Saint Joan (Penguin Classics)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Product Description
One of Shaw's most unusual and enduringly popular plays. With SAINT JOAN (1923) Shaw reached the height of his fame and Joan is one of his finest creations; forceful, vital, and rebelling against the values that surround her. The play distils Shaw's views on the subjects of politics, religion and creative evolution.
About the Author
Dublin-born George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an active Socialist and a brilliant platform speaker. He was strongly critical of London theatre and closely associated with the intellectual revival of British drama. Dan H. Laurence (series editor) has edited Shaw's Collected Letters and Collected Plays with their Prefaces. Imogen Stubbs is an actress and has played leading roles on stage, television and in film. Joley Wood has taught Anglo-Irish literature at Trinity College, Dublin.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
A fine spring morning on the river Meuse, between Lorraine and Champagne, in the year 1429 A.D., in the castle of Vaucouleurs. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
A fine spring morning on the river Meuse, between Lorraine and Champagne, in the year 1429 A.D., in the castle of Vaucouleurs. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Saint Joan is one of my favourite plays, as it combines an interesting historical background (love history) as well as an unordinary Joan d'Arc who is neither good nor bad, but a mixture of the admirable, courageous, exasperating, pitiful, proud. Shaw does not present a romantic, one-sided saintly heroine; instead he shows Joan as the fallible human being she was. And yes, she does become a saint, but she is by no means holy - here's a Joan who's perky, proud, stubborn, yet you can't help being on her side. In addition, Shaw is capable of laughing at both Catholic and Protestant, French and English. In Saint Joan he is at his best, producing a work brimming with irony and social satire, revealing the corruption within the church, the state and the individual. It's not necessary to delve into history books before reading Saint Joan, the well-written introduction will provide you with a wealth of information about the feudal system, the role and status of the church, and Joan of Arc herself. One star less not for the play itself, but for this edition - there are no annotations whatsoever; it would have been very helpful if notes for the play had been provided, because I think there are a lot of allusions to themes in Shaw's other plays, but you're left to figure them out yourself.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A powerful play which is easy to read. Shaw includes detailed stage descriptions and directions which make the play as interesting to read as it is to watch being performed.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If, and, I hasten to add, if, you can get through the dramatist's introduction, you are a braver man than I. Personally, I would recomend skipping to the start of the play. However, once you do that, the drama only gets better.
Probably you know the story of Jeanne the Maid - Joan of Arc - so, like when watching Titanic, the sad ending isn't surprising. Therefore, it is testament to GBS's skills that the drama retains suspense and interest.
GBS - George Bernard Shaw - writes beautifully and wittily. St Joan is still relevant, still funny and still compelling. Of course, if you don't hold with GBS's views, you might be irritated in places with his sweeping generalisations and confrontatonal style. Nevertheless, well worth the read. And the introduction makes more sense, after you have read the play.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
