Biography of Manuel

Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances (1921) is a fantasy novel or ironic romance by James Branch Cabell, set in the imaginary French province of Poictesme during the first half of the 13th century. The book follows the earthly career of Dom Manuel the Redeemer from his origins as a swineherd, through his elevation to the rank of Count of Poictesme, to his death. It forms the second volume of Cabell's gigantic Biography of the Life of Manuel.

Chivalry (1909) is a fascinating collection of tales that draw inspiration from the popular chronicles of medieval Europe. Author James Branch Cabell immerses his reader into this distant world, masking his authorship in order to ensure a fluidity of form and content that injects his work of high fantasy with a sense of truth. Intentionally layered in mystery and claims of authenticity, Chivalry purports to be a copy made by royal scribe Colard Mansion of the Dizain of Queens, a collection of chronicles, tales, and histories written by Messire Nicolas de Caen for the Princess Isabella of Portugal. In "The Story of the Sestina," a traveling singer has a chance encounter with the Queen of England, who recognizes him as the esteemed Osmund Heleigh and requests of him a song. As he joins her on her journey through war-torn countryside, two things become clear-the pair have a secret history, and, as battle nears, Osmund will soon have to offer more than his songs in her service. As the collection's title suggests, many of Cabell's stories follow a similar theme: the relationship between men and women within a system regulated by honor, responsibility, and often blind loyalty. "The Story of the Tenson," set in Spain in 1265, follows Ellinor of Castile's efforts to escape her marriage in the pursuit of love. In "The Story of the Choices," Queen Ysabeau of England eases her boredom by devising a series of trials for the knight Sir Gregory Darrell. Over the course of ten tales, tales of danger, romance, intrigue, and courage, James Branch Cabell's Chivalry broadens the mystery of the medieval world while illuminating, and critiquing, our own. Cabell's work has long been described as escapist, his novels and stories derided as fantastic and obsessive recreations of a world lost long ago. To read Chivalry, however, is to understand that the issues therein-the struggle for power, the unspoken distance between men and women-were vastly important not only at the time of its publication, but in our own, divisive world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of James Branch Cabell's Chivalry is a classic of fantasy and romance reimagined for modern readers.

Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice is a fantasy novel by American writer James Branch Cabell, which gained fame (or notoriety) shortly after its publication in 1919. It is a humorous romp through a medieval cosmos, including a send-up of Arthurian legend, and excursions to Heaven and Hell as in The Divine Comedy. Cabell's work is recognized as a landmark in the creation of the comic fantasy novel, influencing Terry Pratchett and many others.

James Branch Cabell's career was short-lived - his works fit neatly within the 1920s literary escapist culture and then quickly declined in popularity as the author veered away from the fantasy niche. In his heyday, Cabell garnered praise from several of his contemporaries such as H. L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis. Lewis even acknowledged Cabell's successful "Jurgen" in his 1930 Nobel Prize address. "Jurgen" is certainly Cabell's most famous novel, published in 1919, and it tells the story of a middle-aged man on a journey through fantastic realms, where he meets and seduces beautiful women of fiction and myth - including the Devil's wife. The book garnered attention as it was charged with obscenity in a case that reached the New York Supreme Court. Cabell and his publisher won the case, and the author was deemed a literary avant garde, who tested conventional social boundaries and opposed the forces of puritanical repression.

A middle-aged pawnbroker-poet is allowed to regain his youth for a year of amorous adventures in this compelling fantasy. Filled with strange beasts, alien gods, fabulous lands, beautiful ladies, and an aura of the supernatural, Cabel's allegory leads its hero through affairs with Guenevere and the Lady of the Lake as well as confrontations with God and the Devil. The 1919 publication of Jurgen catapulted its author into a position as one of the most enigmatic and controversial literary figures of his era. Critical response ranged from lavish praise to violent denunciations, including attempts to have the novel banned for obscenity. Modern readers consider it a landmark in the history of American fantastic fiction and a successor to the traditions of Rabelais, Sterne, Swift, and Voltaire. Its gentle blend of comedy and irony in a fantastic setting has enchanted generations of readers. This edition features more than a dozen striking full-page illustrations by Frank C. Papé.

The Line of Love (1913) is a collection of comic fantasy tales by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide, where a lowly swineherd can rise to be Count of Poictesme, The Line of Love is one of Cabell's best-known works of fiction, and is included in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. It is a tale which they narrate in Poictesme, telling how love began between Florian de Puysange and Adelaide de la Forêt. They tell also how young Florian had earlier fancied other women for one reason or another, but that this, he knew, was the great love of his life, and a love, which would endure unchanged as long as his life lasted.

