Joan of Arc

by Mark Twain

Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.

Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire.

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Literature, France, Religion

460 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why had I never heard of this book? I was an English major! I read lots and lots of lesser books in college and no one even breathed a hint that this book existed. Thankfully, I saw it on a friend's bookshelf, and decided to read it myself.

About this book, Twain said: "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none."

This is a beautiful piece of historical fiction, written as though it were a translation of the writings of a childhood friend of Joan, who goes on to become her scribe. It is very different from the other Twain that I have read; it is free of humor and of biting satire. The nearest I can say is that it is like a love song.

Twain's Joan is kind, gentle, true, patriotic, devout, humble, compassionate, courageous. Reading this book makes me want to meet her, and more, it makes me want to be like her.

[Alice Poon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was Mark Twain's last completed work which he considered to be the best of all his books. He claimed that he had spent twelve years in its research and two in writing. One of his key sources of research was Jules Quicherat's Proces de Condamnation et de Rehabilitation de Jeanne d'Arc

As a historical novel, this is one of those that let me learn a great deal about the historical background and the historical character(s) while keeping me emotionally engaged with the plot. It was not a fast read, but by the time I finished reading, I felt glad that I had picked up the book.

As already mentioned in numerous other reviews, Twain's deep fascination with and affection for Joan of Arc shines through the entire novel. It's been pointed out that in writing this book, the author made a deliberate departure from his well-known comedic style, as he wanted readers to take it seriously. Be that as it may, I find that his innate sense of humor is all too readily discernible.

Joan's story is without question a compelling and poignant one. The fact that an illiterate teenage French peasant girl was able to make such a stunning impact on late middle-ages history of France and England, more specifically on the outcome of the infamous Hundred Years' War, is reason enough for history lovers to read this important account of her humble and glorious life.

As with many historical novels set around this period in Europe, religion plays an important part in the factual details and plot twists. In the case of Joan of Arc's story, this passage can best describe how some French Catholic priests, in depraved conspiracy with the English nobility, have a hand in deciding her tragic fate:

The Church was being used as a blind, a disguise; and for a forcible reason: the Church was not only able to take the life of Joan of Arc, but to blight her influence and the valor-breeding inspiration of her name, whereas the English power could but kill her body; that would not diminish or destroy the influence of her name; it would magnify it and make it permanent. If the Church could be brought to take her life, or to proclaim her an idolater, a heretic, a witch, sent from Satan, not from Heaven, it was believed that the English supremacy could be at once reinstated."

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictional biography of Joan of Arc was Mark Twain's personal favorite of all his books and I can see why. It's quite historically accurate (he researched the book for 12 years) and paints a glorious portrait of the 15th century teen girl who was spiritually called to see her country out of the Hundred Years' War.

I expected to merely appreciate this one, as I feel about most of the classics I read for my Wishbone series, but I ended up absolutely falling in love with it. I can see why Twain thought it was his best. I haven't even read his whole catalogue and I have to agree. I doesn't fit in with any of this other books, but I think it's all the more special because of that.

This was one of my favorite fiction books of 2024!
Click here to hear more of my thoughts over on my Booktube channel, abookolive.

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none.’ ~Mark Twain

When an author speaks so glowingly about his achievement, it is with trepidation and care a reader proceed with a review. Twain’s novel, of the full-title, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by Sieur Louis de Conte published in 1896, is something he has a right to love and I enjoyed it very much.

First it is a novel—as opposed to a straight biography—albeit very extensively researched and with great attention to detail. It is told from the perspective of a fictional character, Louis de Conte, a childhood friend, and deeply devoted companion to Joan through her short life. De Conte’s late-in-life narrative of events which happened 60 years ago in his youth suffers no loss of passion for all the intervening time. De Conte loves Joan ... and does not bother to hide his feelings.

We are assured from the beginning by the Translator that De Conte is a reliable narrator and indeed his devotion to Joan, omnipresence, storytelling ability, and humorous interludes more than endear him as the spokesperson. If he seems to equate Joan’s physical beauty with her spiritual holiness, he can be forgiven as a man who has carried a torch for his unrequited love a lifetime. One just needs to remember the source.

The book is divided into three books: 1) the early days of youthful innocence spent in Domrémy which ended in Joan’s ‘call’; 2) Joan’s efforts to convince others of her Divine call to save France and her brave exploits in battle; and 3) finally her even more heroic solitary stand in court—deserted by all but her ‘Voices’ until she is tricked into signing a false confession and executed.

One thing, however, surprised me. And maybe it shouldn’t have, I don’t know. Twain was after all an American, and meaning no disrespect to my own countrymen as a whole, but are we especially well-versed in royal etiquette? Read on.

‘The King seemed to hesitate – in fact, did hesitate; for he put out his hand and then stopped with it there in the air over the crown, the fingers in the attitude of taking hold of it. But that was for only a moment – though a moment is a notable something when it stops the heartbeat of twenty thousand people and makes them catch their breath. Yes, only a moment; then he caught Joan’s eye, and she gave him a look with all the joy of her thankful great soul in it; then he smiled, and took the Crown of France in his hand, and right finely and right royally lifted it up and set it upon his head.’

Surely Twain knew of the Divine right of kings, that all sovereigns ruled by God’s mandate. The king and/or queen’s authority was/is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy, which is why the Bishop, Archbishop or occasionally even the Pope crowned the monarch as God’s representative. No medieval prince in his right mind would touch his crown before it was bestowed, much less put it on his/her own head. In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte shocked the world in crowning himself and departing from this ancient tradition. But this was still 1429. (If you would like to see an excellent depiction of the scene in the French film, Jeanne la Pucelle (Joan the maid/virgin) check this out.

Although a long book, Joan of Arc seemed to leave me wanting to know more about Joan rather than feeling satisfied. Still Twain has done her proud.

4.5 stars, the 1/2 star off for the royal faux pas.


Updated August 24, 2020 for corrections.

