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One of the greatest and most celebrated Southern writers of his day, George Washington Cable (1844-1925) helped to lead the local colorist movement of the late 1800s with his pioneering use of dialect and his skill with the short story form. A Southern reformist, Cable wrote faithful portrayals of Creoles and their culture that depict the Creole way of life during the transitory post-Civil War period.

Originally published in 1879, "Old Creole Days" catapulted Cable to national recognition. The stories within reflect the everyday life of the New Orleans Creoles through a mixture of humor and the unique Creole patois. Cable’s best-known work, "Old Creole Days" includes such famous stories as "Posson Jone’," "Jean-ah Poquelin," and "Madame Délicieuse," tales that are alive with the sounds and scenes of nineteenth-century New Orleans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

excellent
This book arrived two days after I ordered it.It was in excellent condition.I have never received a book as fast.Thanks.

Uniquely Captures an Era
The stories in this book provide colorful insight of the culture of New Orleans in the 19th century. Cable has a gift for painting lively images in the minds of his readers. This period in Louisiana history is gone, but thanks to this talented communicator we have a taste of what it was like. Strolling through the narrow streets of the French Quarter, one can think back to days gone by. Cable helps us understand a little of what it was like.

History is about people. As a historical journalist, Cable keeps the human element in the forefront of his work. He doesn't forget that people want to know about other people. Fortunately for us, he tells the stories of Louisianians in his generation.

dialect as thick as gumbo
This book is worth reading as an example of the local color school of literature of the late 19th century.It consists of a novelette, Madame Delphine, and some short stories and sketches.The problem is that the dialogue is written in dialect as thick as gumbo.Outsiders can hardly understand it unless they speak it aloud.

Good
You get the feel of life in New Orleans at that time. ... Read more

Product Description
Strange True Stories of Louisiana is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Washington Cable is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of George Washington Cable then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

INTERESTING, FASCINATING
I have enjoyed reading the stories!

We need to remember though, that CONSERVATIVE meant the democratic party of that time, yes, democrats of old and 50 years ago were 'conservative' and they RULED the south from top to bottom! The reason I add this is that I find it fascinating how politics played in these stories back then.

Liberal meant the up and coming 'Lincoln republican' and conservative meant 'democrat'. Liberal in European countries still means FREEDOM and small government; We are the one's to have flipped the meaning, as here liberals mean a big, heavy handed, controlling government.

I will be visiting New Orleans soon when my husband returns for R&R from Kuwait. I also will be attending Loyola University; the online MSN program, and want to visit some historical sites! This book gives me some great ideas! Love it! Highly recommended!

Louisiana stories
As a fourth-generation Louisianian, I consider many of its true stories to be strange. It's a strange state, but one learns to love, or at least tolerate, some of its quirks. I found myself wishing that George W. Cable had written a much larger book because these stories are fascinating. The stories from the diaries of women who lived in early and Civil War Louisiana were the most intriguing. (In my opinion, Southern women's diaries have given history a much more feasible, human touch.) I now understand the Siege of Vicksburg because it was presented to us from the viewpoint of a civilian woman who lived through it. Cable is a trustworthy source of Louisiana-ana.

Great
I enjoy stories like this. It came on time. I'm sure I will enjoy it.Thank you

Strange true stories from Creole Louisianna
As we traveled along Interstate 10 between New Orleans and "Red Baton," I mused about the girders which held the highway up out of the bayous. What must travel or life in general have been like in that part of Louisianna a century or so ago.

George Washington Cable first collected these seven stories about Louisianna and published them in 1888. He calls them true stories. They are stories from times before his own from 1782 to after the Civil War. At the same time these stories are strange to Cable because life had changed so much in Louisianna between the time that the stories occurred and his own time.

The stories start with the story of Louise who came to Louisianna and almost became the dinner of a local chief. This tragic tale is quickly followed by the "bright and happy" story of Francoise and Suzanne who travel through the "wilds" of Atchafalaya. Alix's story is next. She was once introduced to Marie Antoinette. Then the French Revolution came and Alix lost her first husband. She will be a character that I long admire but I ask you to read the story to see why. Salome Muller was a German who lost most of her family enroute to Louisianna. (Some 1200 of the 1800 who attempted to make that trip never arrived.) Salome became a slave. Yet some 20 years or so later her family took her case to the State Supreme Court to free her. The
"haunted house" is the house of Madame Lalaurie who chose to save her possessions rather than her slaves when a fire burned her house. The story of Attalie Brouillard reminds me of the con men of the movie "The Sting" with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The last story is a diary of a Union woman who lived in the South during the Civil War. To these I would like to add the story of George W Cable who begins his book by telling his readers how he got these other seven stories.

These are true stories from people who lived in Creole Louisianna, a time strange to us now.

