Product Description
A Foreword: Which Asserts Notbing
I N Continental periodicals not more than a dozen
articles in all would seem to have given accounts
or partial translations of the Jurgen legends. No
thorough investigation of this epos can be said to have
appeared in print, anywhere, prior to the publication, in
1913, of the monumental Synopses of Aryan Mythology
by Angelo de Ruiz. It is unnecessary to observe that
in this exhaustive digest Professor de Ruiz has given
(VII, p. 415 et sequtntia) a summary of the greater
part of these legends as contained in the col1ections of
Verville and Biilg; and has discussed at length and with
much learning the esoteric meaning of these folk-stories
and their bearing upon questions to which the Hsolar
theory" of myth explanation has given rise. To his
volumes, and to the pages of Mr. Lewistam's Key to the
Popular Tales of Poictesme, must be referred all those
who may dect to think of Jurgen as the resplendent,
journeyin5 and procreative sun.
E

Table of Contents

Contentr; A FOREWORD: WUlca ASSERTS NOTHING 3; I VHY JURGEN DID THE MANLY TH(NG ???? ????? 9; II ASSUMPTlON OF A NOTED GA:?~{ENT ??? '" ? ?? ??? ? 14; III THE GARDEN BETWEEN DAWN AND SUNRISE 18; IV THE DOROTHY VVHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND ? ? ? ? 22; V REQUIREMENTS OF BREAD AND BurrER ??? ????? 34; VI SHOWING THAT SEREDA Is F£MININE _ 39; VII OF COMPROMISES o:r A VEDNESDAY 47; VIII OLD Toys AND A NEW SHADOW ???? _ ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? 60; IX THE ORTHODOX R?SeU ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Cabell's Masterpiece
For a brief, gin soaked, moment in the 1920s the literati fell in love with Cabell. But although he's remained popular with readers (Jurgen's never been out of print for long, if at all) academics and intellectuals have never embraced or rejected Cabell with the enthusiasm of the 20s. Sober progressive thinkers are put off by his exquisite and affected, albeit pitch perfect, diction. Cabell's eroticism, so elegantly phrased, yet so fatuous and conventional, like a well read Benny Hill, also fails to lend itself to the academic project of boiling down sex into a wholesome social critique, sanitized and neatly packaged for use in transgressive pedagogical strategies. On the other hand, the bow tie wearing cultural right senses an affinity for the conservative Cabell, steeped in high culture, but Cabell's regrettable susceptibility to crass phallic double entendre disqualifies him from a place in the canon.

Cabell has his faults of course. He suffers from the tendency of a consciously high brow author to make his writing a display of sensibility rather than a vehicle for the development of character or thought. All of his characters, improbably, from the meanest rustic to a king, employ the same elegant, oblique diction.

Still, Cabell's tepid reception is puzzling. It is not clear why Cabell rates lower than say, Bronte, whom some plausibly view as another overripe, proto "genre fiction" writer. Admittedly, his distinctive voice will not appeal to every taste, but his erudition and allusiveness should endear him to academia; while his self conscious literary elitism ought to appeal to the never-in-short-supply self conscious literary elitist. Cabell is also a novelist of ideas. Big, elemental ideas, not ham fisted, but still the kind you can sink your teeth into; the kind you expect teachers and students would love to discuss. Yet Cabell appears on no lists of required reading.

But it seems Cabell knew from the beginning this was to be his fate. "Too urbane to advocate delusion, too hale for the bitterness of irony". So Cabell described himself in a spurious, self-penned blurb that appears on Jurgen's dedication page. Pitched at neither the right nor the left, the high or low, Cabell recognizes that he is too accommodating of both sentimentality and cynicism, and too frivolous toward both conventional piety and its earnest, angry critics to win over either hearts or minds, the philistine or the aesthete. But Cabell does not agonize over his divided sensibility, nor does he invite our sympathy. He asks only that we not take it, or him, too seriously; a request guaranteed to ensure the marginal and precarious acceptance Cabell now enjoys among the intelligentsia, but one better suited to win the affections of readers who come to love Cabell's elegance, wit, and humble humanity.

Best edition available
The Waking Lion Press (Editorium) edition of Jurgen can well be considered the definitive edition of "Jurgen" available today. In addition to the full text of the novel itself it incorporates the rare "Notes on Jurgen" by James P. Cover, only 850 of which were printed in 1928, compiled and extended by David Rolfe; an introduction by the same; the introduction to the British Edition, by Hugh Walpole; the "Note on the Notes" by James P. Cover; the map of Poictesme, as published in the 1928 edition of "The Silver Stallion"; a photograph of the author; all the wonderful plates by Frank C. Papé; and a short afterword taken from an old Times Literary Supplement. The only things that seem to be missing are Papé's "Dorothy" frontispiece and the small illustrations from within the text. Also, the print of the illustrations seems a bit inferior to the original illustrated edition, which of course stays a valued collector's piece.

Still, you won't get all of this that easy and to such a reasonable price anywhere else. Especially recommended for those brave souls dedicated to taking Cabell back into the seminar rooms. Thanks to everybody involved for making this happen.

Tell the Rabble...
It wasn't all that long ago that James Branch Cabell attracted a huge audience for this kind of satire.He's not much read these days, and I can sort of understand why - much of what he pokes fun at here is not taught in the schools anymore, and it's too bad.On the other hand, anyone who enjoys the Harry Potter movies, or "Clash of the Titans" and such, shouldn't have too much trouble with "Jurgen".I can therefore recommend it without hesitation.

