llamada del amor, de querer entregar la vida. Entrega afectiva, pero incluso efectiva si llegase el caso, porque "nadie tiene amor más grande que el que da la vida por sus amigos" (Jn 15, 13). Su valentía será su propia debilidad:
Pero antes o después llega siempre el momento en que la gracia y la naturaleza se enfrentan. Y hay que elegir cuál de las dos seguir. Y tiembla uno, porque sabe que "Nos enseñaron que nadie que amara la forma de la gracia, tiene un final feliz."
¿Cómo entonces resolver la batalla? ¿Cómo vence la gracia a la naturaleza? La respuesta nos lleva a Getsemaní. Entonces los que estaban seguros de sí mismos huyen. Y, el que tenía ya su alma turbada, se deja apresar por la angustia, que parece superar a la divinidad, por el asco de vivir, que se decanta en espesas gotas de sudor de sangre:
Esta es la historia de la débil Blanca, de Blanca de la Force, de los "necios, débiles y despreciados por seguir a Cristo" (1Cor 4):
Este libro es, por otra parte, un hermoso cántico a la espiritualidad carmelitana:
«Mi querida amiga, en este punto debemos detenernos un momento para una breve consideración acerca de la disposición de ánimo del Carmelo; una disposición que a nosotros dos nos es sin duda poco familiar. Tal disposición está tan vinculada a la idea del sacrificio expiatorio, que la fe en la redención cristiana por la cruz, culmina precisamente aquí en el amor religioso al sufrimiento y la persecución [...] ¡Ay! En el fondo lo es también del cristianismo en general» (pp. 50-51).
La repugnancia se hace extrema cuando el peso del sacrificio recae no sobre amplias espaldas resistentes, sino sobre personas que encarnan "la infinita fragilidad de todas nuestras fuerzas". Este es el caso de nuestra protagonista, Blanca, mujer delicada "lanzada, por decirlo así, en forma prematura a la luz del mundo por el sobresalto de su madre, pareció no haber recibido otra dote que este mismo sobresalto".
Incapaz por nacimiento de sufrir otra cosa que su extenuada condición, Blanca sin embargo arrostra la valentía de seguir la llamada del amor, de querer entregar la vida. Entrega afectiva, pero incluso efectiva si llegase el caso, porque "nadie tiene amor más grande que el que da la vida por sus amigos" (Jn 15, 13). Su valentía será su propia debilidad:
«¿Es que el temor y el horror son necesaria y exclusivamente reprobables? ¿No subsiste la posibilidad de que sean — al menos en principio— algo más profundo que la valentía; algo más profundo que pertenezca muchísimo más a la realidad de las cosas, es decir, que esté en consonancia con los horrores del mundo y, por ende, sea mucho más propio de nuestra flaqueza que la valentía?».
Pero antes o después llega siempre el momento en que la gracia y la naturaleza se enfrentan. Y hay que elegir cuál de las dos seguir. Y tiembla uno, porque sabe que "Nos enseñaron que nadie que amara la forma de la gracia, tiene un final feliz."
¡Oh, Dios mío! ¿Puede ser cierto que Tú que elevas las virtudes naturales del hombre por encima de los límites de la naturaleza, te dignes también otorgar tal elevación a una de nuestras taras naturales? ¿Es tan inmensa tu bondad que desciendes para seguir a una pobre alma incapaz de vencer su debilidad, para concentrar tu amor precisamente en este punto?».
¿Cómo entonces resolver la batalla? ¿Cómo vence la gracia a la naturaleza? La respuesta nos lleva a Getsemaní. Entonces los que estaban seguros de sí mismos huyen. Y, el que tenía ya su alma turbada, se deja apresar por la angustia, que parece superar a la divinidad, por el asco de vivir, que se decanta en espesas gotas de sudor de sangre:
«He aconsejado a la pobre niña que persevere buscando la paz en la propia angustia de la que Dios de momento no parece tener intención de librarla». «Consuelo en la angustia», «Refugio en la angustia», «Abandono en la angustia», «Llevar la cruz de la angustia», «Permanecer fiel a la angustia» [...] «Tú quieres, ¡oh, Dios mío!, que te ofrezcamos un sacrificio sin esperanza, como no sea la de la impenetrabilidad de tus caminos». «Sacrificio sin esperanza», «sacrificio ya sólo para Dios», «sacrificio sin heroísmo».