[Poet Gentleness · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Socrates

I don’t believe in saints. I don’t believe in angels. My trust in people has been shattered during the last years. I have serious issues with faith and god, because many times I have wondered what I could have possibly done so wrong to deserve certain things that have happened to me.
But I digress.

Jeanne D’Arc has always seemed to me an insane woman; a created legend, almost a fairy - or a distorted - tale.

How could a teenager, barely a woman, have won so many battles against powerful and knowledgeable English generals, in a few weeks, when they had dominated France for almost a century?

Also, I happened to know well almost all the paths where her battles happened, having even lived and studied in Reims, in 1991, and visited its cathedral.

I traveled up and down the LOIRE VALLEY three times, in comfortable cars, sleeping in posh hotels and enjoying the region's scrumptious meals and superb wines as I learned in bits and pieces of her campaigns and doubted the reality of it. It seemed an impossible feat.

I can recall vividly Chenounceau and Blois (among other castles) but what ever came to my mind when I thought about them was Henry II (of France), Diane de Poitiers and Caterine De’ Medice and their political treatises and wars. Nothing brought me overdue enlightenment of Jeanne’s story - legend (?).

It still baffles me that during the many times I studied in France and Switzerland not a single book or article on Jeanne’s story was brought forth for me to study, read and deepened my knowledge. I read Kafka, Ionesco, Becket, the Greek classics, the English classics, the French classics, et cetera, but nothing on Jeanne. In England, I could have believed it was done on purpose, but in France? It is also unbelievable that after all my years of traveling, living, studying abroad and being an avid reader, I'd never heard about this work by Mark Twain (probably because he is American.).

When I visited Tours, in 1992, with its enormous fortress, I was even more skeptical about Joan's sanity, yet I was fascinated by that monstrosity and its link with D'Arc (FYI: I abhor war, yet I have a weird (?) interest on why people want to dominate others). A pity my husband was not very interested in visiting it.

The years passed by and I didn't return to Jeanne D’Arc’s story again, until last year, when my youngest daughter, Giovanna, received The recollections as a Xmas gift from her History and Portuguese teachers. She was young for it, eleven y-old at that time, but as she had seen a film and had fell in love with Jeanne, she asked me to read it and tell her the story.
In my hectic and chaotic life, I forgot about it. Last month, I was diagnosed with a serious allergy to tablets' and computers' glare, so I had to go back to paperbacks. I stumbled upon it last week, many months after Giovanna received it.

The first shock came from knowing it was written by The Mark Twain.
I must confess to my undying shame: I had never read anything by Twain. But perhaps, that was for the best, because in Twain’s words, his other novels have no comparison to this, (and I might have been disappointed if I had head Tom Sayer or Huckleberry stories before). Well, I will never know, but disappointment has never crossed my mind while reading 'Recollections'. Much on the opposite.

In his autobiography, Twain says that "Recollections" is, without a doubt, his best work, and yet, the readers - and critics - shunned it.
He conducted a long and deep research on Jeanne’s life. He poured in this book all his passion for an incredible, un (?)-believable child-teenager-woman, an old and faithful spirit trapped inside such a delicate and courageous child, who, since she was thirteen years old, knew she was destiny to fulfill a powerful order, even if it lead to her death, (that knowledge was spared to her last moment, because she had unwavering belief in what her “Voices” told her: her place in paradise was guaranteed).

This books is powerful - and painful, sad even. It is not fast-paced, but it details and recounts battles, victories, defeats and utmost betrayal; her sadness of being not believed, her ultimate demise in a poignant and brilliant style.

It is one of the finest books I have ever read. Its perfect romanticized and well-researched retelling of Jeanne’s story touched deep inside my unbelieving heart and broken spirit, making me even doubt my so ingrained disbeliefs. It’s long, slow paced, retold in a beautiful baroque victorian style, respecting the seriousness of the history, but it grabbed me from the beginning.

I couldn't put it down and I read it in two seatings (life demanded a break to attend to my family and daily problems).
I cried over many parts - silly parts, you may say, but endearing ones - I was enthralled with the delicate and yet determined will of a "peasant" girl, and her naïve friends - I don’t like those adjectives, every human being has their talents, hidden or not. They don’t need a master’s or PhD to prove their worth. Arrogance and self-awareness only bring pain and hurt others. Jeanned defied (?) nobles, generals, kings, powerful armies with humbleness and simplicity.

Her ethos was incorruptible and her purposes to be the servant of something bigger - god, visions, voices, her own insanity (?) - would set France free of the gruesome English claws. She stayed an unwavering believer throughout all the hardship of a gruesome war and imaginable torture to come, never once faltering. NEVER ONCE, she failed to believe her mission, as for her god and/or his emissaries were her master and guides, whose orders she obeyed, in blind (?) faith and pure-hearted.

I knew how Joan of Arc's life ended, and I began to fear how Twain's prose would address the horror of La Pucelle's demise. But I shouldn't have.
Twain handled it masterfully, of course, by addressing the feelings of her only two remaining young friends, who followed her, still harboring hope that those she dedicated her whole short life would, at that last moment, save her.
But royal politics, intrigues, and a coward minister, in fear of being surpassed by that intelligent and pure girl, got in the way. All the two friends could offer her was a small comfort in her last moments, due to strict and mean position of a greed man of cloth mean, sadist, and only interested only in achieving more power to himself, which he thankfully was never granted.

In the end, all said and done, Joan's story again proved to me: we are born alone, we live alone and we died alone. Often times, even if surrounded by ‘so-called-friends’ or ‘families’, our most trustworthy company is ourselves. If we still have faith in ourselves, we can't be undermined by psychological and physical torture.