Well, with a tiny bit of hesitation, mostly on account of the language.Cabell adopted a courtly tone and some rather archaic vocabulary for this piece - quite suitable to the tale, but not very familiar these days.Not impossible, but it takes a certain amount of concentration.And let's face it, for light reading, most of us prefer not to work that hard.Let me encourage you to give it a try anyway.The rewards are considerable.

Categorizing this novel is pretty nearly impossible.It reads at first like an ancient folktale, with a certain sort of chivalrous adventuring in the pursuit of damsels in distress, battles with fabulous monsters and whatnot, but you can't really take that approach very seriously when the narrative makes it quite clear that our hero Jurgen is a middle-aged pawnbroker of temporarily youthful appearance, and a liar to boot.He bluffs his way into increasingly exalted rank, with increasingly exciting wives and mistresses to match, in increasingly mythic realms, until finally he replaces God for a couple of minutes.That's about all he can tolerate, and he realizes that if being God doesn't satisfy him, nothing will.

I won't go into detail about just how Jurgen gets his youth back - suffice to say that he does, with the help of an ancient god disguised as an old washerwoman, and proceeds to those increasingly wide-ranging adventures.I think you will not be surprised to learn that once the thrill of romance has passed, Jurgen gets a little bored.He's a pretty decent husband to each of his wives, actually, but not exactly faithful.

He's not really faithful to much else, either, except to his own opinion of himself as a "mighty clever fellow".Which he certainly is.He manages to outsmart pretty nearly everyone - women who profess their reluctance to let him anywhere near them, the men he competes with, his parents, nature myths, demons, gods, Satan and God.Lest this makes him seem unpleasant, I should point out that he's unfailingly polite and invariably careful to abide by the customs of whatever country he finds himself in.He makes friends easily and opens himself up to new knowledge on a regular basis.He's actually a pretty likeable guy, just untrustworthy.His motto, in fact, is along these lines: "You may very well be right, and in fact I would never go so far as to say you're wrong, but still, on the other hand...!"In other words, students of folklore will recognize Jurgen as part of the ancient tradition of the Trickster, along with Coyote and Til Eulenspiegel and Anansi the Spider-Man and creatures like that.

Anyway, the story builds and builds through Jurgen's titles and locations until there's nothing left to do but deflate the whole business.You've read books like that before, of course, and most authors who write themselves into that sort of corner give you the impression that all they want to do is put the darned thing down and forget it.Failing that, they stick some kind of exhausted conclusion on and leave us feeling entirely dissatisfied.Not Cabell.He's got something to say, even in a carnival ride like this.It's a trifle conventional, but it works.Let's just say that I have seldom read a fantasy that returns to Earth with this much class.

This may have something to do with Cabell's approach to mythic tales, which strikes me as distinctly American.H.L. Mencken once said of Cabell that his knights tend to slay dragons with the attitude of an accountant adding up a column of figures, and that's just about right; Jurgen does all these mighty deeds mostly because that's what people in his position do, and his reaction to his own prowess is something like "Yeah, whatever."On the other hand, he's also a poet, and at various times (especially at the tale's conclusion) he can express himself with great beauty - which gives the impression that he's less concerned with what he's doing and more concerned with how it makes him feel.Given that, it makes a certain kind of sense that he wouldn't find a knight's life, or a king's or a god's, any more or less useful than a pawnbroker's, and certainly doesn't take one more seriously than the other.

So, you may ask, if "Jurgen" is all about how silly stories like "Jurgen" are, what's the point?Oh, come on, you know the answer to that - it's for fun, as was a good bit of everything Cabell did.Even his response to the fact that people tended to mispronounce his name was for fun - it's up there in the title of this review, in fact.He said "Tell the rabble my name is Cabell".Which may strike us as kind of insulting until you read his work - in things like "Jurgen" it's perfectly clear that if he thought of us as rabble, he also thought of the rabble as the really important people of the Earth.

Benshlomo says, You've got better things to do with your time than slay dragons.

A rewarding return trip
Like many others who have written reviews, I read Jurgen long ago and was totally captivated.This hardly meant that I even came close to "totally understaning" it. In my 20's I was able to teach it and other works by Cabell.I am now in my 70's and am able to re-read the great and not so great books of my youth.My advice to new reders is just to read it and don't be intimidated by the blend of history and faantasy, the archaic and fake-archaic spellings, and the constant anagrams.Eventually some things will be clear.They are not "secret meanings," just additional layers.Enjoy, then (if it strikes you) dig more.

Jurgen is not cheap victorian porn as at least one reviewer has suggested. It is a vicious and brutal attack on the prudish and hypocrtical criticism that are as much a reality today as they were in Cabell's day.The brutal kingdom of Philistia destroys as much "evil" today as it did in Jurgen's novel.

A clue to entering Cabell's world here is his return to the garden between dawn and sunrise, where Jrgen starts his second journey through life.This dream of returning to reclaim the beauties and adventures of youth and to get a second chance may be common to all men or just to the lucky few. It was a time when the objects of our desire were not quite as beautiful as they seemed and when even our greatest adventures were not quite as great or as adventurous as they seemed then.Going back allows us to view them from the perspective of age and time, and if we have become wise, to sort them out.