Esta es la historia de la débil Blanca, de Blanca de la Force, de los "necios, débiles y despreciados por seguir a Cristo" (1Cor 4):
¡Esperaba usted la victoria de una heroína y ha asistido al milagro de la debilidad! Pero ¿no reside en ello justamente, una esperanza infinita?
Este libro es, por otra parte, un hermoso cántico a la espiritualidad carmelitana:
Usted sabe que tales actos de ofrenda de amor heroico en pro de otra persona, entran de lleno en la línea de conducta de la piedad carmelita.
Los miembros de esta orden, reputada de «oscurantista» por la severidad de sus penitencias, suelen poseer la alegría y la despreocupación propia de los niños.
Francia no se salvará por el celo de sus políticos, sino por la oración y el sacrificio de
almas que se ofrezcan en holocausto. ¡Ha sonado la gran hora del Carmelo!».
February 13, 2018
4 estrellas
Pequeña novela de gran belleza y profundidad. Gertrud von le Fort es un gran descubrimiento de las letras femeninas alemanas del pasado siglo.
Wilhelm Grenzmann la a calificado así: "Esta pequeña novela es una de las más artísticamente perfectas de la literatura alemana".
El elemento biográfico está también presente en esta obra. En 1930 -según una de las versiones-, Le Fort estuvo alojada en un convento donde le prestaron un libro para que se distrajera. Este contenía la historia de las carmelitas de Compiègne, condenadas a la guillotina en Grève en 1794, durante la Revolución Francesa. Dos años después de esta lectura aparecía La última del cadalso. Esta historia dará lugar también a la obra de teatro de Georges Bernanos Diálogo de carmelitas (1952). Sin embargo, en la versión de la escritora alemana, hay una mayor profundidad psicológica y religiosa.
Pequeña novela de gran belleza y profundidad. Gertrud von le Fort es un gran descubrimiento de las letras femeninas alemanas del pasado siglo.
Wilhelm Grenzmann la a calificado así: "Esta pequeña novela es una de las más artísticamente perfectas de la literatura alemana".
El elemento biográfico está también presente en esta obra. En 1930 -según una de las versiones-, Le Fort estuvo alojada en un convento donde le prestaron un libro para que se distrajera. Este contenía la historia de las carmelitas de Compiègne, condenadas a la guillotina en Grève en 1794, durante la Revolución Francesa. Dos años después de esta lectura aparecía La última del cadalso. Esta historia dará lugar también a la obra de teatro de Georges Bernanos Diálogo de carmelitas (1952). Sin embargo, en la versión de la escritora alemana, hay una mayor profundidad psicológica y religiosa.
March 6, 2011
A dense novella crammed with ironies because told by an unreliable narrator who relates a ture story from history but the focus of that true story is the fictional representation of an unstable neurotic. The author criticizes both extremes of the French Revolution, the blindness of the aristocrats and the blood-frenzy of the rabble. At the end the author invokes the reader's opinion to meditate on her ironies--whio is the true saint of the novella? It's the story of 16 nuns who were married to Madame Guillotine at the height of the terror, 12 days before the fall of Robbespierre. Days later the chemist Lavoisier, one of history's greatest scientists, was pointlessly executed.The theme of teh novella is the blindness of persecution.
September 24, 2024
Beautiful, short novel on the true story of 16 Carmelites martyred during the French Revolution.
The theme of fear, and how the main character is united to Christ through it, is a theological concept that I am baffled by and need to process at greater length…It left my mind perplexed and my heart touched!
A story and lesson worth pondering, and presents the question to the reader, ‘what cross are you being offered, and will you willingly share in that bitter chalice of suffering?’ It vividly shows the weakness of human nature and the power of the supernatural and redemption.
“So strongly do they believe in man’s power to save souls by sharing Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, that they fervently love to suffer and be persecuted.”
Veni Creator!
The theme of fear, and how the main character is united to Christ through it, is a theological concept that I am baffled by and need to process at greater length…It left my mind perplexed and my heart touched!
A story and lesson worth pondering, and presents the question to the reader, ‘what cross are you being offered, and will you willingly share in that bitter chalice of suffering?’ It vividly shows the weakness of human nature and the power of the supernatural and redemption.
“So strongly do they believe in man’s power to save souls by sharing Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, that they fervently love to suffer and be persecuted.”
Veni Creator!
April 25, 2014
What a beautiful little book with a truly remarkable final two chapters. I read this in preparation for Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites and am very glad I did.