What touched me in the deepest way was the inevitable web that held her trapped, spun around her by those who were supposed to be her friends, and then deserting her, even those she put her trust on, even the king she returned to his throne and how almost everyone stood aloofly, selfishly expecting her to pay dearly with her life for what she had done for their and her country's benefits. She could have stayed in her small country city, enjoying the simple pleasures of being a happy teenager in the cusp of womanhood, stitching and helping her mother. The ones who benefited from her unselfishly dedication, turned their back on her; they condemned her to a gruesome death - led her to it. And yet, she died with a prayer on her lips for her king, her betrayers and a firm conviction that her soul was going to be saved.
Such was her devotion that a few of her English enemies took pity on her.



Before I finish, I must quote a passage that has been haunting me for a few nights after a recently calamity befell me.

Of course I had been expecting such news every day for many days; but no matter, the shock of it almost took my breath away and set me trembling like a leaf. I suppose that without knowing it I had been half imagining that at the last moment something would happen, something that would stop this fatal trial: maybe that La Hire would burst in at the gates with his hellions at his back; maybe that God would have pity and stretch forth His mighty hand. But now—now there was no hope.

Monsier Louis Le Conte, in the ‘Recolection’, by Mark Twain.

My image of Jeanne is now this:


Mine is an inept review of this outstanding workmanship. It's brilliant, masterfully written, sad, real… Read it.

Rio de Janeiro, July 2014.

P.S. - After writing my review, I was still surprised and motivated to continue researching Joan of Arc Mark Twain's passion. I came across this interesting article. link: http://www.theawl.com/2012/04/the-riddle-of-mark-twains-passion-for-joan-of-arc. It's worth reading!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain 3.5 stars

I have never deemed myself a fan of Mark Twain, but I understand that this work is quite a departure for him. I enjoyed this book for the mere fact that I did not really know anything about Joan of Arc. I found the story intriguing and even touching at times. It was a slow start for me and I wasn’t sure I could get through it at first, but then it picked up in Part II. The narrative was extremely detailed but some of Twain’s humor and great dialogue had me laughing here and there.

I chuckled out loud when Noel and Louis were discussing how Joan had the gift of the “seeing eye” in which she was always able to perceive a man’s character even though outwardly he presented a different image. When asked who she had sent for to take charge of all the new recruits for the army, who were described as “unspeakable hellions, every one”…Louis said,
“Why, she has sent for Satan himself—that is to say, La Hire---that military hurricane, that godless swashbuckler, that lurid conflagration of blasphemy, that Vesuvius of profanity, forever in eruption. Does he know how to deal with that mob of roaring devils? Better than any man that lives; for he is the head devil of this world his own self, he is the match of the whole of them combined, and probably the father of most of them.”

Twain was mesmerized by his heroine. It is obvious throughout the book that he loved Joan and this narrative was his tribute to her life. It was almost like a love letter in some instances with the language he used to describe her virtues and presence. I was taken in as well by her story of unflagging belief, compassion, confidence and courage in the achievement of her spiritual mission. She was an archetype of Christ and other spiritual leaders who were martyred for their cause.

In some of my research about this book, I came across a story about Mark Twain’s passion for Joan of Arc. In a recent article by Daniel Crown dated April 3, 2012, he writes:

"The book has puzzled critics for over a century. Susan K. Harris, a Twain expert who teaches at the University of Kansas, helped produce the novel’s 1996 Oxford University Press edition. As she pointed out to me, “By the time he's writing Recollections, he's not a believer. He is anti-Catholic, and he doesn’t like the French. So he writes a book about a French-Catholic-martyr? Ostensibly, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Logical or not, Twain's passion for Joan of Arc was longstanding, and his public praise of her lavish. Writing in a 1904 Harper’s essay, he referred to her as “by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” In the same piece, he christened her “The Miracle Child” and “The Wonder of the Ages.”


"On a December night in 1905, the New York City chapter of the Society of Illustrators managed to do something many thought impossible. With one calculated stroke they left Mark Twain, author and noted quipster, speechless.

The writer had just risen to address the group. As he began to speak, a girl emerged from the back of the room. Her hair was cropped just below her ears; her face was angular but radiant. Underneath a ceremonial white robe, she wore the armor of a 15th-century French soldier. With eyes fixed on the author, she glided up the aisle between the tables carrying a laurel wreath atop a satin pillow. A reporter from The New York Times in attendance that night later wrote that the “company smile” Twain had exhibited for most of the ceremony faded. By the time the girl reached his table, “Twain had every appearance of a man who had seen a ghost. His eyes fairly started out of his head, his hand gripped the edge of the table.” She presented the author with the wreath, and he accepted it wordlessly. He remained silent until the model exited the room. As the seconds ticked away, Twain’s audience anxiously awaited his response.

When the writer finally spoke, he did so slowly, carefully.
“Now there's an illustration, gentlemen — a real illustration. I studied that girl, Joan of Arc, for twelve years, and it never seemed to me that the artists and the writers gave us a true picture of her. They drew a picture of a peasant. Her dress was that of a peasant. But they always missed the face — the divine soul, the pure character, the supreme woman, the wonderful girl. She was only 18 years old, but put into a breast like hers a heart like hers and I think, gentlemen, you would have a girl — like that."

I am glad I had the opportunity of “meeting” Joan of Arc through the lens of Mr. Twain. Contrasted with the treachery and evil of her time, she was an amazing young woman who embodied all that is good about humanity. It was a privilege to have known her and feel of her spirit through the eyes of Sieur Louis de Conte aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am extremely glad I read this book, but I can give it no more than three stars. I will explain, in the hope that other prospective readers can accurately determine if this book will fit the bill for them.

Are you curious about the history of Joan of Arc? Are you interested in an accurate and detailed exposition? In such a case this book is for you. Although a book of historical fiction, it is accurate and detailed and well researched. Mark Twain considered this his best opus. I think I would agree. This book is the retelling of Joan’s experiences by Sieur Louis de Conte, aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens, her childhood playmate. This friend was there too, throughout all the events: battles, incarceration and court proceedings. What is fictional are his personal thoughts about Joan and his musings over the historical happenings. These thoughts are based on Twain’s twelve years of thorough research. He clearly admired Joan; this shines through. I am convinced I have been given a correct recount. You will learn about the Hundred Years’ War, about the political intrigues, religious and mystical beliefs prevalent of the times. To enjoy this book you must be interested and curious about history! It is a book about history. It is a book about the politics and machinations of the English and the French the plebeians and the Burgundians; it is a book about the controversy over religious beliefs. The setting is primarily northern France, and the time is the 1420s and 30s. It culminates with Joan’s famed burning at the stake in Rouen. When you close the covers of the book, you will understand in detail what has happened. I promise you that.

