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a_leos_bookgraph's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
erickibler4's review
4.0
Shaw's plays almost always feature a "Superman" or "Superwoman", someone out of step with the conventional ideas of whatever time and place the play is set in. These characters offer a new way of looking at whatever societal ills Shaw was aiming at, and could readily skewer them. You could almost call these characters prophets, since they were always viewed as heretics in their given milieu.
In this play, that character is Joan of Arc, and she is quite literally a prophet and heretic, since she obeys saintly voices, contrary to the authority of the Church and the feudal lords. What differentiates her from most Shavian heroes is that she's an uneducated farm girl, and can't articulate what she represents (the rise of nationalism, the end of feudalism and the beginning of the Protestant reformation) in the way of most Shavian heroes. To her, she's just serving her God. Two other characters, a bishop and a duke, explain the ideas Joan represents and the danger to their respective hierarchies.
In his preface, Shaw explains that, taken in context, there was nothing crazy about "hearing voices" in the Middle Ages. It was just a way of expressing or experiencing reason, inspiration, or intuition, as understood at that time. Shaw says that often, scenes and dialog for his plays seemed to come to him fully formed, and although he was not religious in any conventional sense, these mental presentations were the functional equivalent of Joan's "voices".
The preface offers an interesting survey of Joan's history as viewed at the time of her exploits, and at the times of her burning, subsequent rehabilitation, and canonization (which occurred in 1920, shortly before Shaw wrote the play). Also here is a survey of Joan as she appeared in literature over the centuries, from Shakespeare down to Mark Twain.
In this play, that character is Joan of Arc, and she is quite literally a prophet and heretic, since she obeys saintly voices, contrary to the authority of the Church and the feudal lords. What differentiates her from most Shavian heroes is that she's an uneducated farm girl, and can't articulate what she represents (the rise of nationalism, the end of feudalism and the beginning of the Protestant reformation) in the way of most Shavian heroes. To her, she's just serving her God. Two other characters, a bishop and a duke, explain the ideas Joan represents and the danger to their respective hierarchies.
In his preface, Shaw explains that, taken in context, there was nothing crazy about "hearing voices" in the Middle Ages. It was just a way of expressing or experiencing reason, inspiration, or intuition, as understood at that time. Shaw says that often, scenes and dialog for his plays seemed to come to him fully formed, and although he was not religious in any conventional sense, these mental presentations were the functional equivalent of Joan's "voices".
The preface offers an interesting survey of Joan's history as viewed at the time of her exploits, and at the times of her burning, subsequent rehabilitation, and canonization (which occurred in 1920, shortly before Shaw wrote the play). Also here is a survey of Joan as she appeared in literature over the centuries, from Shakespeare down to Mark Twain.
gmpipicella's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very funny and very different interpretation of Charles VII, a character I’ve played in Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part I
mil4's review
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
whimsicalmeerkat's review
3.0
I greatly preferred this to [b:Pygmalion|7714|Pygmalion (Dover Thrift Editions)|George Bernard Shaw|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165639314s/7714.jpg|184399] when I read it in high school.
jingham's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tophat8855's review
5.0
I listened via Hoopla and it was an audio theater performance with multiple actors and the whole nine yards of a theater production. I really loved the medium. This was a good listen after having read Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc.
Also the political and religious zings and takes are fire.
Also the political and religious zings and takes are fire.
shhchar's review
3.0
The 3 stars are nothing against the writing, just the fact I'm not a fan of religious plays.
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whatjohanneread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5