Customer Reviews

Blood Red, Sister Rose

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The well-documented outline of Joan of Arc's story allows a skilled novelist plenty of creative space. Keneally's Joan, although resolute, is a human, vulnerable figure, unlike Mark Twain's saintly heroine.
This retelling emphasizes the very real sacrificial aspect of
her life. I thought the dialogue wonderful - plausible, informed, witty. To this former soldier, the ways Joan's fellow
military commanders skillfully translate her special charisma into battlefield advantage is imaginative. Joan's career after
Rheims is not covered. I greatly enjoyed this book, and its very different perspective.

Thomas Keneally is not an soothing writer. He recreates the horror, blood, and occult practices of 13th century Europe - it's not a novel for the fainthearted. But for fans of Joan and wonderful literature, this book brings her to life as no other medium ever has (with the exception, of course, of the great film "The Passion of Joan of Arc.") This Joan is a human being, a holy saint, a sybil, a warrior, and a real, flesh and blood woman with a somewhat bad temper and a good sense of humor! And her cast of characters! Who can ever forget the portraits of Jean the Bastard, Gille de Rais, La Hire and poor Jacques, the very put-upon father of Joan. His beautiful and pathetic love letter to Joan ends the novel.

By the way, the book only covers the period from when she first heard her voices until she is pulled off her horse by a Burgundian soldier...when nothing ever again went right with the rightness that made Charles a King. A underappreciated classic by the author of "Schindler's List."

Keneally is, no doubt, a skilled and knowlegabel writer, and this novel based on the story of Joan of Arc is very well researched, but as the story of a brave and mystical hero, it's a dry and inhumane read which lacks passion, courage and inspiration. It's all too rational, too predictable, too over-explained.

I ordered this book maybe two months ago. It sat on my shelf for a long while until I finally began to read it. I hated it from the beginning but gave it a few days to see if it would improve, but I only got to the third or fourth chapter before I tossed into the trash can, (literally) What was writen about Joan was horribly degrading of her, portraying her to be a violent, sarcastic person and you get the impression that she is not completly right upstairs. It even had her participating in ocult
practices! All the characters are perverted and foul mouthed and the book is not based on true history at all. In other words its not worth the paper its written on. If you have any respect at all for Joan the person, dont read this book.