However the prose, the philosophical musings of Louis de Conte are repetitive and tedious. The language fits those times, not ours. The book was first published in 1896, and the language is of those times. It is also hard to empathize with the characters. The detailed events make the story long and yet still only at the very, very end was I emotionally moved, exasperated by what happened to her. Only at the very end was I mad and furious and frustrated and felt like punching someone. Mark Twain was not a Catholic, and I am not even religious, so it is hard for me to believe in prophesies and religious incarnations. I was up against a wall; I could not believe; I just listened. Aha, that prophesy came true too! I read of it and thought it must have been so, but I cannot understand because I am not a believer. I just put it down to history and say that again real history is stranger than fiction.

I would not recommend this book to those of you who want a good story where you “feel” for the protagonists, where the emotional connection is more important than the history. If you prefer a book of historical fiction that is more fictional than factual, then perhaps choose other books. See alternatives below.

Let me add, the book is not devoid of humor. Although dated, some of the lines of the dialog will surely have you laughing.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Michael Anthony. He well captured Joan’s sentiments and vocal intonations, but his pronunciation of French phrases and cities and complete sentences was deplorable. Even the pronunciation of the city of Rouen was off. Please, if a book takes place in France, the French must be correct. Michael should have taken a course on French pronunciation!

I am very glad I read the book because I now understand the history of Joan of Arc. I prefer fact over fiction, but the passage was tedious. It is also fun to have read Twain’s own favorite book! But it is nice that it is over. Deed accomplished :0) !!!

******************

*Joan of Arc by Mark Twain 3 stars
*Joan of Arc: A History by Helen Castor
*An Army of Angels: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Pamela Marcantel 2 stars
*The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Kimberly Cutter

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 years of research and 2 years of writing is what it took Mark Twain to write this book, and I truly feel this is pretty much an master piece. Yet it's not of the more known classics. It's written witch such a talent and the story is very digestible and addiction. Read it in one go. You know how it going to end yet its pack a punch anywho. Very eager to read more of Mark Twain book now.

[♡ layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

joan was only 19 when she was burned at the stake, my girl should have been at the club!!

[Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Com Joana d'Arc, o amor à pátria era mais do que um sentimento; era uma paixão. Ela foi a essência do patriotismo - foi o patriotismo encarnado, concretizado, ..."

Ainda que Twain não tenha poupado na romantização da história de vida da Joana d'Arc, esta continua a ser uma das mais bonitas que a história nos deixou. Deixo as crenças religiosas ao cuidado de cada um; por loucura ou por milagre, Joana inspirou e levou um exército desmoralizado para o campo de batalha e foi o contributo decisivo para a derrota dos ingleses após quase cem anos de ocupação e guerra.
Teve um triste fim pela mão da Igreja em quem tanto cria. O reconhecimento pelo erro veio tarde demais, não a poupou das chamas mas fez dela uma figura icónica que os franceses continuam a homenagear.

[Théo d'Or]

I had always wanted to tell Mark Twain how much I had enjoyed " Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn". But I still can't understand how Joan of Arc conquered him.
How can a man twist his beliefs at once ? When is He himself, and when he's not ? Otherwise, a very good introspection.

[Gregory Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Americans, we are required to consider "Huckleberry Finn" to be Twain's best work. It's the book in which Twain confronts racism and first proclaims that a white boy can have a black, escaped slave as a father figure. Twain confronted much of his America's foolishness in the raft trip down the river.

He also at the end provided an easy answer: Jim was not an escaped slave after all, he'd been freed. Tom Sawyer could fix things without telling this. Perhaps one shouldn't criticize Twain for loving a character based on himself, much less for writing his own vision. Huck was brave enough to decide that he would aid Jim in escape. Twain delivered that decision without consequences.

His "Joan of Arc" cannot be so delivered. He had a history book to follow. With no such option, twain focused on the humanity behind the story -- a humanity he so often despised. He begins with a story about the destruction of fairies by the adults of the village. He is already symbolically foreshadowing the tragedy of Joan's life. For doing what is right, for daring to be great, she must be destroyed.

Twain wrote this story to criticize humanity at its worst. At the same time, he allows us through his narrator to love humanity at its best. He decries ignorance through his writing, as he always does.

You have almost certainly read Huckleberry Finn, and perhaps Tom Sawyer. If you want to find out why Twain was truly great, look at some of his other novels and stories, and especially "Joan of Arc."

[Fonch · Rating 4 out of 5]

