Introduction

[John]

Regarded by many as the most luminous example of Mark Twain's work, this fictional biography of Joan of Arc was purportedly written by Joan's page and secretary — Sieur Louis de Conté. (Twain's alter ego even shared the author's same initials — S. L. C.) Told from the viewpoint of this lifelong friend, the historical novel is a panorama of stirring scenes and marvel of pageantry — from Joan's early childhood in Domremy and her touching story of the voices, to the fight for Orleans, the taking of Tourelles and Jargeau, and the splendid march to Rheims.

But above all, the work is an amazing record that disclosed Twain's unrestrained admiration of the French heroine's nobility of character. Throughout his life, she remained his favorite historical figure — "the most innocent, the most lovely, the most adorable child the ages have produced."

Completed when the author was nearly sixty, the book reveals a splendidly expressive side of Twain, who wrote, "I like the Joan of Arc best of all my books; & 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: 12 years of preparation & 2 years of writing. The others needed no preparation, & got none." Matchless in its workmanship, this lesser work will charm — and delightfully surprise — admirers and devotees of the great American author.

Some of the questions are our standards, and some I will generate from my imagination. I will likely fall back on LitLovers to fill out the rest, but as always, feel free to add your own questions.

[Jill]

My immediate question is why Twain didn't simply write this under his own name (or pen name) instead of using the at-two-removes fiction of Joan's page and a translator.

[Manuel]

Jill wrote: "My immediate question is why Twain didn't simply write this under his own name (or pen name) instead of using the at-two-removes fiction of Joan's page and a translator."

This question would be appropriate for a thread called "Ask the author," but unfortunately we cannot have the author here.

Perhaps we could have that thread anyway. There's a precedent in a previous discussion, where we formulated questions that we'd like to ask the author, even though he was dead.

[Jill]

Or it could be rephrased asking whether we as readers like the way he did it or would have preferred a more direct approach.

[Manuel]

Jill wrote: "Or it could be rephrased asking whether we as readers like the way he did it or would have preferred a more direct approach."

In that case, I do like the way Mark Twain did it. The fact that we know from the beginning that the narrator is fictional makes very clear that this is a biographical novel, rather than a biography. If Twain himself had been the narrator, this wouldn't have been so clear, for the reader could think that what Twain was narrating was pure history.

[John]

Jill wrote: "My immediate question is why Twain didn't simply write this under his own name (or pen name) instead of using the at-two-removes fiction of Joan's page and a translator."

I have again hit my daily limit on adding discussion topics, but you can add that as an "ask the author" generic question. Or I can do it tomorrow.

[Fonch]

Manuel wrote: "Jill wrote: "Or it could be rephrased asking whether we as readers like the way he did it or would have preferred a more direct approach."

In that case, I do like the way Mark Twain did it. The fa..."

Indeed Louis Cothes exited. This character appeared in the Pamela Marcantel`s novel An Army of Angels: A Novel of Joan of Arc, although in this case Couthes was not the squire Couthes called Minget is the page.

[Fonch]

As Manuel Alfonseca has told me to recommend non-fiction books about Juana de Arca I recommend these three. But unfortunately I have not been able to read them, but I know that in two of the cases they are trusted authors Joan of Arc by Hilaire Belloc https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Joan of Arc: Her Story by Régine Pernoud, Marie-Véronique Clin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... and Joan of Arc: A History by Helen Castor https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... and on the War of the 100 years this book that I read in second year the Hundred Years War: England and France at War, c.1300-c.1450 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) by Christopher Allmand https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Mariangel]

Jill wrote: "My immediate question is why Twain didn't simply write this under his own name (or pen name) instead of using the at-two-removes fiction of Joan's page and a translator."

I think using the page works well, because it allows Twain to show his great admiration in such a natural way, as a close companion and eyewitness would express it who had seen France subjected to the English rule for so long, and freed by a girl in less than a year. It must have been unbelievable to those who witnessed it.

I have also read that Twain had created a reputation with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, so that readers expected a certain type of story from him, and before writing Joan of Arc he had already experienced that one of his books was less successful because it was not what the public was accustomed from him. This seems a good reason to conceal his authorship and have the book measured by its own merits.

[Jill]

Wasn't Twain's name on the book despite the "narrator/translator"?

[Mariangel]

Now yes, but not when it was first published in serial form in a magazine.

[Fonch]

Sometimes it is employed as literary resource to employ an artistic nickname, or alias. I would do it ;-).

[Jill]

Seems a stretch to call Joan a "child" when she was old enough to marry (or not).
I don't like God and saints being put on the same level as dragons, ghosts and fairies, though I couldn't help enjoying the story about the priest and the fairies.
Others have remarked on this, but she is presented as sinlessly perfect, which makes her un-human.
How can watching two men die violently be "pleasant" to the writer? Glad it wasn't so to Joan!
The Church (militant) can never claim that the fate of any human being is in its hands rather than God's. (chapter 14)
Twain's essay, an Appendix in my edition, is over the top. Joan is not the only saint. There's no other quite like her, but that's true of every individual God created! And how can he say great souls never lodge in gross bodies! What is the Rock of St. Helena? The Church? If so, it's an odd characterization.

[Mariangel]

When he talks about the rock of St. Helena I thought he referred to Napoleon.

[Manuel]

Yes, "the captive eagle beating his broken wings on the Rock of St. Helena" is obviously Napoleon Bonaparte. Twain is contrasting his total defeat with Joan's "granite fortitude."

[Manuel]

Jill wrote: "And how can he say great souls never lodge in gross bodies!"

Well, this is clearly an exaggeration. But what Mark Twain means by "gross bodies" is explained immediately: "brawn and muscle." He is contrasting physical strength with spiritual strength: "the spirit... has twenty times the strength and staying power of brawn and muscle."

[Fonch]

It is very well replied by The Professor and Mari Angel. When i read the part of the apology to the fairies i thought that Joan was a little Socrates or Platoo.

[Mariangel]

Jill wrote: "Twain's essay, an Appendix in my edition, is over the top. Joan is not the only saint. There's no other quite like her, but that's true of every individual God created! "

I agree, but taking into account Twain's opinions about the Church, it is remarkable to read about his admiration and respect for Joan of Arc. Sometimes, the life and example of one particular saint (St. Francis comes to mind) has been enough to bring someone to the faith.