Book 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 (1)

A Central Piece Of Biography Finally Back In Print
James Branch Cabell (1879-1958), a novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, satirist, the favourite author of Mark Twain (another satirist), was a true wizard of words, who, according to his own words, wrote only for his own pleasure, and spent countless hours studying the writing styles of other authors, always mixing up the styles of two, three or perhaps four different authors as he saw fit for his current literary work (you can read Cabell's own words in Quite, Please). Thus the writing styles varied from novel to novel--and, on some special occasions, from page or paragraph to the next--more or less subtly (most notably in The Devil's Own Dear Son), yet always suitably. Commentators usually fail to note this particular excellence of Cabell, as does Mr. Eric Walker in his otherwise excellent essay on Cabell (which you may wish to read to find out more about Cabell and his work) in his Great Science-Fiction & Fantasy Works website.

The Silver Stallion is one of my personal favourites of Cabell's (or anybody else's) novels, along with Figures of Earth (the previous volume in the "Biography"), Jurgen (the volume that comes after this one), Domnei (the ultimate romance), and The King Was in His Counting House (a late work). Moreover, having read some of the above mentioned books a number of times, I think this one emerges as the one I would choose to read over and over again if I could choose only one novel by Cabell. Unfortunately, I'm not experienced enough to trace back Cabell's stylistic influences in this particular work, but I can say his writing is loftier, and his usual trademarks in evidence: the well-weighed assonances, huge vocabulary (which he uses prudently), urbanity, polyphony of different voices (views), and even meanings (through deliberation, not incompetence), and the sheer mastery of language.

The novel is about how a legend is made; its consequences; and the different attitudes... As Cabell writes in the prologue (the tone of the story itself isn't quite that lofty):

Herewith begins the history of the birth and of the triumphing of the great legend about Manuel the Redeemer, whom Gonfal repudiated as blown dust, and Miramon as an impostor, and whom Coth repudiated out of honest love: but whom Guivric accepted, through two sorts of policy; whom Kerin accepted as an honourable old human foible, and Ninzian, as a pathetic and serviceable joke; whom Donander accepted wholeheartedly (to the eternal joy of Donander), and who was accepted also by Niafer, and by Jurgen the Pawnbroker, after some little private reservations: and hereinafter is recorded the manner of the great legend's engulfement of these persons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Cream of the Jest
If you expect a series of fantastical scenes of irony and general amusement in the manner of Jurgen, you will not find that here (nor should you thus condemn this book, for it was not Cabell's intent to produce such a work here). The Cream of the Jest requires a more subtle reading than Jurgen, lacking its fireworks (this is not to say that Jurgen cannot be read equally subtly, only that it rarely requires such reading to be enjoyed).

Unlike most stories in the Biography, The Cream of the Jest is set in early 20th century (which is when it was written), although parts of the story take place inside the dreams of the main character, Felix Kennaston, that in turn appear to take place in various historical settings.

Kennaston finds an artifact that shapes his dreams. If his dreams had been chaotic before, at least now they would be united by visions of Ettarre. Ettarre?

"Give place, fair ladies, and begone,
Ere pride hath had a fall!
For here at hand approacheth one
Whose grace doth stain you all."

Cabell enjoyed composing rhymes such as the one above to adorn his books, to function as chapter headings and such.

Ettarre symbolizes the transcendent dream, whatever may be its particulars, that one may fervently seek for all his life but cannot ever truly reach. Sounds like only so much lofty nonsense. But Cabell is not so sure it is nonsense; and while reading this book, the reader may also lose his or her certainty.

Kennaston is a dreamer, but he does also try to lead a normal life on occasion (with a wife like Kathleen, one has to):

- - -

"At all events," Kathleen considered, "it is a quarter to seven already, and we have seats for the theater to-night."

He cleared his throat. "Shall I keep this, or you?"

"Why, for heaven's sake--! The thing is of no value now, Felix. Give it to me." She dropped the two pieces of metal into the waste-basket by the dressing-table, and rose impatiently. "Of course if you don't _mean_ to change for dinner --"

He shrugged and gave it up. So they dined alone together, sharing a taciturn meal, and duly witnessed the drolleries of The Gutta-Percha Girl. Kennaston's sleep afterward was sound and dreamless.

- - -

Sound, but dreamless... Alone together? These are the kind of subtleties of language use that abound in this novel, and that, along with the high seriousness, make it a great work.

The Wildside Press edition (paperback or hardcover) is, as always, worth the price, and infinitely superior to decades old pocket book editions (unlike those old paperbacks, the Wildside Press paperbacks, although of varying sizes, are always pretty big, there's always lots of space around the image area, the pages are of superior quality and open well, the backs simply won't wrinkle, and so on).