dedicated with affection to the members of the Catholic Book Club.
Ladies and gentlemen it is very difficult for me to say anything new about this subject, when I have already written two reviews of dedicated books by Joan of Arc. I guess, what I must say is that I didn't have much faith in this book. In fact, although this book has been published in Word, or in Homolegens I had many doubts, because it was not very affectionate of Mark Twain https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... personally try to read both"The Prince and the Pauper" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... and"A Conneticut Yankee in the Court of King Arthur" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and I could never get past the first pages. The author had a black-and-legal vision, and although many had praised me for this novel. Among them my admired Joseph Pearce https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (that as I have told my friend Professor . https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Quite possibly his next book is about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ) and when it was proposed by the Catholic Book Club I had my doubts, and my preventions, and I must say that the beginning was not very promising. Especially when the narrator Louis Couthes starts to say that Joan of Arc is the best of a dark time. I already feared the worst, but as they say not always the worst is true. In my life I have been more wrong about a book.
One issue being discussed at the Catholic Book Club https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... is whether Mark Twain was like Ingersoll https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or Mencken https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... at the moment it is coming out that he was very critical of organized religions, but that he was not an atheist. He did something good, such as defending Chinese immigrants, who suffered racism in nineteenth-century America. I don't know who I told this novel to. I think, that it was Vladimiro not only existed, but it was the favorite of the author. Which is a very good sign. It is very likely that Mark Twain, was a great fan of Joan of Arc, but that he did not commune with his religiosity, and that what he liked was the historical character, but although Mark Twain does not manage to write the best novel about Joan of Arc (to see when someone listens to me). That honor belongs to Pamela Marcantel An Army of Angels: A Novel of Joan of Arc Pamela Marcantel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...#, but Mark Twain does not come out badly from this duel. It can be considered that of all the books I have read about Joan of Arc is the second best. I have yet to read Louis de Wohl's novelJoan of Arc. The soldier girl" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... but I think, she will not be able to overcome either pamela Marcantel's novel or Mark Twain's. Partly for duration, Louis de Wohl's novel does not reach three hundred pages, and more depth is needed to analyze this complex character. Something, yes, that both Pamela Marcantel and Mark Twain have done. However, let there be no doubt about anyone, and that is that Louis de Wohl would do a great job. In any case, the work of Louis de Wohl should not be seen separately, or separated from his other works. De Whol must be judged by all his work. Louis de Wohl is one of the greatest writers in history for having tried to novelize the history of Catholicism in his novels, and having done so well. However, his novel dedicated to Joan of Arc I do not think could compete with that of two giants like Mark Twain, and that of Pamela Marcantel (which is practically the only book he has written).
Even though the beginning did not ensothes me. I think, that the great virtue of Mark Twain's novel is unlike previous works both for and against is its fidelity to historical facts. Mark Twain himself must have been stabbed with the black legend against the saint. Legend imposed by William Shakespeare https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and Voltaire https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... above all, and then continued by Anatole France https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... The case of George Bernard Shaw and his"St. Joan" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... is very different is not attacked the character, but is used to harm the Church, and demonstrate the inconsequence of the Catholic Church. Shaw's prologue discusses the earlier works including this one, and Lang's, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...# and I agree with Shaw that the only reproach that can be made to Twain is the one reproached by George Bernard Shaw, and that is the failure to understand time, nor the historical context of Joan of Arc. However, despite this flaw Twain writes a much better book than Shaw's, which could certainly have been judged by his criteria. He not only did not understand the Middle Ages, but because of his prejudices the role of the Catholic Church. The first thing geoprge Bernard Shaw tries to do is to exculpate England of having murdered Joan of Arc, the second thing he does is that, despite the manifest irregularities of the process, that in this criticism we will see try to prove that Joan of Arc was a heretic, and that Cauchon, and the court did well to condemn her. It's as if someone told me that the process to our savior was just. The cause could be, but the trial of Jesus was full of irregularities, despite Kelsen justifying it because according to him https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Pilate very democratically held a plebiscite, and the people voted his death. Not always what the majorities want is fair, as Juan Manuel de Prada has often refuted https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., who is the one who tells Kelsen's anecdote. Returning to Shaw according to him, we had to compare Joan of Arc with Jan Hus, and consider her a danger to the Church, because their voices would be above the Pope. The only thing he has in common with Hus https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... is nationalism. In this case Hus's is a case of xenophobia, and of rejection of foreigners, especially the Germans, while Joan of Arc wants to expel the English from France. Justice is legitimately on France's side, and not because it won the Hundred Years' War, but because due to Salic law women and their descendants could not ascend the throne. Therefore, Edward III and his successors had no right to the throne. Just as Isabella Clare Eugenie could not be queen of France, even if she was more dignified than Henry IV, and of less dubious faith. That is why we came to the conclusion that Joan of Arc's struggle is legitimate, because Henry VI has no right to the throne, even if his father's arms and efforts allowed him to. Unlike Jan Hus, Joan's voices were only referred to throwing out the English, and nothing else. I never challenge the Church as Jan Hus did, nor do I try to manipulate the Bible. Not to mention that Joan recognized the legitimate Pope Martin V, and accepted the Council of Basel, so he is innocent, and Hus although he was burned in a treacherous way, and treasonously he was. So Shaw's argument is false, even if some Catholics believe it like Paul Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... that is why it is so important to answer these fallacies, because they are dangerous.
