Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

De: Mark Twain

Narrado por: Robin Field

Duración: 17 h y 46 m

Resumen del Editor

Regarded by many as the most luminous example of Twain's work, this historical novel chronicles the French heroine's life, as purportedly told by her longtime friend--Sieur Louis de Conte. A panorama of stirring scenes recount Joan's childhood in Domremy, the story of her voices, the fight for Orleans, the splendid march to Rheims, and much more. An amazing record that disclosed Twain's unrestrained admiration for Joan's nobility of character, the book is matchless in its workmanship--one of Twain's lesser-known novels that will charm and delightfully surprise his admirers and devotees.

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Faith to the faithless

This book was first given to me to read during a particularly difficult time in my life. It gave me Faith and strength to get through my troubles. although I thought all the story to be capturing and amazing and told well my favorite parts were the little stories or comments that would make you laugh. Like a sheep wondering how it came to eat a wolf or the uncle riding the bull knocking down the beehive and wrecking a funeral. But truly an amazing story as told by this man's recollections and it makes me desire to learn much more of her history and to visit France and see these places where she lived and fought.

Wonderful story of selfless love and bravery.

I loved the narration. I saw in the reviews there was some comments about that. His character voices were fine. The story is so compelling and well written (Mark Twain, duh) that the narration is secondary. I wept. It was inspiring.

Exceptional all the way around!

I can not even emphasize how much I enjoyed this book! The narration was perfectly performed. So much so I will seek out other books narrated by him. The writing was excellent, funny, touching and from my understanding quite historically accurate. If I could give this book 20 stars I would do so. It truly is in a class of it's own. If you don't consider yourself a big Mark Twain fan this book is still for you. I didn't really consider myself a Mark Twain reader, I mean he was fine but I wasn't seeking out his books. However, this book was so much better than I thought it would be. I am sad it's over. I want more.

Sublime

I don’t know how anyone can read this book and walk away unchanged. I’ve honored Joan of Arc all my life yet this book did not come to my attention until I was told it was sourced. By sourced I mean (as with much great literature) the writers mind is held in thrall to an invisible force. Not to mention Twains 12 years of influencing research. The book is extremely detailed, personal, and overflowing w reverence and heart.

Mark Twain told the story beautifully

This audiobook drew me in from the very first minutes. I knew little of Joan of Arc and in the last chapters, I shed tears. Wonderful storytelling.

Personal Recollections? Yes... VERY Personal

Mark Twain had a fascination with Joan of Arc and said this was the best novel he ever wrote. Sharing in Twain's fascination, I have to agree with him. You won't find much of Twain's familiar humor, but you will find faith, patriotism, and heroism on a scale that can't help but inspire. Regardless of your own personal views of Joan of Arc, Twain's writing will either make you believe or at least allow you to suspend your disbelief. It's a well-researched story, and some of his conclusions, while controversial in his day, have turned out to be more true than he knew. I would rank this right up there with Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII.

The narrator takes a little getting used to. It's clearly a badly faked French accent for the character telling the story, and the feminine version he uses for Joan is even worse. It's almost something out of Monty Python. That said, Robin Field does play it straight, and once you get used to the vocals, the power of the story will pull you in. We all know how it ends, but if you're not moved by how well it's told, you have a hard heart indeed.

AMAZING!!

I literally could not stop listening to this. The story you know the ending to from the beginning, but somehow have hope for her from her dismal end. The story's performance is captivating, I was there right along with her clerks... Definate re-read....(Listen)...

Saint Joan of Arc

An amazing rendition of this beautiful woman’s story and her devotion to God and His path for her.

The BEST!

This is one of the very best books I have read/ heard! The interview format makes is intriguing and the content is wonderful! And Mr. Field does well with the French language pronunciation. I would highly recommend this to all fans of St. Joan of Arc and Mr. Twain!

Underrated novel, well worth a listen

How amazing to think of Mark Twain, arch-skeptic and misanthrope, being so taken with the Maid of Orleans. He plays this one straight: there is occasional humor, mostly centered around village life in Donremy or the childhood companions of Joan who join her later as part of her "staff." But Joan herself is taken exactly as she presented herself and as she apparently thought of herself - certainly as many people thought of her in her lifetime: a deeply religious, courageous, and patriotic young woman who wrought a military miracle. There is not the slightest trace of irony in Twain's portrait of her. (If you want a contrast, read Shakespeare's "Henry VI Part One," where Joan figures as a witch, a sadist, and a trull.)

Much of what he says in the book (where he credits himself somewhat archly as a "translator" of the memoirs of one of Joan's aides) is taken, Twain assures us, directly from the historical record. Joan is unique in medieval history in having testimony preserved that was given in two ecclesiastical proceedings: one that condemned her to death, one that posthumously found her innocent. Her own words, her own brilliant responses to many of the questions put to her by inquisitors, are there in the record. So is testimony from people who knew her as a child and as a young woman, as a peasant girl and a warrior. I've read some discussions of the book that suggest Joan was modeled on Twain's daughter Suzy, who died the year the book was published. Maybe so; but if Joan's dialogue in the trial scene is really taken straight from the record, there doesn't seem to be much Twain needed to add.

I'd avoided this novel for a long time, and only read it recently because I'm trying to work my way through all of Twain. I wish I'd done it sooner. It's not his greatest novel, but it's a good one, much better than I'd been led to expect by the many dismissive comments about it I've read over the years. Joan herself is a charming and tragic (and totally credible) figure throughout the book, and the story of her military campaigns and the trial that ended her life are given in richly anchored historical detail. I've since started reading some of the many nonfiction books about Joan: I think I've been bitten.

Robin Field's narration is excellent. He's one of several first-rate narrators of Twain (others include Grover Gardner, Bronson Pinchot, Richard Henzel, and Patrick Fraley). He provides a slight French accent for the novel's narrator, which I don't think was necessary but didn't mind. After Joan's death, I found myself in a somber, thoughtful mood for several hours.