Strange True Stories of Louisiana
Seven unusual, true stories set in Louisiana comprise the reissue ofGeorge Washington Cable's STRANGE TRUE STORIES OF LOUISIANA.Firstpublished in 1888, these stories are a gold mine of cultural lore andhistorical facts.As interesting as the stories themselves are theaccounts of how Cable acquired them.

"The Young Aunt with WhiteHair" is set in Spanish occupied Louisiana in 1782 and describes thehorrors experienced by a young woman on the long journey to New Orleansfrom Germany: robbed by sailors on the ship; an Indian attack near themouth of the Mississippi River, during which her husband and baby arebrutally murdered; being held captive by Indians and told she was to be thechief's dinner.Her ordeal was so great that her hair turned snow white ina matter of hours, and she never recovered from the experience.

Humor andsuspense make "The Two Sisters" just plain fun to read.Twoteenage girls- one a tomboy and one a demure, sweet lady- undertake adangerous trek across the Atchafalaya swamp to North Louisiana in 1795. It's not only a good story, but the details of clothing, places and peopleare priceless. "Plaquemine was composed of a church, two stores, asmany drinking-shops, and about fifty cabins, one of which was thecourthouse.Here lived a multitude of Catalans, Acadians, Negros andIndians...It was at Plaquemine that we bade adieu to the oldMississippi.."

The story if "Alix de Morainville" readslike a fairy tale: the birth-deformed baby farmed out to a peasant family;the arranged marriage that turns out to be a love match; the convent stay;the marriage of dear friend Madelaine to Count Louis de la Houssaye and thecouple's departure for the Louisiana colony; presentation to Queen MarieAntoinette; Aleix's grand wedding at Notre Dame Cathedral; the onset of theFrench Revolution; widowhood; rescue; and flight first to England and thento Louisiana.

The other stories are "Salome Muller, The WhiteSlave," "The Haunted House in Royal Street," "AttalieBrouillard," and "War Diary of a Union Woman in the South." ... 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 (7)

Fascinating look into Creole life
I read Cable's novel for a Southern Literature class last semester, and was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. The dialog of the novel is somewhat hard to understand at first because of the many dialects, but once I did that, I enjoyed the story. I felt that Cable presented Creole life in a realistic way, including all the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of that life. The plot is complex, but not overbearing, and the setting was described so well. It was really grounded in my mind, and felt very realistic. Cable also addresses the acute racism of that time and of the time he was writing. I'm definitely going to read this one again in the future.

Creole life in New Orleans, c.1800
Subtitled "A Story of Creole Life" and set in New Orleans during the early 1800s, the main thread of this novel revolves around a family feud between the Grandissimes and De Grapions. Various members of each family love and hate members of the other, which is eventually worked out to the satisfaction of some (Honore and Aurora) and the disappointment (even death) of others (Agricola and Palmyre). Cable's goal was to portray as realistic a picture of New Orleans and Creole society at the time when the city was still mainly French and Spanish (proud old Agricola hates the newly arriving Americans) as he could, and in that he mainly succeeds (even with many of the romantic elements that creep into the story, such as the developing love interest between Joseph Frowenfeld and Clotilde Nancanou). Beyond the feud, though, Cable depicts a society drenched in violence and racial hatred, and this is about as realistic as it could get. In one scene a black woman is lynched, then cut down just before she suffocates and told to run for her life; when she does she's shot dead. Bras Coupe, a one-time African prince who is now a slave, is an imposing character and worthy of respect. The book has a great deal of Creole and French dialect throughout, which may be problematic for some. A product of the deep South, Cable writes with vitriol against the slave system and the cruelty of white masters, but also reveals sympathy for a dying culture in New Orleans. Probably Cable's best work.

I had to read it & I ended up liking it !
To tell you the truth, I had to read this book for a class I took this year, which focused on literature from New Orleans.I don't mind reading books for classes; however, once I read the first couple of chapters of The Grandissimes, I thought that this would be one of those books that I would fall asleep reading.It seemed confusing and dealt with issues that did not really pertain to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting and complex the novel became.
Once the plot started to unfold, the novel grabbed my interest and I grew to respect and be amazed by it.I think that Cable did a great job tying major themes into this piece of literature, such as family pride, Creole lifestyle, Iron Virgins and Southern Belles, and the rigorous expectations of society.The Grandissimes takes place right after the Louisiana Purchase (1803), which allowed Cable to encompass ideas that many people are familiar with, such as a fear of change.The characters in the book where well developed and each seemed to carry their own message to the audience.For example, it is easy for everyone to relate to Joseph Frowenfeld, an American who finds himself wrapped up in the Creole society.This character was forced to be an outsider and the novel depicts how he dealt with the divisions of class and status.
The Grandissimes is titled after the Creole family from New Orleans who held most of the power and influence in society at the time.Throughout the book, the family must struggle through twists and turns of deceit and unexpected events, while still holding up their Old South charm.This book does a great job portraying how the family struggled to keep their position and power in society, in order to stay true to their roots.
If you are thinking of reading this book, I would suggest giving it a try.It may seem very complicated and choppy at first, but it will eventually tie together to make a great story. However, the only downfall to this book is that I could not truly like it until it was done and I reflected on it.It is one of those books that ends up surprising you!