Cabell ended another book (The Devil's Only Son) with one charater observing that "dreams are the disease of youth; growing up is being cured of them."Enjoy reading Jurgen. Enjoy returning to the dreams of youth.Join Cabell in the sadness that comes not from the fact that we are no longer young, but from the realization that these were just dreams. . .

Always Loved this Book
I own copies of it in four different editions. One is a really beautiful leather-bound book from Golden Cockerel Press.

It helps if you read it before you hit 15 years old, I think. Like Rabalais and Tristram Shandy. Ooooh, did I just recommend those to 14-year-olds too? I'm in trouble now!

To the fellow who called this "A Victorian Curiosity," I would say... No, I can't say that. But it's Edwardian. ... Read more

Product Description
"In the sulphurous The High Place, the amoral hero Florian enters the sleeping-beauty story and (unlike Jurgen with Helen) does not draw back at the sight of excessive beauty. Complications ensue: Beauty is realistically diminished during pregnancy, the first-born child is forfeit to Satan under the pact that guaranteed Florain's success, and an irascible saint is eager to call down holy fire on transgressors. Florian treads close to damnation and is saved only when Satan and the angel Michael conspire to let recent events become, again, a dream: he has a rare second chance and learns better." -- The Encyclopedia of Fantasy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Deals With the Devil (?)
Cabell's mythology encompasses fantastic levels in language elegant and cunning.The History of Dom Manuel continues through his descendant who finds peculiar solutions to difficult situations.

A Dream within a Fantasy via Legend, Tradition & M. Perrault
One afternoon in 1698, Florian, the 10 year old son of the Duke de Puysange, decided to explore the Forest of Acaire which he had been emphatically forbidden to do. He entered the forest and was greeted byMelusine, the sorceress who took him to the enchanted Castle of Brunbeloisand showed him Melior, her sister, who had been asleep for over 500 years.Upon seeing the sleeping beauty, Florian fell deeply in love with her.Next, he was aware of being in his bedroom and wondering if he had dreamedhis adventure. His father assured him that he had.

At age 35, Florianexiled his mistress, poisoned his favorite male companion and set out onhorseback on a four day journey to the home of Mlle. Louise de Nerac, hisaffianced and soon to be 5th wife. As he was passing the Forest of Acaire,Marie-Claire, his half sister, emerged from it and greeted him. He chidedher for her lack of interest in following logic and precedent and hercasual life-style, and she, in turn, sowed seeds of doubt concerning hisupcoming 5th marriage. She mentioned the name of "Janicot" to himand made some cryptic references to him. Florian decided to amuse himselfby finding Janicot in the forest and watch him work. After entering theforest, he soon came upon Janicot. He began talking with him and quicklyrealized that with Janicot's help he could have Melior for his brideinstead of Louise. He made a Rumpelstiltskin-like deal with Janicot, andlearned how to disenchant the Castle of Brunbelois, after which he marriedMelior. From that point on, Florian lost control of events, found hisbelief system under siege and saw his fantasies and crimes come to life andmock him. However, thanks to a deal between Janicot and the ArchangelMichael, Florian was able to return to the path of logic and precedent andact upon his father's mandate: "Thou shalt not offend against thyneighbors notions."

In this work, satire, fantasy and socialcriticism run amuck in a uniquely fluent literary style. If the tale has amoral, it's: "You can't go home again!" ... Read more

Product Description
1926. Today, Cabell is recognized by some as one of the first contemporary writers from the South. He is also noted for his unique ability to blend classic myths and legends with his own imagination; and is considered a pioneer of fantasy writing. The book begins: They relate how Dom Manuel that was the high Count of Poictesme, and was everywhere esteemed the most lucky and the least scrupulous rogue of his times, had disappeared out of his castle at Storisende, without any reason or forewarning, upon the feast day of St. Michael and All the Angels. They tell of the confusion and dismay which arose in Dom Manuel's lands when it was known that Manuel the Redeemer-thus named because he had redeemed Poictesme from the Northmen, through the aid of Miramon Lluagor, with a great and sanguinary magic,- was now gone, quite inexplicably out of these lands. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Chivalry, wit, and satiric romance
When the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series began, editor Lin Carter saw to it that the works of many classic authors in the field were reprinted, thus introducing them to a whole new generation. And one of the best of these was the erudite, ever so civilized James Branch Cabell.

"The Silver Stallion" was the first Cabell volume reprinted, inviting readers into the bewilderingly complex but always entertaining world of "The Biography of Manuel," which sprawled across more than 20 volumes, across centuries, across worlds upon worlds of mythology -- and always in the most lapidary, exquisite prose, as exotic & sometimes as astringent as absinthe.

As a teenager only just discovering the then-sparse field of fantasy, primarily due to reading Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Robert E. Howard, writing of this caliber took me by surprise, to say the least. It wasn't like anything I'd experienced up 'til then! But I soon plunged into the baroque, often humorous & grotesque tales of the Companions of Manuel, the dispersed Round Table to the legendary Manuel's King Arthur. The sensuous & comical illustrations of Frank Papè only added to the pleasure of this new realm -- although I really wasn't old enough, and certainly not experienced enough, to appreciate all that I was reading at the time!

Still, I was intrigued enough to look forward to the subsequent volumes that followed over the next few years, which I enjoyed just as much. The flavor of fin-de-siècle decadence, the subtle eroticism, the satiric commentary of the chivalrous ideal, all captured my imagination & provided my first taste of a compelling strain of literature & art.

