About this title: In this ninth-century tale, Joan's older brother is slaughtered by the Vikings, and she adopts his identity, becoming a monk and a scholar. Eventually, she travels to Rome, becomes drawn into the complex politics of the Vatican, and is elected pope.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780345416261ISBN:0345416260
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Good (+) Condition ## Daily Shipping ## Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month by using Breast Cancer Stamps when mailing October listed books ## Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 448 p. Audience: General/trade. Topics Fiction; Historical; Historical fiction; Joan (Legendary Pope); Legends; Popes read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 0345416260 Copy has been read but remains in nice & clean condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or high-lighting. Spine is tight; a clean read. Shelf wear and wrinkling to the cover and edges of the pages. Sticker on the first page. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780345416261ISBN:0345416260
Description: Very Good. Binding is tight and square. Text is clean and bright. Light edge and corner wear. The FEEP is cut. Careful packaging and fast shipping. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! read more
Description: Good. Ballantine, TPB, 1997, 11th printing. Good reading copy, clean, reasonably tight, light wear, name on inside front cover but no other markings or highlighting. read more
Description: Good. 1996-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780345416261ISBN:0345416260
Description: Very Good. Text is clean, bright and unmarked. No names, no remainder marks, no stickers. Binding is tight and square. Cover is different than pictured but same ISBN. Careful packaging and fast shipping. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! read more
Description: Good. 0345416260 23304 PB; spine smooth, text clean w/blank sticker on review page, cover has light shelf wear-allow up to 21 business days for standard USPS media m ai l. wt1lbpf. read more
""Let her copy the behavior of a dog who always has his heart and his eye upon his master: even if his master whip him and throw stones at him." That is an excerpt from the book. It was in a wedding ceremony, spoken to the bride of course. What a lovely time that must have been to be a woman! I liked this book very much due mostly to the fact it is about an amazingly strong, courageous, and gutsy woman. She struggled like no other heroine I have yet read about. The first half of the book has more personality and really focuses on her, her thoughts, her feelings, and her trials. The last half of the book bored me to tears in some places, as it tends to go on and on about the papacy and a lot of war. That was the times and what was occuring during that part of her life, but I wish it had a more personal feel like the first half of the book. NOTE: be aware this is very controversial and when you are overheard discussing it with your close buddy, some very opinated, know it all male is going to butt in and give his two cents and deny her existence. To each their own I say. I BELIEVE."
"A pope who was actually a woman disguised as a man. There is no definitive evidence that she existed, but there is quite a bit of evidence that she did. The author's note (at the end of the novel) explains that evidence, as well as specifics of what was historical in the novel.
This was a fascinating historical (possibly fiction) novel. And when I say fascinating, I mean it in the sense that watching a car crash is fascinating....you can't pull your eyes away. The treatment of women and logical thought processes in this time period was so completely revolting and FRUSTRATING that I had to take a break from reading every couple of days. The decided ignorance was appalling. I wanted to hit somebody, I was so frustrated (a man from that time period, of course.) It was even more appalling because it was all in the name of religion....such a sacrilege.
I didn't love this book (see above paragraph). However, it made me think more than any of the books I've read in a long time, so I would recommend it to any adult. (There is some gore and a short sex scene that I glided over.) I'm pretty conservative, though, and I finished it, if that says anything.
The one thing I didn't like about the story development: There is a lot of Joan's inner strugglings with being a woman, wanting the advantages of being a man (foremost being education), wondering about her mother's heathen faith. But there is never a discussion of her faith in God or in the Catholic church. She became the pope for heaven's sakes! With other characters you see that discussion, some are deeply pious, some are only in the church as a way to rise to power. Joan is obviously not there for the power (although she is excited to use it to do good and affect change) but I would have loved the author to explore more issues Joan's faith."
"Read this one for our "Faith Exploration" book club at church--in spite of the fact that there isn't much faith in it to explore. It treats the 9th century church as nothing more than an oppressive political structure (which it certainly was); but surely Joan in her gradual rise to power would have run in to at least a few people who had actual religious sensibilities. The men presented here are pretty much universally interested only in using religion (or for that matter, learning) as a means to power or a stick to beat people with. A few of them are benevolent towards the poor, but resembling modern liberal politicians more than medieval saints. In fact, in spite or all the careful and abundantly displayed research, the mental framework of the characters was strictly 20th century. The plot is a romantic melodrama with every character either wonderfully good or viciously bad, with many harrowing escapes before the true lovers can finally consummate their long unsatisfied love shortly before their deaths and the end of the book. But I'm grateful for any attempt at all to depict "the dark ages," and this one certainly tries very hard to be accurate in its detail, if not in its spirit."
"Life in Dark Ages of 9th Century Europe was hard and it was especially hard for women. It was even more difficult if you were a woman who wanted to be educated. Pope Joan is a historically fictional account of the life of Joan/John Angelicus who, according to legend, was made Pope and ruled the Catholic Church for about two years in the mid-ninth century.
Joan is the third child born to a Catholic priest and his "pagan" wife. A woman who he saved when the Christians invade the Saxon countries. She has two older brothers, Matthew and John. Matthew is very intelligent and is studying to be a priest as his father. John struggles with his studies but this is not a problem until Matthew dies. Now his father expects John to take Matthew's place and become a priest, but John doesn't have the aptitude for studies and struggles with his lessons.
In the meantime, Joan has secretly started to learn - she convinced Matthew to teach her before his death. Joan learns the lessons readily and strongly desires to learn more, but she has to do so without her father's knowledge or she must face his wrath.
The Greek tutor her father hires to teach her brother John learns that Joan is an excellent student and wants to teach only her. Her father reluctantly agrees with the caveat that the tutor must work with both John and Joan.
Her Greek tutor leaves, but promises that he will send a new tutor for Joan. When the time comes for Joan to go for more tutoring, her father insists that the requested student is John (Johannes) and that the name Joan (Johanna) written on the letter is simply a mistake. Her brother John is taken for further study. That night, Joan sneaks out and follows the caravan with her brother.
In their new home, Joan befriends Gerold who becomes her benefactor and is allowed to continue her studies. Her brother John, while continuing his studies, is also allowed to pursue his true desire - to become a soldier - along with his studies.
A tragedy befalls the village where Joan lives and her brother is killed, but Joan is one of the lone survivors. As her brother was about to be sent off to a monastery, Joan takes this opportunity to assume his identity. She cuts off her hair and binds herself and heads off to the monastery to continue her studies and her life.
She is accepted as her brother, John, but also has to work very hard to not be discovered.
Eventually, she ends up in Rome working with the Curia. Much to her surprise she elected Pope. She has a very brief, roughly two year reign as pope.
The story ends at her death.
The Catholic Church has claimed the legend of Pope Joan to be a story to somehow subvert the Church. Yet, as the author has pointed out, the legendary story of King Arthur is consider based on fact and she has found less actual evidence of the existence of King Arthur than she has found for evidence of Pope Joan. The author did not want to prove or disprove the existence of Pope Joan, so she chose to write an historical fictional account of a woman who disguised herself as a man and accidentally became pope.
I had heard the legend of Pope Joan and enjoyed this story immensely. While reading the story, I knew that eventually she would become Pope, but I was always a bit apprehensive about whether or not she was about to be found out and what would happen so that she could continue living as a man.
The author constantly reminds the reader that Joan is not a man by writing about Joan as Joan. She is only referred to as Brother/Father/Pope John when addressed by other characters in the story.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction."
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