Fantastic depiction of Creole Life
Cable's epic masterpiece details the adventures of a young protagonist stranded in New Orleans after his family succumbs to yellow fever. Through an acquaintance with a well-connected Doctor, he is able to enter a society that few people get to experience -- upper class New Orleans.

Mark Twain said that if you read the Grandissimes, you wouldn't have to go to New Orleans, because by reading it, you have already visited. Cable, with extensive detail, humor and intricate commentary on the Old South, has written a novel that stands the test of time, even though some of the characters (Agricola Fullister) do not.

Although the book is at points tenuous, the characters are vibrant and interesting enough to keep the plot moving along.

Of course, the most controversial aspect of The Grandissimes is the ending, which many feel is a let down after pages and pages of emotional build-up. Without giving anything away, the finals pages are somewhat of a disappointment. But the ending in its entirety is a well done.

Overall, the Grandissimes is a fascinating look at class and culture of the Creoles. It is recommended to anybody who enjoys reading New Orleans literature or literature in general.

"Do the Right Thing" - a century before the movie!
This farsighted inditement of Southern society is still powerful today.

Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Joseph Frowenfeld, a young Northerner of German background who has just moved to Louisiana with his family. He is soon left bereft by yellow fever, and with nothing to go back to is befriended by several kind souls, chief among them Honore Grandissime, the scion of a filthy rich Creole family.

He is quickly dismayed by the inequities of New Orleans society, a confession that prompts his new friend to pour out his heart to him. Honore, who knows what his family is, longs to reach out to his Mulatto half-brother and share the family business with him. He also wants to do right by the beautiful and virtuous Aurora Nancanou and her daughter Clotilde, who have been left destitute (by genteel standards, anyway) after Honore's father murdered Aurora's husband and swindled her. Honore would like to court Auroura, but honorable man that he is doesn't want to take advantage of her by performing his good deed barely before knocking on the door. In short, he wants an end to the moral decay of the old South.

He is not so deluded, however, as to think he can live happily ever after married to Auroura with his brother at his side. The Grandissime family will not give up it's ill-gotten wealth and prestige without a fight, and with few exceptions save his delightful cousin and protege Raoul - who is still too young to have a voice in family affairs - he is virtually alone.

Inspired by his new friend, Honore finally makes his lonely stand, unsure that his efforts will bear fruit - or even that they won't end with a Grandissime bullet in his back.

Honore must rank as one of the most likable of literary heroes - a good man who you can unreservedly sympathise with and root for. The point is not that he succeeds - we are left very much uncertain on that point - but that he has the strength to be the first to fight for what he knows in his heart is right. It's a struggle that many concientious white people are facing now long after this book was written. ... Read more

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With Illustrations by Albert Herter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great
A wonderful story that captures the time and truth of the era. The best part is - it was entertaining to the end. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:mirth that froze my blood and then heated it to a fever. The company howled. They rolled over one another, crying, " Charlie Toliver! — Charlie Toliver! — Oh, Lord, where's Scott Gholson!—Charlie Toliver! "— and leaped up and huddled down and moaned and rolled and rose and looked for me.But, after all, fortune was merciful, and I was gone; the Major had summoned me—his brother had come. I went circuitously and alone. As I started, some fellow writhing on the grass cried, " Charlie Tol—oh, this is better than a tcharade!" and a flash of divination enlightened me. While I went I burned with shame, rage and nervous exhaustion; the name Scott Gholson had gasped in my ear was the name of her in the curtained wagon, and I cursed the day in which I had heard of Charlotte Oliver.THREE DAYS' RATIONSIn the vocabulary of a prig, but in the wrath of a fishwoman, I execrated Scott Gholson; his jealousies, his disclosures, his religion, his mispronunciations; and Ned Ferry—that cockerel! Here was I in the barrel, and able only to squeal in irate terror at whoever looked down upon me. I could have crawled under a log and died. At the door of the Major's tent I paused to learn why there was laughter in there also, and in the bewilderment and joy of one to whom comes reprieve when the rope is on his neck, I overheard Harry Helm,the General's nephew and aide-de-camp, who had been with us, telling what a howling good joke Smith had just got off on Gholson!" We shall have to get Ned Ferry back here," the Major was saying as I entered, " to make you boys let Scott Gholson alone."The young man laughed and turned to go. " Why doesn't Ned Ferry make her let Gholson alone? He can do it; he's got her round his finger as tight as she's got Gholson round hers."" Harry," replied the Ma... ... Read more