Cabell's fantasies have remained in print since then, thankfully. They won't be for every taste, especially those who prefer straightforward heroism without any hint of irony or world-weary amusement. But for those who enjoy the likes of Jack Vance (who happily acknowledges Cabell's influence), for example, Cabell will be a delight. As always, while there are current editions of his work, if you can find the old Ballantine editions, get them for their distinctively gorgeous cover art & the introductions by Lin Carter.

Definitely recommended!

Innuendo Plus
James Branch Cabell was much admired by H.L. Menken as one of the few southern writers of merit, and i can see why. He is quietly and persistently subversive - the innunedo in the book is quite wicked.

Murder, adultery, treachery etc are dealt with in such a civilised and matter of fact and even tounge in cheek way.The book can be seen as a satire of southern american society.Its rather reminicent of Lord Dunsany.Cabell repays close reading and much meaning has to be teased out of the text.Im sure it did appear shocking in the 1920's when written - but now days would appear rather tame and stale to most. It provides a wealth of insite into the human psyche.

Before Tolkien
Before "The Fellowship of the Ring" there was "The Fellowship of the Silver Stallion"; the consequences for those who allied themselves in arms with Dom Manuel (The Reedemer), progenitor of generations (mortal and otherwise) and founder of myth.

Legends and heroes are made, not born
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) wrote "All social realities--values and processes--are created by humans.The social and ideational world represents no entity without humans.Such a world is the reflection of thesocialization experienced by each individual in his/her cognitivedevelopment.This novel is an inadvertent fictional demonstration of thevalidity of Durkheim's statement.

This book provides a major key forgetting perspective on Poictesme and its varied inhabitants.In 1239, DomManuel, Count of Poictesme disappeared. At Storisende, his young daughterMelicent said that she had seen her father on a black horse riding to thewest in company with Grandfather Death on a white one. Young Jurgen,another child who was the son of Coth, reported that at dusk,in UpperMorven, he had seen Dom Manuel partake of a fearful eucharist, who was thentransfigured into the glowing clouds of the sunset. Dom Manuel had foundedthe Fellowship of the Silver Stallion, and since it had lost its leader,Niafer, his wife, summoned the nine remaining members of the group to cometo Storisende for its final meeting.After they all had arrived,Horvendile addressed them as follows, "The master who held Poictesme,under my whims, has passed.A woman sits in his place, his little soninherits after him.So begins a new romance; and a new order isafoot."Next, he assigned each of the nine a fate and ordered that afire be kindled.The banner of the fellowship was burned and each lord ofthe Black Stallion broke his sword into fragments and threw them into theflames, so that their swords could never defend any other standard.Thenine, Gonfal of Naimes, Donander of Evre, Kerin of Nointel, Ninzian ofYair, Holden of Nerac, Anavalt of Fomor, Coth of the Rocks, Guivric ofPerdigon and Miramon of Ranec, returned home and made ready for the neworder.In this book, the fates of Gonfal, Miramon, Coth, Guivric, Kerin,Ninzian and Donander are told.Alongside their stories, a parallel historyis given of the birth and triumph of the great legend about Manuel theRedeemer as it developed in Poictesme. ... Read more

Product Description
1904. Today, some recognize Cabell as one of the first contemporary writers from the South. He is also noted for his unique blending of classic myths and legends with his own imagination and is considered a pioneer of fantasy writing. The book begins: This is the story of Margaret Hugonin and of the Eagle. And with your permission, we will for the present defer all consideration of the bird, and devote our unqualified attention to Margaret. I have always esteemed Margaret the obvious, sensible, most appropriate name that can be bestowed upon a girl-child, for it is a name that fits a woman-any woman-as neatly as her proper size in gloves. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Saga of Poictesme First Installment
Reprint of the 1904 first edition with black and white illustrations by Will Grefe. The first installment of Cabell's Saga of Poictesme. Fine hardback in red cloth with gilt lettering. Published without a jacket. ISBN 0879680881 ... Read more

Product Description
The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Original Publisher: R. M. McBride ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What is Chivalry?
A young Cabell weaves tales (annotated by authorities (?) of the era) spinning tales of some of the descendants (lineal and "spiritual")(and their consequences)that enrich the History of Dom Manuel of Poictesme. And outlines one of the characteristic approaches taken by the male in his inevitable pursuit of "Domnei".

