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Straws and Prayer-Books, one of the least well known entries in the Poictesme series, consists of collected shorter works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Epilogue to the Biography of Dom Manuel with JURGEN asides
The title of this book comes from a poem:"Behold the child, byNature's kindly law, Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. . . .Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper age, And beads and prayer-books arethe toys of age."

Before reading this book, look up the definitionsof "arietin," "epigoni," "horary" and"thrasonical."

JBC stated that he wrote the Biography for hispersonal diversion, and maintained that that was the rationale for anyliterary work.Within such diversion, the writer plays with reason, commonsense and piety which is explored in Chapter 1 thru 3.Chapter 4 returnedto Poictesme to relate the fate of Sir Anavalt of Fomor who quested for andfound Maid Vae, the Thin Queen of Elfhame. Chapter 5 discussed the changeof a writer's viewpoint with age and the negative and positive aspects ofthe Puritan world-view on 20th century behavior.His analysis of LAROTISSERIE DE LA REINE PEDAUQUE by Anatole France deserves careful studyand his remarks about "celestial architecture" are insightful. Chapter 6 looked at the goals and idiosyncracies of established literaryartists.Chapter 7 entitled "Diversions of the Anchorite,"focused on Joseph Hergesheimer (1880-1954) as a shining example of thatconcept.Chapter 8 went back to Poictesme and followed the career of SirHolden of Nerac who had become enamored with the delta-framed picture ofthe pagan Queen Radegonde who had died 1300 years before him. Sir Guivricof Perdigon enabled Sir Holden to love and later marry the queen withdecidely mixed results. The final chapters focus on the work of GeorgeMoore (1852-1933) and hint that "the pen is a remedy againstoblivion."An addendum to the book entitled "The Author of theEagle's Shadow," has the young JBC asking the elder one if he shouldbecome a writer.The elder one discussed the positive and negative sidesto becoming a writer, but left the query unanswered. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / American; Fiction / Fantasy / General; Fiction / Short Stories; History / General; Juvenile Fiction / Action ... Read more

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His name was Jose Gasparilla, and he was the self-proclaimed King of Pirates. He terrorized the waters around Florida, demanding tribute from every merchant ship he encountered. Riches flowed into his tiny island kingdom . . . and yet he longed for a life he could never have, for he had left his beloved Isabel behind in Spain. One day he would return to claim her for his bride, he knew, and she had vowed to wait for him. When he captures a ship and discovers Isabel and her elderly husband aboard, he strikes a deal with the man who stole his bride. For Jose Gasparilla, it means a chance to regain the lost years of his life . . . to live his childhood again and pick a new path, in the Land Without Shadows... There Were Two Pirates is a fantasy adventure in James Branch Cabell's best style, and a terrificaddition to the Wildside Fantasy Classics line. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ironic fantasy about youth and maturity
This is one of Cabell's later books, and a short one at that, running at nearly half the word count of his normal novel. The first half of it is as ironic as his best work in the "Biography of the Life of Manuel," neatly revisiting a number of his main themes such as the concept of the true love that cannot be recaptured (known as "domnei" or woman-worship), that one's actions matter not so much as how one's neighbors view those actions, and honoring one's word. The second half skewers the first--returning the main character to that lost love, making those actions have ramifications (at least to some extent), and showing that one's promises can always contain loopholes.

Cabell's work always has several things going on: although you can read the surface of the novel and enjoy it, if you know what he's satirizing it is much more rewarding. There Were Two Pirates is a mature reflection on growing older and trying to reconcile with the kinds of dreams and goals a person makes when he or she is young. Cabell was writing from personal experience, as one who had seen his star rise and then fall in the short space of 20 years. Like his later books--mainly autobiographical memoirs--this book reflects what Cabell had finally grown to understand: (to be anachronistic) that his fifteen minutes of fame were over. In its place, Cabell returned (not that I'm sure he had ever left it) to what he did best: write for himself. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.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

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James Branch Cabell (1879-1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. He worked from 1898 to 1900 as a newpaper reporter in New York City, but returned to Richmond in 1901, where he worked several months on the staff of the Richmond News. In 1902, seven of his first stories appeared in national magazines and over the next decade he wrote many short stories and articles, contributing to nationally published magazines including Harper's Monthly Magazine and the Saturday Evening Post, as well as carrying out extensive research on his family's genealogy. In the early 1920s he became the leader of a group of writers known as "The James Branch Cabell School", which included such figures as H. L. Mencken, Carl Van Vechten and Elinor Wylie. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1937. Amongst his best known works are: The Eagle's Shadow (1904), The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking (1909), and The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck: A Comedy of Limitations (1915). ... Read more

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1929. Decorations by Frank C. Pape. 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 Way of Ecben is derived from the Norrovian legend upon which is based Felix Kennaston's The King's Quest, but Cabell claims that his tale clings rigorously to the queer legend's restrained, and quite unfigurative, first shaping. The story begins: It is an old tale which tells of the fighting between Alfgar, the King of Ecben, and Ulf, the King of Rorn. Their enmity took hold of them because they both desired that daughter of Thordis who was called Ettaine. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

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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

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Illustrated by Will Grafé ... Read more

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A collection of lettersfrom James Branch Cabell, covering a period of years and spanning a wide variety of subjects. A fascinating look at the man behind the work, and a glimpse at the personal thoughts of one of the 20th Century's greatest fantasists. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more