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Bylow Hill is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Washington Cable is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of George Washington Cable then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Washington Cable is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of George Washington Cable then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... 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

Product Description
Originally published in 1908.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

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A pioneering local-color writer about Creole New Orleans and a public advocate for black equality in his native South during and after Reconstruction, George Washington Cable (1844-1925) depicted in his writing the clash between American newcomers and a quaint but proud French-speaking population in post-Louisiana Purchase New Orleans.His work, including the short-story collection Old Creole Days (1879) and his most famous novel, The Grandissimes (1880), received widespread critical acclaim and was serialized in the country's best highbrow magazines.In 1880, Cable was commissioned to write a "historical sketch" of pre-Civil War New Orleans for a special section ofthe Tenth U. S. Census titled Report on the Social Statistics of Cities. Although subsequently revised and published as Creoles of Louisiana, Cable's original piece never appeared in print again except as a facsimile reprint.With The New Orleans of George Washington Cable, Lawrence N. Powell presents this rare text in its entirety for the first time, including Cable's copious footnotes and other material deleted from the original census publication by its editors.

Likened by northern critics to Nathaniel Hawthorne and Bret Harte, Cable was already a literary sensation by the time he undertook the census project.He approached writing history as seriously as he did writing fiction, and he attacked his new challenge with vigor. Instead of the "sketch" he was asked to provide, Cable turned in 313 pages of meticulously documented history--complete with 647 footnotes--on everything from the origins of the city and its role in the Indian wars to the effect of West Indian immigration, the War of 1812, and commercial expansion through the mid-nineteenth century. He used sources in English, French, and Spanish, drawing on published histories, early maps, official surveys, travel accounts, medical journals, sanitation reports, city ordinances, American State Papers, city directories, and the New Orleans-based DeBow's Review--a treasure trove of history, journalism, and useful statistics--for his lively account of the Crescent City.

In an invaluable introduction to Cable's text, Powell illuminates the circumstances surrounding Cable's turn to historical writing and sheds new light on his controversial relations with white Creoles.Cable's forays into Creole culture aroused considerable hostility, as Powell ably demonstrates in his analysis of Cable's rivalry with Creole historian Charles Gayarré. Although Cable's vocal support for full civil rights for African Americans eventually forced him to leave New Orleans for Massachusetts, he continued to write novels, stories, and nonfiction about the Crescent City and the South. As Powell shows in his introduction, Cable's vast historical research fundamentally influenced both his development as a writer and his evolution as a political reformer. ... 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
Originally published in 1901.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

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: C. Scribner's Sons in 1899 in 212 pages; Subjects: Readers; Fiction / Classics; History / United States / State & Local / South; Juvenile Fiction / Short Stories; Language Arts & Disciplines / General; Literary Criticism / American / General; Literary Criticism / Children's Literature; ... Read more

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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:CHAPTER III.ATHANASIUS.War It was. The horsemen grew scarce on the wide prairies of Opelousas. Far away in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, on bloody fields, many an Acadian volunteer and many a poor conscript fought and fell for a cause that was really none of theirs, simple, non-slaveholding peasants; and many died in camp and hospital — often of wounds, often of fevers, often of mere longing for home. Bonaventure and Zose'- phine learned this much of war: that it was a state of affairs in which dear faces went away, and strange ones came back with tidings that brought bitter wail- ings from mothers and wives, and made les vieux — the old fathers — sit very silent. Three times over that was the way of it in Sosthene's house.It was also a condition of things that somehow changed boys into men very young. A great distance away, but still in sight south-westward across the prairie, a dot of dark green showed where dwelt a sister and brother-in-law of Sosthene's vieille, — wife. There was not the same domestic excellence there as at Sostheue's; yet the dooryard was very populous with fowls; within the house was always heard the hard thump, thump, of the loom, or the loud moan of the spinning-wheel; and the children were many. The eldest was Athanase. Though but flfteeu he was already stalwart, and showed that intelligent sympathy in the f amily cares that makes such offspring the mother's comfort and the father's hope. At that age he had done but one thing to diminish that comfort or that hope. One would have supposed an ambitious chap like him would have spent his first earnings, as other ambitious ones did, for a saddle ; but 'Thanase Beausoliel had bought a fiddle.He had hardly got it before he knew how to play it. Yet, to the father's most welcome surprise, he remai... ... Read more

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Publisher: C. Scribner's SonsPublication date: 1885Subjects: African AmericansPrisonsUnited StatesNegroesFiction / LiteraryLaw / Educational Law ... Read more