A gentleman will always serve God, his honor and his lady
These ten stories are attributed to Nicolas de Caen who wrote them in 1470 while serving as the priest and secretary to Philippe, Duke of Burgundy. The stories begin in the 13th century and end in the early years of the15th. During this time the English Kings are struggling to retain theirFrench possessions.In the "Sestina" chapter, Alianora ofProvence, the wife of King Henry III, enlists the aid of Osmund Heleigh tohelp her secure the escape of her son Prince Edward whom the barons haveimprisoned.The bookish Osmund helps her with disasterous consequences tohimself. In the "Tenson" chapter, Prince Edward defeats thebarons at the Battle of Evesham, after which he goes to Spain to get hiswife Ellinor who he married ten years earlier. Several try to get him toset aside his claim to her with dire consequences for his opponents. In the"Rat-Trap" chapter, Prince Edward, now Edward I, arranged tomarry Blanch, daughter of King Philippe of France.When he goes to France,King Philippe has second thoughts about the marriage and arranges to haveEdward assassinated. Edward discovers the plot and humiliates the Frenchking then departs France with a wife but her name is not Blanch.In"Choices," Queen Ysabeau spends a holiday toying with Sir GregoryDarrell and Rosamund Eastney. In "Housewife," Queen Phillipa,wife of Edward III thwarts a conspiracy against him and inspires theEnglish army to defeat the Scottish forces invading England. In"Satraps," Dame Anne of Bohemia, wife to Richard II, preventsRichard's uncles from placing his brother Edward Maudlain on the throne byhaving Edward M. leave the court and go into hiding. In"Heritage," Edward Maudlain with the help of Richard II's 11 yearold wife, Isobel Valois, takes his brother's place in prison and is slain,after which Henry of Derby becomes King Henry IV.In "Scabbard,"the deposed Richard II changes his surname to Holland and makes a long tourof the continent. On his return to England, he has a chance to recover hisusurped throne but opts to settle in Wales at Caer Idion, marry a peasantgirl named Branwen and become a shepherd.In the "Navarrese,"Antoine Riczi remains loyal to Princess Jehane de Navarre.In the"Fox-Brush," King Henry V traveling incognito in France as AlainMaquedonnieux the Irish harpist, kills a fox near the Convent of Chartresand has a chance meeting with Lady Katherine the Fair.He falls in lovewith her, and after an angst-filled courtship they become betrothed in theCathedral of Troyes. In his "Epilogue," Nicolas de Caen gives theauthorities for his tales and apologizesfor being unable to confirmsolidly the facts of the first three tales. As the events in the talestake place, the Hundred Years War blossoms and the seeds for the War of theRoses are sown. ... Read more

Product Description
Roger scoffed. "Love, love! O you piece of ice! You gray-stone saint! What do you know of love?" Master Darke caught both her hands in his. "Now, by Almighty God, our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ!" he said, between his teeth, his eyes flaming; "I, Roger Darke, have offered you undefiled love and you have mocked at it. Ha, Tears of Mary! how I love you! And you mean to marry this man for his title! Do you not believe that I love you, Adelais?" he whimpered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Troubadores, Courtships and Nostalgia for Youthful Love
The "line" extends over ten courtships from April 14, 1355 to May 27, 1559 and traverses northern France and southern England during the Hundred Years War,the rise of the French Monarchy and the accession of the Tudor Family to the English Throne. In the first courtship, Sir Adhelmar deNointel and Hugues d'Arques vie for the hand ofMelite de Puysange. Huguesand Melite marry but have to flee to England to save their lives. From thiscouple a line develops that goes back and forth from England and France.Sylvia, Melite's daughter, and Falstaff are youthful lovers, but marryothers. Noel, Sylvia's son, vies with Francois Villon for the hand ofCatherine de Vaucelles and wins.And so it goes.The stories aroundFalstaff, Villon and Will Sommers--court fool to King Henry VIII providepathos, wild adventure and wit in that order. Cabell makes a magnficentsummation of the line: "For they loved very greatly, these men andwomen of the past.Nature tricked them to noble ends, lured them to skyeyheights of adoration and sacrifice.At bottom they were, perhaps, no moreheroical than you or I: Indeed, Melite was a light woman, and Falstaff isscarcely describable as immaculate; Villon thieved, and will Sommers wasbut a fool . . . and yet to each in turn was granted to love greatly, toknow at least one hourof pure magnanimity.This work was a favorite ofPresident Theodore Roosevelt and his letter of praise of the work to theauthor was one of Cabell's prized possessions. ... Read more

Product Description
Figures of Earth is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by James Branch Cabell is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of James Branch Cabell then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very poor edition
I rarely review a purchase.I even more rarely return a book.The typeface used in this book is terrible, faded, and almost unreadable.It appears to have been typeset with a typewriter.Although probably not important to the story, none of the original illustrations are in this edition (it just says "[Illustration]" where there should be an actual illustration). Curling up with this oversized book (I didn't expect 8 1/2 by 11 size pages) would have all the charm of reading an ancient hand-typed grad-school monograph on the crystalline structure of dipenzenemonophosphate.I strongly recommend finding another edition.That's what I will do.

To be read many times
This is one of his shorter novels, but incredibly rich from beginning to end.I don't consider it inferior to any of his books.Some readers will be completely befuddled by his references to obscure mytholigies, his strange spelling of what turn out to be familiar names, and his use of anagrams. My recomendation is to read it.If the names of gods and queens have no resonance, read them as characters in the novel.Don't waste time looking for Manuel's County on a map.This is a fantasy grounded firmly in a fantatsic view of history and human nature and human mythlogy.

At some point something may click. It's not like a secret being revealed; it's just another layer to the story. One of the central dynamics is the contrast between youth and age.This alone may inspire a re-reading.Some may be put off by Cabell's jaundiced view of humanity, its strivings, and its hypocricies.Others may be put off by the clear immoralty of its characters and its raucous blending of fantasy and history.Don't feel sorry for such people; they cause more misery than they suffer.

Influential and interesting book, but a lesser work than Jurgen
James Branch Cabell shares, with Lord Dunsany, the honor of being the most influential fantasist that everyone today has forgotten, occluded behind Mount Tolkien. He was considered a major literary writer in his day, a friend of H.L. Mencken and others, and he's been an influence on Heinlein and Gaiman and many other major writers. . Generally, his works are satiric fantasy with literary bite -- imagine a cynical, agnostic C.S. Lewis, writing pointed fantasies to skewer the pretensions of his Oxford chums, and you might have some preliminary idea of what to expect with Cabell.

This book is chronologically the first in his "series" -- his fantasy works are primarily set in a mythical medieval french realm called "Poictesme", and this book is a biography of the founder, Count Manuel, whose motto is "Mundus Vult Decipiti" ("The World Wishes to be Deceived"). It's a sharp book, aimed at sharp readers, and very amusing for what it is (if somewhat bitter). The only problem with it is that he wrote it after writing _Jurgen_, and Jurgen is simply funnier and more entertaining and better -- as good as this book is, Jurgen is the same thing, but better, pretty much across the board, a better satire of contemporary norms, a better puncturing of worldly ideals. So, read Jurgen first; if you really like it and want more, read this one next.

In the Beginning
This is where it starts (maybe); the epic History of Dom Manuel of Poictesme (pronounced pwa-tem), progenitor of a clan that stretches from pre-revolutionary France to the American South and includes Kings of England and Shakespeare.Cabell was witty, erudite and scandalous,,,by far the finest, widely unknown fantasist ever produced in America.Only for those who relish dense language and wisdom that is inevitable.

A Tale of Obligations, Magic, Deceptions & Social Mobility
Manuel, a swineherd for his brother-in-law the miller, was a resident in the area ruled by Count Demetrios d'Arnaye. His girlfriend was the lovely Suskind. On her deathbed, Dorothy, his mother, told him that she wanted himto make himself a figure in the world that was a splendid and admirableyoung man in all respects.After her death, he spent much time at the Poolof Haranton using its marsh clay to make a figure of earth of himself.After he had an adventure with Miramon Lluagor, the wizard, which nettedhim a lover named Niafer who was then taken by death to the pagan paradise,he decided to seek his fortune elsewhere.He did the following: providedwisdom for King Helmas, turned the wicked King Ferdinand into a saint andended up engaged to Alianora the Unattainable Princess, the daughter ofKing Berenger of Arles.The princess taught him her magic and he saved thelife of a stork that became indebted to him.He relinquished Alianora tothe King of England and found a way to turn Queen Freydis of Audela into awoman permanently. That queen gave life to one of his figures that ran awayfom them and became Sesphra, the god of the Philistines. After QueenFreydis taught him how to invoke Misery to free Niafer from the paganparadise, he invoked Misery and served him for 30 of Misery's days whichturned out to be 30 years for Manuel.Misery returned Niafer to him andthey were married.For a time, they lived with Queen Freydis on herenchanted island where the stork delivered Melicent, their first child. With the aid of Queen Freydis and Miramon Lluagor, Manuel became the Countof Poictesme which had been granted to him by King Ferdinand, but had beenoccupied by the Northmen.As count, he founded The Fellowship of theSilver Stallion and turned Poictesme into a prosperous place.He gave oneof his stork invoices to Queen Alianora so that she could have a son. Thestork added Emmerick and Dorothy to his family.After succeeding ateverything, Manuel vanished and legends about him began to form.

Thiswork is a treasure-trove of subtle parodies, satires and social criticismthat are unique for their fluency and urbanity. ... Read more

Product Description
A verse: So this is the song of the double-souldistortedly two in one.¿ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"Figures of Earth?"
Tales of the "spiritual" descendants of Dom Manuel the Reedemer, carefully annotated by expert commentary.Figures of earth have feet of clay.

Poets ProvideTime and the Commonplace with immortality
. . . "They of Poictesme narrate that Queene Freydis thereafter did giue Lyfe to these muddie Ymages, eche at a certayne Houre, and that her sotyll scyaunce of Ergomancy sett these x to liue among Mans Kind," .. .

Poets and bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but both shouldbe judged by their contents not their labels.The poets in these tenstories range in time from the early 13th century to that of the 20th.

In1210, the chivalrous Raimbault de Vaquieras, a 30 year veteran of theCrusades, returned to France and made peace with a long time enemy. When hewas told by Dona Biatritz, his long time friend and lover, that his enemywas planning his murder, Raimbault refused to negate his oath and takeaction. However, Dona B.was not restrained by any such an oath.In 1533,the beautiful Graciosa Balthazar not yet 16, attracted the attention ofDuke Alessandro de Medici and Count Eglamore,the duke's hatchet man, andfound herself forced to make a choice between two evils. In 1609, WilliamShakespeare found his talents waning, but found new inspiration in thecreed of Judith, his unlettered daughter. In 1674, Robert Herrick, theeccentric clergyman and poet, disappeared.His friends Sir Thomas Browneand Philip Borsdale learned that RH had dabbled in magic with tragicconsequences. In May of 1680, Robert Wycherley, poet, fop and socialgadfly, failed to make a remunerative marriage and was saved from drowningby an unexpected turn of events. In 1718, Alexander Pope, the small,disfigured poet and satirist, tried to bestow a generous gift on a youngcouple, but failed to do so.In 1681, Robert Calverley resigned animportant state position to save the life of his wife Honoria who he hadliterally stolen from the Marquis of Umfraville before their expectedmarriage. He returned to England despite warnings from friends that hisactions had outraged many in high places and now,they wanted revenge.Hewas saved from ruin by an unselfish act of a scheming relative. In 1795,Richard Sheridan, poet-politician, married Miss Esther Jane Ogle known as"the irresistible Ogle," after being rebuffed by her many, manytimes.On Sheridan's turf, Miss Ogle proved to be no match for the wilypolitician.In 1803, Crown Prince Hilary of Saxe-Kesselberg, staged hisfuneral, changed his name to Paul Vanderhoffen and fled to England tobecome a poet and writer. After a series of events, one of which almostended in his death, he married Mildred Claridge and became a writer on GrubStreet. John Charteris, a distinguised writer and lecturer, gave aCommencement Speech at his alma mater and thought he had a chance torekindle a relationship with Pauline Romeyne, a former lover, until hisfriend Rudolph Musgrave ruined his plan with a dose of reality.

The 21page "Auctorial Induction" should be read both before and afterreading the ten tales.In it, JBC makes a number of penetratingobservations about the 1916 literary scene in the USA. The ballad at thebeginning of the book and the one at its end, both bear rereading. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Welcome to the Tree of Life
The book is in 100 chapters.Each Sephira is divided into 10 sephiroth.You can follow the descent of each idea in a way that is both enlightening and enjoyable.He also turns sulpher, mercury, and salt into three approaches to life, the poetic, gallant, and chivalric.To live life fully you would have to do all three at once, of course.This book takes magic out of the temple and into your life.It is very helpful for any autobiographer.Buy yourself a copy of Tamburlaine along with it to save time.

Before Heinlein 2
In the beginning there was The Author.The History of Dom Manuel of Poitesme is an aesthetic journey defined in this evening spent with One Such and his Editor.Astonishing, the irony, the clarity, the polish of the language and the subtlety of reasoning.Any questions why Heinlein emulated Cabell for the last half of his career?

An Advocacy for the Romantic Basis of Literary Creativity
The story takes place at Willoughby Hall in Fairhaven, the home of John Charteris, a successful USA writer of the early 20th century.A young writer, 22 years JC's junior, pays JC a visit.The time is shortly beforethe USA entered World War I on April 5, 1917.JC gave his visitor a tourof his library, then seated himself in a swivel chair and delivered anextemporaneous lecture on literary creativity.The visitor took notes ofwhat JC had said and turned them into a book entitled BEYONDLIFE.

"Many a man lives a burden to the earth: but a good book isthe precious life-blood of a master-spirit, enbalmed and treasured up onpurpose to a life beyond life."That quotation provided thejustification for his theory of literary creativity.The young writersummarized JC lecture: "And sometimes he talked concerning men whohave made great literature, and spoke sensibly enough although with apervasive air of knowing more than anyone else ever did.And sometimes hediscoursed enigmas, concerning the power of romance, which he pretentiouslycalled "the demiurge," as being a world-shaping andworld-controlling principle . . .""His notion, as I followedhim, was that romance controlled the minds of men; and by creatingforce-producing illusions, furthered the world's betterment with the forcesthus brought into being: so that each generation of naturally inert mortalswas propelled to a higher sphere and manner of living, by the might of eachgeneration's ignorance and prejudices and follies and stupidities,beneficently directed."JC continually harped on the unfairnessinherent in existence and finally admitted that for him the great unsolvedquestion of the universe was: "What is it all up to?"

The workprovides a critical commentaryon many of the popular USA writers of theearly 20th century, many of whom have faded from view or survive as relictfaunas nurtured by scholars and antiquarians.Harold Bell Wright(1872-1944) was one of those early writers discussed.Wright was the firstUSA novelist to earn a mllion dollars from his writings and his "TheWinning of BarbaraWorth" (1911) was the first USA novel to sell onemillion copies. ... Read more

Product Description
When Let Me Lie was first published in 1947, most reviewers missed the double meaning of the book's title. Deaf to James Branch Cabell's many-layered ironic wit, they read the book as a paean to the old South.

Readers of this new paperback edition are unlikely to repeat the mistake. Let Me Lie is indeed a carefully researched and brilliantly written historical narrative of Virginia from 1559 to 1946--focusing on Tidewater, Richmond, and the Northern Neck--but as a fictional scholar remarks in the book, Cabell's history is "both accurate and injudicious." Virginia's story of itself, Cabell claims, depends on illusion and myth, and his skill as a satirist allows him to construct and deflate these myths simultaneously. Ranging from Don Luis de Velasco and Captain John Smith to Edgar Allan Poe and Ellen Glasgow, from Confederate heroes to the oddities of the post-Civil War Old Dominion, Let Me Lie remains compulsively readable, as history, entertainment, or both. Foreward by R. H. W. Dillard. ... Read more