Returning to Mark Twain very possibly to him, it is part of the success of ending the black legend, which suffered this saint, and very possibly influenced with this book in his canonization. That one of the authors of the United States took the sides of Joan of Arc tipped the scales in his favor. Unlike Schiller who tried to refute the black legend, but unfortunately, and that is what can make many dislike his drama https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... The problem is that he either did not consult the minutes of the trial to Joan of Arc, or followed the stories of William Shakespeare, and Voltaire (that although they sell us Voltaire as a Frenchman he is not. The Enlightenment and its anti-Catholicism come from England, and it is an English import to France, as Montesquieu proves https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...) hence the opinions of Voltaire, and the French Enlightenment are so unoriginal, since they drink from the legitimizer of the coup d'état of the misnamed Gloriosa, should be called the shameful usurpation of 1688 of William to the legitimate King James II. From there he drinks everything, and what brought these enlightened to power was the denunciation of the Jesuits who discovered the infidelities of Louis XV with the Pompadour (this was told by Ramiro de Maeztu https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ) . That is why the destiny of the Jesuits was predestined in advance, and that of the Church as well. That is why in his prejudices Voltaire was so unoriginal. Voltaire's only original thing was to invent Joan of Arc's romance with the Bastard of Orleans, which was not in William Shakespeare's Henry VI https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (despite his nationalism the Tudors had to be legitimized, and to England Shakespeare prophesied the sanctity of Joan of Arc at least for the French), and this is imitated as a faithful dog by Anatole France particularly in his novel about Joan of Arc, and in"The Gods will have blood " https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... Schiller's problem is that although he tries to give a positive image of Joan of Arc he commits two serious sins for historians to be too faithful to Voltaire, and to Shakespeare, and not to history. So it ends up falsifying history. If it were a fictional story it would be a good story, but we are talking about a real character, and that penalizes him. In the case of Mark Twain I think, the best thing about the book is how faithful the author is to the story, showing Schiller, that you can leave a character well without falsifying the story, or avoiding bitter drinks. The good thing about this novel is that we see it from the point of view of her childhood friends. By the way, I do not think it is by chance that Twain connects his book with the year 1492, which for Europeans was the beginning of the modern age in discussion with the year 1453 for the end of the Hundred Years' War, and the fall of Constantinople. However, the fact that it is the year in which Columbus discovers America (eye for the Woke, and the Hispanic discover does not mean arriving, but first returning, making known that you have arrived, and making those unknown lands enter history. This something that neither Phoenicians, nor Greeks, Romans, Irish, Vikings, nor Chinese got, who very possibly will arrive with us the Spaniards but only with the arrival of the three ships did America emerge from its isolation, and join the world dynamics, and it is not a dishonorable fact, nor was it accompanied by a genocide as some maintain). This date is no coincidence, since Twain wants to link the figure of Joan of Arc with the advent of America in the world, and also to be noticed by him. As has already been said, the narrator was Minguet, who in Pamela Marcantel's novel was not Joan of Arc's squire, but her page, and he was a child. In fact we see through her eyes what Juana was like. The apocryphal, and not historical, episodes give it charm, such as Joan's defense of the fairy tree before the priest. It gives the feeling of being a precocious girl, and a feminine, childish version of Socrates https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... of Juana's companions, perhaps the funniest, perhaps it is the Paladin, although it sounds to me that it was not he with whom he went to lawsuit (the lawsuit was real), perhaps one of the passages that I liked the paladin the most was when he adorned the moment when Juana discovers the King, embellishing history, and exaggerating their participation in it. In fact, this character is a poet. The presence of the inhabitants of Domremy, and their interaction with the historical characters does not harm the story. The voices are very well done, although it does not reach the genius of Pamela Mercantel, which allows the viewer to know what St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret are saying to Joan of Arc. Nor is it very credible that Couthes perceives the glow. Without being wrong some parts could have expanded like the events of Vaucolears, or the siege of Orleans, as Joan tries to parlament with the English, and offers her the possibility of surrendering, and they take the herald prisoner, and try to burn him. This if she appears in Christian Duguy's film with my beloved Leelee Sobieski who is one of my favorite actresses, and is also told in Pamela Marcantel's novel. Nor is it counted as prophesying the death of Lord Salisbury which, if it appears in the plays of Schiller, and Shaw. Tremouille, and the Archbishop of Reims, are very well described, and how they seek that the King remain inactive, because then he can get more money from him. An advantage that Twain has over Pamela Marcantel's novel is that the character of Yolanda of Aragon comes out better here than in Marcantel's novel, and Luc Besson's horrendous film (this character was played by Faye Dunaway). It is not credible to march to Chinon, that there are so many, when there were so few. Some character like Pasquerel should have had more of a role. On the other hand, Juana's interactions with the military chiefs Alençon, the bastard of Orleans, Poton Xantraille, and especially La Hire, which is very well done, are very well done. I also like how he finds the sword, and the character of Charles VII is very well characterized. Maybe I miss the Duke of Bedford not coming out. The Loire campaign attempting to reach Reims with the battles of Jargueau, Patay, and Meung is very well described. Also the duplicity of King Charles VII capable of the most generous gestures, and of sacrificing for interest his most faithful servants. Charles VII is the prototype of the monarch that will later be celebrated in the Renaissance, and his son will imitate him skillfully. The paradoxical thing is that the son of Philip II Duke of Burgundy the enemy of Joan of Arc (Charles the Temeraire) is the last medieval monarch, and it is going to be replaced by people like Charles VII, Louis XI, Maximilian I, Matthias Corvinus, or our Ferdinand II of Aragon, who are going to be the model of inspiration, or more than the model that that is going to be Caesar Borgia, the one that best suits the "Prince" of Machiavelli https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Chalon Fogarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I would give more than 5 stars if I could - I am incredibly saddened that this book has ended and am excited to return to it again soon. Mark Twain (a staunch atheist) paints a story of a Saint with the utmost virtue and devotion to the Lord, one of the few books that you can feel grace itself bleeding from every page and enflaming your heart as you truly encounter a Saint within. Joan of Arc is truly one of the greatest to ever live and is one that our modern Church should fly to so much more often in times of trouble!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 12 years of research, the famous Mark Twain beautifully set down the story of Joan of Arc in a way that only a master storyteller could. What an amazing young woman she was! She was soft and humble as only a young person could be, and yet she had the courage and strength of a lioness.