September 28, 2021
This is a pretty fascinating book.
Some points:
Characters - I had a hard time figuring out whether the book was mainly about Blanche or Sister Marie. I thought their characters were interesting and well-written, that being said.
Plot - The book is set in the time of the French Revolution, so predictable ending, but nonetheless kept me on my toes, though mostly in the last half.
Writing - The first half I found to be slow, confusing, and hard to follow, but it picked up in the last half.
An interesting story that you'll enjoy if you'd like more details and history behind this time period!
3.75 stars because it's not quite a 3.5 and not quite 4 either...
Some points:
Characters - I had a hard time figuring out whether the book was mainly about Blanche or Sister Marie. I thought their characters were interesting and well-written, that being said.
Plot - The book is set in the time of the French Revolution, so predictable ending, but nonetheless kept me on my toes, though mostly in the last half.
Writing - The first half I found to be slow, confusing, and hard to follow, but it picked up in the last half.
An interesting story that you'll enjoy if you'd like more details and history behind this time period!
3.75 stars because it's not quite a 3.5 and not quite 4 either...
June 23, 2025
Libro interesante que nos acerca a los años de horror de la Revolución Francesa a través de la mirada de un convento de carmelitas y de su novicia Blanca de la Force. Ante una muerte cierta, consecuencia de la persecución religiosa de los revolucionarios, todas las monjas ofrecen sus vidas en "sacrificio expiatorio", pero la novicia Blanca de la Force muestra sus dudas al respecto.
La novela, en formato epistolar, es luminosa en cuanto a que nos acerca a la vivencia interior, de fe, de las monjas y a cómo se van preparando para su muerte, pero también es muy interesante ilustrando el ambiente de agitación social y persecución religiosa que vivía Francia. Y cómo el rey, para los contrarios a la Revolución Francesa, era el símbolo de resistencia nacional ante el caos.
Merece la pena leerlo y, además, es muy corto.
La novela, en formato epistolar, es luminosa en cuanto a que nos acerca a la vivencia interior, de fe, de las monjas y a cómo se van preparando para su muerte, pero también es muy interesante ilustrando el ambiente de agitación social y persecución religiosa que vivía Francia. Y cómo el rey, para los contrarios a la Revolución Francesa, era el símbolo de resistencia nacional ante el caos.
Merece la pena leerlo y, además, es muy corto.
May 23, 2025
very interesting piece! I was not expecting to cry at the end, but I really did! so beautiful and tragic, and lots of food for thought.
October 18, 2025
Estremecedor. Quiero leer mas de la autora. Por momentos sentí estar en el tumulto, frente a la guillotina..sin palabras.
February 4, 2025
The first time I read it, I did not enjoy it at all: I was really confused, felt no connection to the story or characters, but gave it 2 stars because I felt like there were quite a bit of very inspiring and thought provoking quotes in it.
HOWEVER, I reread it (because I needed to write an essay on it and found that I had no idea where to start) and boy, it was such a different experience. I think the biggest thing that caught my attention was how well plotted this story is. It is a relatively simple story told in a very complicated way via flashbacks and flash-forwards. It was so exciting and fun to see all the foreshadowing (if it can really be called that when the author explicitly tells you what the end is) that I missed the first time. However, this is the exact reason why I didn't really enjoy the book the first time. I was confused by all the jumping around and it really was difficult to me to understand what was going on. I think it would have been helpful to know the story pretty well before I went in.
This book is also really deep. The author shows through her characters (specifically Blanche and Marie) how one can have true faith and yet it is deeply flawed. It also discussed how our weaknesses, if viewed properly, are pathways to greater virtue. And it also showed that sometimes the hardest thing to give up is sacrifice (this idea really struck me). While there were certainly more thought provoking elements to the story, those were the ones that really stood out to me.
It was a great book! I definitely would recommend to plan on reading this book (at least) twice: once, to get the gist of the story, and a second to read it and enjoy it. (it's short enough that it wouldn't really take that long).
This book is definitely one I plan on returning to in the future.
5/5 stars. Being that it is about nuns getting martyred in the French Revolution it is not the cheeriest book so I'ld say 13/14+ in terms of content. :))
HOWEVER, I reread it (because I needed to write an essay on it and found that I had no idea where to start) and boy, it was such a different experience. I think the biggest thing that caught my attention was how well plotted this story is. It is a relatively simple story told in a very complicated way via flashbacks and flash-forwards. It was so exciting and fun to see all the foreshadowing (if it can really be called that when the author explicitly tells you what the end is) that I missed the first time. However, this is the exact reason why I didn't really enjoy the book the first time. I was confused by all the jumping around and it really was difficult to me to understand what was going on. I think it would have been helpful to know the story pretty well before I went in.
