Catholic Thought discussion

Group

It is apparent that Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc will be our next group read. I've set up this folder and started this thread for general discussion.

First I want to lay out a reading plan, and if it's not acceptable please bring it up for discussion.

My edition of the book has 425 pages and is divided into three parts, with some add ons. Each part is called a "Book" so that there are three books. Book 1 is titled "In Domremy" which refers to the town where Joan was born and raised, technically written "Domrémy" with an accent mark. Book 2 is titled "In Court and Camp" and deals with Joan's battles. Book 3 is titled “Trial and Martyrdom” deals with her capture, trial, and execution. Ahead of Book 1 are a “Translator’s Preface,” a half page also from the “translator” titled, “A Peculiarity of Joan of Arc's History,” and an address by the “author.” the Sieur Louis De Conte, “To His Great-Great-Grand Nephews And Nieces.” A “conclusion” also follows Book 3. I’ll get into the context of all that in a second.

As to setting up a group reading plan, I can see a natural division into six parts of roughly 70 to 80 pages per part. Book 1 and the pages ahead of it would constitute one part. Book 2 can be divided into three parts, chapters 1-13, chapters 14-28, and chapters 29-41. Book 3 and the “Conclusion” can be broken into two parts, chapters 1-12 and 13-24 plus the “Conclusion.” So that will make about six weeks of reading to get through the book.

Seventy to eighty pages per week will be a little bit of a challenge for me. Sorry, I do work a relatively demanding job (at least to my perception) and I have an almost eight year old son who takes up time when I come home. I hope the page allotment is not too little or perhaps too demanding. I do think Mark Twain’s prose reads fast, at least that has been my experience. I’ll eventually say a few words on Twain’s writing style at some point, but he reads more like a modern than a Victorian.

Also, given that Twain’s book is in the public domain, we can start right away, say this Sunday. If you’re waiting on a hard copy, you can start reading here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Person... You can also find the online text elsewhere if you don’t like wikisource’s layout. And I think you can also find an audio read for free at Librivox.

So if we agree on this reading plan we would be discussing as follows. Note, discussion follows the week of read.

Week 1, 13-19 Aug: Book 1 and the prefatory pages.
Week 2, 20-26 Aug: Book 2, chapters 1-13.
Week 3, 27 Aug – 2 Sep: Book 2, chapters 14-28.
Week 4, 3 Sep – 9 Sep: Book 2, chapters 29-41.
Week 5, 10 Sep – 16 Sep: Book 3, chapters 1-12.
Week 6, 17 Sep – 23 Sep: Book 3, chapters 13-24 & Conclusion.

How is that for a plan?

Sounds very nice for me.

That seems like a reasonable plan to me Manny.

There is also a free Kindle version on Amazon.

I am looking forward to this reading. I am somewhat a Mark Twain fan and am curious what he does here. My only insight into the life of Joan of Arc (1412-1431) before this reading was a French silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928). It was a stirring experience. Maybe the unusual form the absence of sound made it even more magnificent. The film deals only with her trial and execution. The performance by the Italian actress Maria Falconetti, especially in her facial expressions, is very powerful. The film is available in a restored shorter version on DVD of 82 minutes. Film critics have given it some very high praise voting it among top films of all time.

Thank you all. I'm looking forward to it too. I had a couple of mistakes above, especially in weeks 5 & 6. I meant Book 3 not Book 2. It's been corrected and I think that'll be the reading plan.

I see I also forgot to come back to more on the "author." The work apparently takes the posture of the story being told from the first person of a childhood friend of Joan and someone who was by her side her whole life, the Sieur Louis De Conte. De Conte was an apparently a true in life person but the translator is named as Jean Francois Alden, who is completely fictional.

Hope that helps as you try to focus to the work.

I think that is a solid reading plan, page count a little high but based upon having the narrative flow it should be very manageable.

Looks good. Did we decide on a start date?

Irene wrote: "Looks good. Did we decide on a start date?"

Officially I guess is Sunday the 6th, so discussion can start on the 13th. But you can start reading now.

Mike wrote: "I think that is a solid reading plan, page count a little high but based upon having the narrative flow it should be very manageable."

Oh. I thought people were a little critical of the slow pace of the last read. So I tried to up it.

We can always extend a week if needed.

Loretta wrote: "Manny wrote: "Mike wrote: "I think that is a solid reading plan, page count a little high but based upon having the narrative flow it should be very manageable."

Oh. I thought people were a little..."

It wasn't just you Loretta. I thought a few people commented it was slow. Even outside the last read, if a read goes longer than two months, it does feel like it drags. Six weeks for this book seems about right, even if I have to push myself to keep up.

My pleasure Loretta.

Loretta wrote: "Manny wrote: "My pleasure Loretta."

🕊"

I can't really make out that icon. It looks like either a thumbs up or a middle finger...LOL.

I can't really make out that icon. It looks like either a thumbs up or a middle finger...LOL."
Oh I was kidding. I knew it wasn't a middle finger. ;)
Oh! Sweet Mother of God! My ap..."

Oh I was kidding. I knew it wasn't a middle finger. ;)

Sounds like a very doable schedule, Manny. Looking forward to reading this book!

I agree with comments above that when a book discussion extends much beyond 6 weeks, it drags for me.