She could lead a charge into combat and then, after winning, comfort a dying enemy in her arms. That was the kind of woman that she was. Despite being called to a "man's work," she kept her femininity ever present encouraging her soldiers to piety, showing compassion to those she battled, and always guarding her virtue. She listened to the voice of the Spirit and looked at others with what Twain called the "Seeing Eye." "[T]he common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and the soul, finding there capacities which the outside didn't indicate or promise, and which the other kind of eye couldn't detect."

What a great example on how to look at others. This gift of discernment is so important and something that we should work to develop. Joan reminds me of Marina in Shakespeare's Pericles. Both Joan and Marina could see past the outside (past the bad behaviors) and see the potential. And others always rise to the occasion when someone has faith in them.

What if we always looked at our family members with the Seeing Eye? It would create such a change in our relationships. Rather than being annoyed with the kids' squabbles or irritated by a spouse's forgetfulness, we would champion those we love. We would cheer and uplift them and help them see their true identity--the person that they have always been and the person that they are meant to become.

What if we could look at ourselves with the Seeing Eye? There would no more comparing the worst of ourselves to the best of others. No more worrying about weight or intelligence or coolness. Experiencing the quiet strength and security that comes from understanding our true nature and identity would allow us to go forth creating a better world through service and compassion.

When the 19-year-old Joan of Arc was tried by the Church court for heresy, she courageously resisted all the snares set for her by the priests and lawyers. Despite digging into her past hoping to find proof with which to accuse her, they were daunted at every turn by her spotless reputation. Recognizing that they would need to deal treacherously with her, they sent a disguised priest, Nicolas Loyseleur, into Joan’s cell. He claimed to be her supporter and being a priest, he offered to officiate for her in the Sacrament of Penance. Having been denied the rites of the Church for so long, she eagerly poured her soul out to him in sacred confession, not realizing that the confidentiality she expected from the clergy had been breached. Her accusers listened in on every detail. Twice during her trials, Loyseleur thus dealt falsely with Joan. Later, when they could not get Joan to admit to the crimes of heresy, Loyseleur was one of the churchmen to vote for using torture to exact an admission of guilt.

After the illegal series of trials concluded, Joan was finally sentenced to die. On the day of her punishment, she came forth to bravely confront death. Loyseleur frantically raced through the crowd and threw himself on his knees crying for her forgiveness. Twain wrote, “And Joan forgave him; forgave him out of a heart that knew nothing but forgiveness, nothing but compassion, nothing but pity for all that suffer, let their offence be what it might. And she had no word of reproach for this poor wretch who had wrought day and night with deceits and treacheries and hypocrisies to betray her to her death.”

Joan of Arc is one of my heroes. She listened with spiritual ears, she saw with spiritual eyes, and she acted with spiritual strength. All young women should read this book as an example of the strength of femininity. In valiantly doing what she was called to do, she became a shining example of womanhood, charity and love.

[Katrina Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best of Mark Twain's works that I have read so far. He claims that Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc is the best of all his novels, and I think I might agree with him (I'd have to read all his novels, of course). Believe me, it's amazing.

His is the kind of prose that makes your heart beat a little faster. The way he strings words together is powerful and beautiful and AAAAAAHHHH. I just love his style so, so, so much. <3 <3 <3

All his characters blew me away, especially Joan. I worried I wouldn't like her, but even though she was pretty much perfect, she was still extremely likeable and felt so real to me. At the same time, I was in awe of her. I mean... there's no way not to be in awe of her - especially not in this book.

I don't know how Twain did it, but it's brilliant.

Another thing I worried about was that the side characters would be bland or even virtually nonexistent. NOT SO, MY FRIEND. The narrator, the Paladin (loved the Paladin <333), Noel, La Hire, Catherine Boucher... They all popped off the page.

It was just really good. You should read it. *finger guns*

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan of Arc, called of God at the age of thirteen to save France in the 100 Year War against the English. At the age of seventeen she asked to have her own men at war and be sent to the king, or the Dauphin. She was denied the first time she asked and she then went a second time and she received the help of two knights. She was sent before the king and she gave him a sign, yet she was still sent before a jury of judges and priests to perceive if she was sane or a heretic. She passes with flying colors. The king named her Commander in Chief and sent her to battle the English. In the space of only three months she made more progress than the French had in 96 years. She was wounded in two of the battles, yet was stalwart until the end. She was captured by the English in May of 1430 and was imprisoned until May of 1431, at which time she faced five trials to determine if she was a witch. She received no aid from the French, faced the trials on her own and yet she was tricked into signing a paper which she knew nothing of what was written upon it. In the end Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, innocent as she was. She was later retried and proven innocent 24 years later, she is now revered as a saint in the Catholic church. She is a Woman of God, pure and innocent. This is a must read.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many people are unaware that Mark Twain wrote about Joan of Arc, yet this is one of the most thoughtful and charming of books, part historical novel and part loving biography. I join many others at goodreads in recommending this book as an outstanding read and a wonderful introduction to a fascinating period of history.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free on The Gutenberg Project website-(Broken down in two E-books Book I, and Book II & III together)

IMO this is Twain's best work. Absolutely brilliant and awe inspiring.

It is my understanding that he researched for 12 years, compiling the written personal accounts from Joan's squire/page/secretary and childhood friend (all the same person), as well as historical documents from her inquisition trial, and Rehabilitation review 25 years after her death by the Pope, to create this piece. He also felt it necessary to get both the French and English versions in hope to be fair and accurate as possible.

When I researched how historically accurate this is, most critics seem to agree that it is very accurate, but also embellished with some non fiction (possibly).

Twain was an atheist and did not like the Catholic church (and he must have really hated them even more after his findings) but he was 61 and this being his last book (if I'm not mistaken) it is my observation that he may have realized that church politics and religion have nothing to do with faith.

The work is broken down into three parts, each depicting a different segment of the Saints life. Needless to say, the last book which contained her trials and death were emotionally difficult to get through due to knowing it's tragic ending.

Ah! To have only a sliver of Joan d'Arc's compassion, devotion, strength and wisdom....

I highly recommend to put this one on your bucket list of reads.

[Michael Perkins]

a DNF for me and I'm otherwise a big fan of Twain's writing. This book is radically different from his other books. The style was way too bizarre for my taste. The people I know who like it tend to be conservative Roman Catholics.

[Shi2chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'd prefer reading a realistic analysis of Joan's character rather than the overall story of "who she has been said to be" but still it was a good read (and it was my first Mark Twain)
By the way don't let the whole "Male attire" part get on your nerves too much more than it has to.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

Кой е романът, който Марк Твен счита за свой опус магнум? Противно на очакванията, това не са всеизвестните класики „Приключенията на Том Сойер“ и неговото продължение „Приключенията на Хъкълбери Фин“, нито „Принцът и просякът”. Изненадващо за много читатели, сред богатата си библиография, Самюъл Лангхорн Клемънс посочва като най-добра последната си завършена творба, а именно - „Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc”. Амбициозната историческа драматизация, посветена на живота на Орлеанската дева е поднесена под формата на мемоар от гледната точка на нейния близък съратник Луи дьо Конт. Неотдавна романът излезе и на български. Четем „Жана д’Арк” с логото на изд. „Плеяда”. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле”: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that Mark Twain had written a book about Joan of Arc, and I happened to stumble across this book and I'm very glad I did. When I think Mark Twain, I only think about Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, and this is one that is probably way under everyone's radar.

