meeg reviewed Voices by David Elliott
Review of 'Voices' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
I read this book in ~45 minutes and I'm really torn. This has been on my list for a little while now, and with my heart hurting from the burning of Notre Dame, I felt like the timing was right to read about Joan.
I was a little hesitant to read a book in verse about Joan written by a man, and turns out I was pretty disappointed. Maybe this writing style just isn't for me, but I couldn't get past the very odd, very sexual elements from inanimate objects towards Joan (her tunic against her breasts, her gripping the "manly parts" of the sword, the fire "penetrating her"..).
Joan of Arc is so inspiring and was so heroic, and I feel like using this kind of language just totally reduces her story and objectifies her. The fire didn't penetrate her- it burned her, it filled her lungs with smoke, …
I read this book in ~45 minutes and I'm really torn. This has been on my list for a little while now, and with my heart hurting from the burning of Notre Dame, I felt like the timing was right to read about Joan.
I was a little hesitant to read a book in verse about Joan written by a man, and turns out I was pretty disappointed. Maybe this writing style just isn't for me, but I couldn't get past the very odd, very sexual elements from inanimate objects towards Joan (her tunic against her breasts, her gripping the "manly parts" of the sword, the fire "penetrating her"..).
Joan of Arc is so inspiring and was so heroic, and I feel like using this kind of language just totally reduces her story and objectifies her. The fire didn't penetrate her- it burned her, it filled her lungs with smoke, it killed her, it reduced her to ash. Then her ashes were burned a second time and thrown into the Seine so that she could never be laid to rest entirely and in the same place. That's what the fire did.
The cover to this book is beautiful and I think that's the only thing about this book that I like tbh.