Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

"I am not afraid… I was born to do this." Knowing his reputation as a comic writer and humorist, Mark Twain opted to publish his Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc anonymously, for fear it would not be taken seriously. Serialised in Harper‘s Magazine in 1895-96, the novel is presented as a ‘translation‘ of the memoirs of Sieur Louis de Conte, a fictionalised version of Joan of Arc‘s page Louis de Contes. The novel is divided into three sections set at different times in Joan‘s life; her youth in Domrémy, her time as a commander of the army of Charles VII of France – in which she played an instrumental role in Charles being crowned King of France - and then as a defendant at her trial in Rouen. Many events in the novel are fictionalised; however, the main events in the life of Joan are rendered faithfully. Although Twain considered this his finest work – he dedicated twelve years to research and writing – it‘s one of his least popular, possibly because it‘s the most ‘un-Twain-like‘ of his books, and while it was initially well-received, it was not so well regarded by 20th century critics. Nonetheless, it is one of Twain‘s most ambitious works; his focus on the legendary heroine‘s spiritual and personal life as well as its political and military aspects presenting a rounded and intimate view of the young woman behind the martyr. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain (1835–1910), grew up along the banks of the Mississippi River, and his early experiences inspired many of his most famous works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Widely celebrated as America‘s greatest humorist, Twain captured the spirit of a rapidly changing nation, and his sharp wit, keen eye for human nature, and gift for storytelling made him not only a beloved novelist but also a popular lecturer and essayist. Twain‘s innovative style, character-driven storytelling and ability to interweave humour with profound social critique laid the groundwork for modern American literature and has inspired countless authors, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Indeed, Hemingway famously declared that "all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn."