Pope Joan

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Summary: FROM A MALE VIEWPOINT
Review: Male, a 75 year Catholic and a reader of Pope Joan. Donna Cross certainly made a believer out of me. There is no doubt in my mind that the church long hid the struggles, feats and accomplishments of the amazing Pope Joan. I was intrigued by the story; it's historical background and the research preparation for the book. A marvelous book and lesson to all men and women. I thank Ms. Cross for a wonderful, sincere and impressing novel.

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Summary: Intriguing premise . . . Flawed Execution
Review: The legend of Pope Joan can neither be confirmed or denied . . . Unfortunately this book does little to advance the dialogue. Although Ms. Cross does offer some brief historical notes at the conclusion of the novel, this book is more grounded in fiction than research or reality. Those readers who bought the book looking for some clarification of the historical circumstances that might have supported Pope Joan's existence and reign will be disappointed. On the other hand, those readers who bought the book looking for an interesting story of how a the Catholic church's medieval hierarchy would have forced talented female to resort to a deception of the highest order to fulfill her spiritual and intellectual potential will probably enjoy Ms. Cross' tale.

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Summary: "You Are There"
Review: If you love fiction that whisks you to another time and place, this book is for you. The 9th century is the darkest of the Dark Ages; for women especially, life is "nasty, brutish, and short." Enter Joan, a girl who sees knowledge as the shining key to her escape. While some of the plot twists and coincidences may seem contrived, Joan holds the reader's interest as a passionate, daring heroine. The setting is wonderfully rendered, especially during Joan's days as a monastery herbalist. In essence, "you are there."

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Summary: HISTORY REWRITTEN!
Review: Donna Woolfolk Cross via "Pope Joan" has rewritten history. Pope Joan is a book for all ages and provides a heroine for women and, particularly for young girls. The author delves beneath the surface of the cladestine rituals of the Catholic Church during a period in history (not so unlike the present) when women were stiffled and acknowledged merely as subordinate creatures. Pope Joan takes us on an adventure - an experience - and most importantly a journey of one strong young girl/woman, who, through courage, perseverance and persistence, rises to the highest power of the Catholic Church. The author has not only given Pope Joan her rightful place in history but has brought to light the power of education. Hurray for the author and Hurray for the book -Pope Joan.

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Summary: A Good Read!
Review: Although the story started a little slow, it quickly engrossed me in the life of Joan. It has everything from a life-long love, battle scenes, deceipt and triumph. I savored the last few pages, not wanting the story to end.

Rating:
Summary: A decent story but nothing special
Review: Overall the story was not bad, although the interest the story does have is solely because there really was a legend of a female pope (a legend which I am not inclined to believe however). I thought the book was a little slow and the descriptions did not fit 9th century Europe. It is alright for an evening's entertainment, but certainly not memorable.

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Summary: DULL RETELLING OF A CONTROVERSIAL LEGEND
Review: I, myself, believe Pope Joan was about as real as the Loch Ness monster and the author of this book does admit that she, herself, is of the opinion that a definitive answer can never be found. All that aside, the legend of Pope Joan offers a fascinating premise to an author trained in the art of historical fiction. This book, however, falls far short of its initial promise. What should have been an intriguing look at interesting characters in a setting replete with rich, historic detail comes across as dull, flat and boring. First, it is quite evident that Cross did not thoroughly research the ninth century, as many of her details are patently wrong. Second, she gives us too much backstory (a common error of beginning novelists and this is Cross's first). I kept reading and hoping she'd get to the main event and fill us in on the less interesting details on a need-to-know basis. Third, I found none of the characters at all credible. I couldn't identify with any of them or understand their motivations, even though Cross used multiple point-of-view. None of the characters really "rang true" and because of this I found them all quite unlikeable, Joan in particular. Had Joan actually existed, she would have been an intelligent woman who hungered for some of the advantages men were given. Cross however, ignored the chance to conduct a fascinating look at the soul of a ninth century woman and chooses instead to portray Joan as asexual, possessing neither the soul of a man or a woman. Fourth, Cross's prose is clumsy and the dialogue completely unrealistic. It sounds like the debut novel it is. Reading the book was a chore rather than a delight. The ending, especially, was so abrupt I had to reread it just to make sure I'd gotten it right. The final result was this: What could have been a highly interesting look at a controversial legend became as dull and bland as a pitcher of skimmed milk.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Fact or fiction Pope Joan drew me in and held my attention from start to finish! I have never been much of a reader of historical fiction but this book has changed that for me. Having been raised Catholic I was not even aware there was a controversy in the church regarding her existence. Have since read up on the many theories and found Donna Cross has done an excellent job with her research into this book. She also leaves the reader room to speculate for themselves as to whether it is fact or fiction. Ms. Cross brings to life the deplorable conditions women of that century endured. Bravo!

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Summary: Wonderful Adventure and Escape!
Review: I just read this last week during commutes and lunch... The characters were so real that it became very difficult to acclimate myself back to the real world! Great job, Ms. Cross, and I can't wait to read your second novel! Bookclubs would definitely enjoy discussing this book.

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Summary: Poor re-telling of a ludicrous conspiracy theory
Review: "Pope Joan" is a contrived rehashing of a late medieval fable circulated originally (centuries after the underlying events were supposed to have occurred) to attack the church from a distinctly non-feminist perspective. This book updates the legend in a way that illustrates two curious phenomena: feminist carelessness with historical fact and the appeal of outlandish conspiracy theories. The events described in this book neither happened nor could conceivably have happened, much less been covered up by some sort of wide-ranging clerical conspiracy. You will not find a serious historian who believes this story even remotely plausible. In contrast to effect of the best historical fiction (e.g., Robert Graves' I, Claudius; Sigrid Undsett's Kristen Lavransdatter; Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian) this book hinders rather than contributes to a deeper understanding of the rich reality of human history.