This book is also really deep. The author shows through her characters (specifically Blanche and Marie) how one can have true faith and yet it is deeply flawed. It also discussed how our weaknesses, if viewed properly, are pathways to greater virtue. And it also showed that sometimes the hardest thing to give up is sacrifice (this idea really struck me). While there were certainly more thought provoking elements to the story, those were the ones that really stood out to me.
It was a great book! I definitely would recommend to plan on reading this book (at least) twice: once, to get the gist of the story, and a second to read it and enjoy it. (it's short enough that it wouldn't really take that long).
This book is definitely one I plan on returning to in the future.
5/5 stars. Being that it is about nuns getting martyred in the French Revolution it is not the cheeriest book so I'ld say 13/14+ in terms of content. :))
May 27, 2011
A concise retelling of the historical martyrdom of Carmelite nuns during the Reign of Terror, this focuses on the fearful Blanche de la Force, and the two sisters who try to guide her spiritual path. It is a lovely and sometimes moving glimpse into the encounter between the spiritual and violent political upheaval, but the author takes too much license and adds too much melodrama to an already wrought situation. This may the one case where the opera (the superb Dialogues of the Carmelites) is more detailed, more nuanced, and more dramatic.
December 29, 2008
The story of 16 Carmelite nuns guillotined during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. Olga Marx's 1933 translation does not hold up well to the passage of time making the book less accessible to the modern reader. A fine, but one-sided, portrayal of the nuns' story, their motivation, and faith. Interesting use of a fictional character, the nun Blanche, to contrast the fear an average person would feel in this situation with the conviction and courage of these historical martyrs.
October 17, 2013
The Song at the Scaffold takes place during the Reign of Terror in 18th Century France. It is based on a true story of a convent of Carmelite nuns who accept martyrdom for God’s glory.
The character of Blanche had a very intense relationship with fear and appears to suffer from some form of mental illness. Her fate takes an interesting path.
The book explores human nature and is very well written.
Anyone with an interest in French history will enjoy this novel.
The character of Blanche had a very intense relationship with fear and appears to suffer from some form of mental illness. Her fate takes an interesting path.
The book explores human nature and is very well written.
Anyone with an interest in French history will enjoy this novel.
September 17, 2013
Overall, a very good, short book about the French Revolution. The author is very thoughtful and reflective - stimulating the reader to start thinking quite deeply. It shows how fear can be the greatest sort of courage. I know - it's a paradox. Yet, you will understand and most likely agree after this read.
July 16, 2012
I find the subject matter interesting, and the ironies of certain characters intriguing. However, I felt as though it only spoke of the injustices towards those it was about as if they were the only to suffer in that time. It was a light read and an interesting change of perspective. And yet, not something I'd passionately recommend.
May 21, 2015
I love the story behind this book, but the book itself fell a little flat. Perhaps because it is told from a point-of-view that is pretty detached from everything that is going on and also because the characters do not hold much personality. Still, I am even more intrigued in the Carmelite nuns who were the last victims of the French Revolution.
November 17, 2009
An interesting (and very brief) fictional account of a group of Carmelite nuns martyred during the French Revolution. Raises the curious concept of "holy fear" in light of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gesthemane.
September 28, 2012
I had a hard time with this book. I didn't really like the way it was written as a narative. The story itself of the nuns who were martryed during the French Revolution was a story worth hearing. I did not realize that there was so much religious persecution during the French Revolution.
September 9, 2014
A fictionalized account of the true story of Carmelite nuns martyred during the final days of the French revolution, this short novella, written as a letter, is the basis for Poulenc's opera, Dialogue of the Carmelites. It is well worth the read.
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March 3, 2016As I read the first chapter, I wasn't swept up in the story, and doubted that I would. However, everything changed after that and I did find myself swept away in the story of the Carmelite Sisters who were executed during the Reign of Terror.
February 7, 2021
Beautifully written novella, short enough to read in a single afternoon. Richly soul-stirring.
September 30, 2021
The central questions: Can fear come from God? and "Can one sacrifice sacrifice itself?" are wonderfully handled.
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