Product Description
James Branch Cabell and Richmond-in-Virginiaby Edgar MacDonaldIn his prime Vanity Fair nominated James Branch Cabell for "Immortality" on its pages reserved for acclaiming the most select of notable achievers. Favored by the intelligentsia, Cabell was the author of a series of fabulous, well-told fictions that in the 1920s made him a household literary name. Among his many acclaimed books published by 1930 are Jurgen, The Lineage of Lichfield, The Silver Stallion, Something About Eve, The White Robe, and The Works of James Branch Cabell in eighteen volumes. By the time of his death in 1958 the list of his works had become prodigiously long, but he had been in eclipse for almost three decades. This definitive biography serves to restore to Cabell the recognition he deserves. Here he is portrayed as a jesting critic of southern chivalry, an ambivalent artist whose feelings for Richmond required a lifetime to reconcile. He was quintessentially a Virginian. His native Richmond shaped him, and its social milieu indelibly marked him. He matured as a writer in the climate of the postbellum South and excelled in subjecting the rigid graces of "Richmond-in-Virginia" to satire and burlesque. Like his fellow Virginian Ellen Glasgow, he had mixed emotions about home. Not to love Virginia was an act of betrayal, yet to condone its stultifying, Old South idealism was to betray oneself. With the deterioration of Richmond's Edwardian values in the 1920s Cabell emerged as a major literary figure, hailed as an iconoclast and debunker of myths, but by the 1930s his mannered, self-conscious style was out of fashion. Cabell was dogged by scandal. There was the question of homosexuality. It was charged that he murdered the man reputed to be his mother's lover. After a notorious New York trial his most notable book Jurgen was suppressed for violating antiobscenity laws. In this inclusive examination of Cabell's life and milieu a fascinating literary figure is rescued from the literary shadows and acknowledged as a writer of major worth in the canon of American literature. Edgar MacDonald is Cabell Scholar-in-Residence at the James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unjustly neglected author...
Along with his own autobiographical writings and a chapter in Joe Lee Davis's Twayne book on Cabell, this is the best coverage of the life of this unjustly neglected author. It is, however not without its flaws. There are a few places where information is unnecessarily repeated, even down to the use of identical phrasing; and there's at least one factual howler: Cabell's early friend the novelist Justus Miles Foreman is said to have died on the Titanic in 1912 -- but actually he died on the Lusitania in 1915! There could perhaps have been more interrogation of the racial and social situation in 19c Virginia. But over all a good job... ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Something About Eve, an entry in the Poictesme series, "shows its non-hero feebly intending to gain promised glory awaiting in the land of 'Antan' but forever delayed on Mispec Moor (anagram: 'Compromise'), wearing literal rose-colored spectacles and beguiled by the woman Maya, while bolder folk like Solomon and Odysseus pass by on the road to Antan." -The Encyclopedia of Fantasy ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Men Aren't from Venus
Want to know what really makes men tick?Cabell had it all figured out.It's about fantasy and the various postures men assume in the pursuit thereof.Start with any of his books and go on to whatever you can find.There IS a chronology to the History but, unlike so many other series, it doesn't matter where you start with Cabell. It gets richer and more dazzeling with each volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Complications of great wealth fueled by vanity
The "eagle's shadow" is a metaphor for great wealth: "The Eagle suffers little birds to sing, And is not careful what they mean thereby, Knowing that with the shadow of his wing, He can at pleasure stilltheir melody." The Romans were keenly aware of the effect of the"eagle's shadow" as evidenced by the translation of the Latinquotation on the title page of the book: "Futhermore, in that placeunder the shadow of the eagle: The mob trembles, the Senate dawdles, thenobility gaze on impotently, the judges are compliant, the theologiansremain silent, and the lawyers are obsequious while law and custom areignored."The story is a narrative by Richard Fenton Harrowbywho called his tale "the comedy of Margaret Hugonin and the eagle.Astory which he completed on 14 April 1923.Margaret Hugonin was thedaughter of Col. Thomas Hugonin, an English cavalry officer, and MargaretMusgrave. The colonel's wife had a twin sister named Martha Musgrave whohad married Frederick R. Woods, a stock trader on Wall Street who hadamassed a fortune. Harrowby wrote: "For the scene of this comedyislaid in the ineffably remote strange days of Colonel Roosevelt's firstpresidential term.Looking backward, I can remember, but not quite believein, the queer world we then inhabited: and most droll of all do I find ourfaith in its stability.For it seemed a fixed and eternally ordered place,a place which was, with minor improvements here and there, to last forever:yet neither Sidon nor Sumeria appears--now--to be more remote than is theAmerica of that day."In the early 1880's, when Frederick R.Woods turned 65, he retired from Wall Street and moved to a site near theLichfield town of Fairhaven that had once belonged to a 17th centuryancestor named Lt. Gervase Woods.On that site he built a handsome Tudorstyle home which he named Selwoode Mansion.He hired a genealogist whotraced his ancestry back to Woden, and determined that the family arms ofthe Woods sported an eagle.The eagle so fascinated him that he had itcarved into the woodwork, set in mosaics, chased in the tableware, woveninto the napery, and glazed into the China of Selwoode. Frederick andhis wife were childless, but his brother William had one son named BillyWilliams, and Frederick named him as his heir.However, when Billy turned18, he informed his uncle that he intended to study to become a painter,much to his uncle's disapproval. Billy went off to college, earned hisdegree in fine arts and returned to Selwoode to find that his uncle hadinvited Col. Hugonin and Margaret to be long-term guests at Selwoode.Frederick ordered Billy to wed Margaret Hugonin.Billy refused to marryher and left Selwoode.In turn, Frederick named Margaret as his heir andwhen he died Margaret came into a fortune, after which, she struggled tocome to terms with her vast wealth while supporting an entourage ofhangers-on, and warding off marriage proposals.Later Billy returns toSelwoode, conflicting wills are found and Margaret and Billy struggle tocome to terms with one another. The story line is fluent, entertainingand contains gems of subdued wit. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1907. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more