The Real Never Ending Story
The last (?) descendant of Dom Manuel confronts the past to discover reality.Cabell's "average" (i.e. classical) exercise in urban wit, devious language and human puzzlement.This is a doorway to the past and all the other books of the History. ... Read more

Book Description

Jurgen--a middle-aged pawnbroker-poet from the land of Poictesme--is given the opportunity to regain his youth for a year.Jurgen takes full advantage, setting off on an amorous journey through increasingly fantastic realms--and even to heaven and hell--seducing women as he goes.As his conquests mount up (including such luminaries as the Lady of the Lake and the wife of the Devil), Jurgen's quest brings him face to face with an array of strange beasts, faraway lands, and foreign gods.Moreover, though, in all its sexuality and hilarity, Jurgen is a satire of American orthodoxies--a satire every bit as significant today as it was then.

Customer Reviews (19)

Loved it
Stumbled across this writer while researching something else. James Branch Cabell is wonderful, and JURGEN is one of those books that delivers just whatyou hope it will. The hero is an aging pawnbroker who has lost his belligerent wife and sets out to find her as a matter of propriety more than will. Managing to regain his youth, he begins a year long journey that takes him to various worlds including heaven and hell. Jurgen takes up with many brilliant and pretty women along the way, but somehow is never satisfied. Then, he meets his wife Lisa again.. This was a publishing sensation in the 1920s and deserves to be again. It is funny, poetic, witty, and sometimes poignant. Cabell writes about youth, the loss of innocence, maturity and love in a uniquely refreshing and poetic way. I liked the sound of Cabell's 'THERE WERE TWO PIRATES..' so I also bought it and enjoyed it. I am currently reading his AS I REMEMBER IT, a memoir mostly of his wife, which reveals the brilliance and humanity of a real Southern gentleman of letters as much as it does the woman behind him.

A tedious Victorian curiosity
After the fervent reviews of other readers -- which prompted me to buy the book in the first place -- I have been reading along waiting for the moment of illumination that would make me find something redeeming about this book.I am halfway through and about to throw in the towel.In this plotless ramble of Victorian soft porn (there are only so many conversations about one's "big lance" that a reader can take) I just don't see rhyme, reason, or much in the way of entertainment, much less profound statements on the human condition.Jurgen sleeps his way through a dozen fairylands.Yawn.Next book.

America's secret weapon - it rates 10 stars.
I accidentally bumped into this book when I was in my 20s.Had no idea where it would lead me.Read it practically in one sitting.I was amazed that I understood what Cabell was driving at even tho I could not have explained it coherently to anyone.

Next I re-read it in my 50s. I never read books twice.Still amazed by it.

The book was buried in a box, after house moving many times.I re-discovered it last night. Now in my 80s I'm reading it all over again.Amazed as ever.

One of My Very Favorites
"I have finished Jurgen; a great and beautiful book, and the saddest book I ever read. I don't know why, exactly.The book hurts me -- tears me to small pieces -- but somehow it sets me free. It says the word that I've been trying to pronounce for so long. It tells me everything I am, and have been, and may be, unsparingly...I don't know why I cry over it so much. It's too -- something-or-other -- to stand. I've been sitting here tonight, reading it aloud, with the tears streaming down my face..." -- Deems Taylor, in a letter dated December 12, 1920.

What can I add to that? Jurgen is on my short list of very favorite books. It wrestles, in its odd way, with the fundamental tragedy of human life in general and male life in particular: We are doomed to age and die; meanwhile happiness will prove elusive. Wow, I'm making this sound awfully depressing, aren't I? But that's not right. Jurgen is humorous and fun and weirdly uplifting. Jurgen's strange adventures manage to represent all that a man may pursue and aspire to. The tale burns, but in a wonderfully brilliant way. (I made that comment about the tragedy of "male life" because Jurgen is, among other things, the quintessential rogue. His notion of how happiness might be ideally pursued differs somewhat from the ideas of the females he holds discourse with. Thus does Cabell illustrate a reality that we can either acknowledge or deny; take your choice. Enlightened people will prefer the latter.)

Jurgen isn't for everyone. Some will "get it" and some won't. I once handed a copy to a person who returned it with the comment that he wasn't a fan of the S&S ("swords & sorcery") genre. This surprised me; the book can only be described as S&S by someone who does not look below the surface. I mention this not to mock but to warn.Jurgen may be better appreciated by those who are stirred by symbol and metaphor. We may not be prancing through a magical world as Jurgen does, but some of us will see echoes of our own dreams and nightmares in his story. If you're such a person, then Jurgen may hit you like a ton of bricks. Otherwise you'll chuck the manuscript against the wall.

It's worth noting that Jurgen, in its circumspect way, managed to offend the contemporary powers-that-be. The book is obscurely suggestive without being explicit; it went over the heads of some, but others saw what was going on, and they either guffawed or objected vigorously. There were serious attempts to suppress it, which of course only made the text notorious. It was (and still is) politically incorrect, and it garnered something of a counter-cultural following for all the wrong reasons. Well, so be it.The book is great, and that's all there is to say.

The tale incorporates supporting characters and environments rummaged from myth and history. You won't need to know all these background details to understand or enjoy the plot; however if you should want to follow up, some rabid fans (of which there were many) put together a collection of footnotes way back in 1928. It's long out of print, but you'll find an Amazon listing on it (Amazon lists everything!); search Amazon books for ASIN=B00085DJ0A. A copy of the notes is also posted online; search the web on the phrase "Notes on Jurgen".