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by the Sieur Louis de Conte, is a historical fiction account of the life of Joan of Arc. Conte tells this fascinating story and is an excellent narrator, starting with Joan as a young girl, then becoming her page, and standing by her side through her capture by the English and her very infamous trial where she was burned at the stake as a relapsed heretic.

For such a short life, she accomplished so much and her life was very impactful in the grand scheme of history. Joan was only 17 years old when she valiantly lead the French army against the English in the battles of Orleans' and Pate'. In my limited reading of history, I keep thinking about "what-ifs". What if Joan hadn't risen from her very humble and modest origins to effectively become the savior of France and drive the English out of France? What if she had immediately been killed by the English? Europe as we know it today would be very much different, and France would have been absorbed into the Kingdom of England. It boggles my mind how Joan accomplished so much and was so effective at such a young age.

The primary take away I got from this story is that Joan of Arc seemed to have a very similar story to Jesus Christ. She came from basically unknown/humble origins, she had an unshakable faith, and claimed that God and His angels spoke directly to her through visions and voices that came to her. She was also persecuted by leaders of the church, handed off to the secular arm/government to enforce her punishment and then put to death at a very young age because she was viewed as a threat and deeply feared by them. Her trial was completely and unfairly fabricated simply to convict her as a witch/sorceress and as an agent of the devil. There are so many parallels and I have to parse through fact and fiction or dramatic exaggeration that I'm sure were used to enhance the story, but she was seen as being the daughter of God and Divine by her contemporaries (and probably by herself).

Joan of Arc's story is so fascinating and impractical that it is hard for me to believe it is true. She was a heroine/savior for France, and has been martyred as a Saint there. This book tells her unbelievable story very well, and I highly recommend it. I also recommend this LibriVox audiobook, it is free, and the reader was really great.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English. A remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers."
~~back cover

I read 88 pages of this book, and I was struggling all the way. I couldn't get comfortable with the writing style -- I had expected much more of Mark Twain's notorious tongue-in-cheek humor than was evident so far. At 88 pages Joan hadn't even left her native village, so I could tell it was going to be a long slog through the remaining 364 pages, so I gave up and moved on.

[Madeleine Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Twain's biography of St. Joan

For Christians, the saints are extraordinary role models. Whatever one's interests or occupation, there's a saint for that. Joan of Arc, obviously, is there for soldiers and patriots, but she also serves even in our time as an example of perfect obedience and humility and deference to authority, as well as a paragon of courage and conviction. Mark Twain, writing on a subject unlike his other more typical books like Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, does not display the wit and liveliness of those works, but the character of Joan shines like a precious gem in the darkness of war, violence, death, and betrayal.

I found the greater part of the book, which follows Joan and her soldier-narrator through the various battles in the Hundred Years War, sometimes tedious and repetitive, despite flashes of Twain's trademark humor in the interactions between the soldiers under Joan's command. But what was there was a realistic, no doubt familiar even to modern veterans, rapport between men in combat.

The last chapters, focused on Joan's captivity and ultimate martyrdom, where the narrator follows her, acting as scribe through her trial rather than soldier, are harrowing; although between his description of her grim environment in prison and the cruel machinations of her inquisitors the narrator passionately reveals the Joan whose courage and fierce honesty wins over a generally hostile crowd of spectators, planting hints of how her humiliation and cruel death ultimately leads to her vindication, beatification, and the crown of sainthood.

Twain apparently considered this his favorite, if not his best, work.

[Fiona Altschuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Mark Twain's unabashed adoration for his subject, his meticulous research, and his depiction of Joan of Arc. I just love her so much! She's so sweet and little and innocent and naïve, and then she gets onto the battlefield and is just so fierce and just and determined, and never once does she back down. She never stumbles or weakens. She's just so confident in her mission and in her God. The account of her childhood was so sweet and lovely; the account of her warfare was encouraging and exciting; the account of her trial was heart-breaking and soul-tearing. I cannot believe how cruel the judges were to her, and how brave and good she was in return!

I also loved the balance of fiction and fact. It never felt boring or tedious or dry, due to colorful characters like La Hire, the Paladin (oh my gosh I LOVED him), and Catherine whom everyone wanted to marry. I particularly loved the Fairy Tree as well.

[Sarah Furka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, pretty disappointed in this book.

I had very high hopes for it, but the rose-colored bias of the narrator grew tiresome quickly. You are introduced to an abundance of characters and simultaneously know none of them enough to care about what happens to them. (“Man, he died? It’s fine I’ve only known him for four lines anyway.”)

Maybe I’d enjoy this book more if I knew more of the history of Joan of Arc’s life going in, but part of me would have almost preferred to have read a non-fiction biographical account of her life and the Rehabilitation that followed. (And I am no fan of non-fiction.)

The most redeeming part of this book was the preface…Made me want to be holy and a saint. Felt like I was white-knuckling that enjoyment for the rest of the book.

By the end I just wanted to be done with it…and I hate when that happens in books.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for my book club's March discussion. I enjoyed the set-up in book one, learning who Joan is through her youth from a friend's point of view.

Book two proved equally illuminating, with insights into Joan's character as we see her progress on her mission as God's and France's warrior. Twain's cynicism is aimed at incompetence from government toadys, bad generals, and self-important religious. He does a lovely job of showing why Joan is so worth reading about.

I was unexpectedly enthralled by book 3 which is about Joan's court trials.

And I found the book inspiring enough to have it come to mind during mass. Well done, Mark Twain!

[Kayla Hunter]

Wow. I absolutely loved this book.