If you buy the book, you'll want the Dover paperback edition (ISBN=0486235076), which is a trade paperback and includes the wonderful old illustrations. Holding this edition in my hands just feels right. There's also a great unabridged audio cassette (ISBN=1574534505), rendered by a troupe of actors. They do a very nice job, switching to the most appropriate character to read the text as the book progresses.

Cabell was a prolific author, with "Jurgen" being his best-known (and probably his greatest) work. If you're unfamiliar with Cabell, "Jurgen" is the book to start with. If you want to follow up, look for "Figures of Earth".

Book published in 1921; Good but difficult and different.
I read this 1921 book because H.L. Mencken, my guide when it comes to literature, thought so highly of it. It is perhaps most difficult to read because it is a fable and fables of course, do not consist of characters and actions which are based in reality. The book is a little hard to follow at the beginning. It is rather hard to explain what the story is about.

When the book starts, Jurgen is a pawnbroker in a mythical kingdom. Knowing what actions will please an elderly sorceress, he elicits from her the privillege of living as a young nobleman in several different kingdoms over the course of a year, all under different names and noble titles. Cabell writes in a slightly tongue in cheek tone as he describes Jurgen's vanity, and most explicitly his penchant for the ladies. The most common phrases Cabell uses to describe Jurgen's sexual exploits are that Jurgen "intended to deal fairly" with a particular lady and to the effect that when Jurgen retired to a lovemaking place with the lady, the place therein was dark and nobody can see anything in the dark. Because of the darkness the old sorceress, whose shadow followed Jurden, did not see Jurgen engage in sex acts which would have displeased her. Probably my favorite part of the book is where Cabell tongue in cheek uses evasive language to describe Jurgen's sexual actions, such as on page 140. At that point in the book Jurgen is married to the Queen Anaitis. Anaitis catches Jurgen and a lady at court, a resident expert on the Kama Sutra, involved in a "philosophical experiment, necessarily performed in the dark." Stella had asserted that a certain sexual position could only be performed in the dark and asserted that "in simple equity," she was entitled to prove her assertions. "So Jurgen proceeded to deal fairly with her," i.e. peformed the sex act with her. It is when he leaves the kingdome of Guenevere's father and goestolive with Anaitis that the book gets really good. Jurgen also goes to live on the outskirts of the kingdom of Pseudopolis, getting married to a tree dweller and livining in a tree. He invades the home of Queen Helen of Troy in Pseudopolis and observes her sleeping. He goes to Hell and gets married to a female vampire and has an affair with Satan's wife.

The prose in this book is really quite beautiful.

A strong theme of this book is how reality is so covered up by our illusions about ourselves. We think that there is a God or a Devil that watches our every move, looking for virtue or sin. We think we are that important even though we are a tiny speck in the universe. Another theme relates to Jurgen never being able to find happiness, despite the sorceress granting him the privillege of living out all his longstanding dreams of being a king and nobleman and husband of some of the most beautiful women on earth. He discovers at the end of the story that he prefers to go back where he was before the sorceress granted him all his illusions.

I found it a somewhat difficult book. Particulary in the beginning of the book, Jurgen jumps from situation to situation without a certain logic that would make it easy for the reader to understand. Of course, the book is a fable and fables are not meant to be logical. The characters speak their dialogue in very beautiful language, though sometimes the meaning of the sentences are opaque.

However, I think it is easy to understand the book, if you just keep reading, you can understand everything eventually if you don't worry.

Cabell also constructs a phony introduction to the book written by some make believe bookish verbose academic or book reviewer. He also places some unintelliglbe blurbs after the title page, written by imaginary verbose, bookish book reviewer critics. This was all pretty funny. ... Read more

Book Description
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 (1909), and The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck (1915).Download Description
I say to you, then, John Copeland continued, "that to-day you are master of Europe. I say to you that, but for this woman whom for twenty years you have neglected, you would to-day be mouldering in some pauper's grave. Eh, without question, you most magnanimously loved that shrew of Salisbury! because you fancied the color of her eyes, Sire Edward, and admired the angle between her nose and her forehead. Minstrels unborn will sing of this great love of yours. Meantime I say to you"--now the man's rage was monstrous--"I say to you, go home to your too-tedious wife, the source of all your glory! sit at her feet! and let her teach you what love is!" He flung away the dagger. ... 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

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

Book Description
James Branch Cabell (1879-1956) is best known for his tales of the imaginary land of Poictesme, where chivalry and galantry live on. All of Cabell's works from before 1930 were assembled into the grand "Biography of the Life of Manuel," the supposed redeemer of the land of Poictesme, and they form a series which follows Manuel and his descendants through the centuries.

Cabell has been a favorite author of many famous writers, ranging from Lin Carter to Robert A. Heinlein.Download Description
Eh, thus he chuckles and nudges me, with wicked whisperings. Indeed, madame, this rascal that shares equally in my least faculty is a most pitiful, ignoble rogue! and he has aforetime eked out our common livelihood by such practices as your unsullied imagination could scarcely depicture. Until I knew you I had endured him. But you have made of him a horror. A horror, a horror! a thing too pitiful for hell!" ... 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