The High Place: A Comedy of Disenchantment (1923) is a novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide, where a lowly swineherd can rise to be Count of Poictesme, The High Place.

"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..." - The Encyclopedia of Fantasy

Gallantry (1922) is a collection of comic fantasy tales by James Branch Cabell. Set in a fictionalized version of 18th-century England, Gallantry is a relative outlier among Cabell's body of work, and is included in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. "We begin at a time when George the Second was permitting Ormskirk and the Pelhams to govern England, and the Jacobites had, not yet ceased to hope for another Stuart Restoration, and Mr. Washington was a promising young surveyor in the most loyal colony of Virginia." Moving away from his usual setting of 13th century France, Cabell transports his favorite themes of aristocratic life and romance to the tumultuous world of 18th century England. As the country rebuilds following a period of civil war, famine, and disease, its wealthy elite enjoy an existence of ease at Tunbridge Wells, a legendary spa town on the outskirts of London. Gallantry is a captivating collection of tales from a historical period not so different from our own. Cabell's work has long been described as escapist, his novels and stories derided as fantastic and obsessive recreations of a world lost long ago. To read Gallantry, however, is to understand that the issues therein-the struggle for power, the unspoken distance between men and women-were vastly important not only at the time of its publication, but in our own, divisive world.

The Cords of Vanity (1920) is a comic romance novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide, where the laws of chivalry and honor continue to hold sway in postbellum South, The Cords of Vanity is included in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. A man of honor and tradition, Robert Townsend comes from a prominent family whose wealth and power once depended on its ownership of slaves. Raised in a fast-changing world, in which the old agrarian way of life is being replaced in response to growing industrialization, Robert spends much of his time weaving tall tales. In dreams only, he lives up to the ideals of his ancestors, for whom honor was the most important thing of all. Set in a fictionalized version of Richmond, The Cords of Vanity is a captivating, hilarious tale of chivalry and romance inspired by the author's experiences as a young man raised in a family of Southern aristocrats. Originally written in 1909, before Cabell found success and infamy with the publication of Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice (1919), the novel is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a young writer hungry for critical acclaim. Cabell's work has long been described as escapist, his novels and stories derided as fantastic and obsessive recreations of a world lost long ago. To read The Cords of Vanity, however, is to understand that the issues therein-the struggle for power, the unspoken distance between men and women-were vastly important not only at the time of its publication, but in our own, divisive world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of James Branch Cabell's The Cords of Vanity is a classic of fantasy and romance reimagined for modern readers.

The Jewel Merchants: A Comedy in One Act (1921) is a comic fantasy play by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world, where history and fantasy collide, where a loyal Count can rise to defy the Duke, he so diligently serves.

The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck (1921) is a comic romance novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world, where history and fantasy collide, where the laws of chivalry and honor continue to hold sway in postbellum South, The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck is included in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel.

The Eagle's Shadow (1904) is the debut novel of James Branch Cabell, a master of fantasy fiction and an underrated figure of twentieth-century American literature. The novel is significant for being among few of Cabell's works to take place both around the time of its publication and to be set in the contemporary world. Like many of his works, however, it paints an intricate portrait of romance and power, immersing its reader into a fiction more real than they'd care to admit. Most of the novel's action occurs at Selwoode, a recently built mansion located in the English countryside. Following the death of her uncle Frederick, Margaret Hugonin finds herself his unlikely heiress, and is thrust into a life she could not have prepared for even if she had managed to imagine it in the first place. As she faces down suitor after suitor while enduring a routine of lessons on philanthropy, culture, and charity, she navigates the complexities of her love for Billy Woods, her cousin through marriage and the nephew of Selwoode's deceased scion, Frederick. Throughout the story, the eagle-both Frederick's chosen heraldic animal and a symbol of power-looms over their relationship. The ill-gotten nature of the family fortune-acquired through the exploitation enabled by imperialism and solidified in the shadows of Wall Street-threatens to destroy not only their love, but their entire world. The Eagle's Shadow, a novel at times tragic and comedic, is a brilliant and bold social critique masquerading as romance, and a literary work for all time. Cabell's work has long been described as escapist, his novels and stories derided as fantastic and obsessive recreations of a world lost long ago. To read The Eagle's Shadow, however, is to understand that the issues therein-the struggle for power, the unspoken distance between men and women-were vastly important not only at the time of its publication, but in our own, divisive world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of James Branch Cabell's The Eagle's Shadow is a classic of comedy and romance reimagined for modern readers.

The Cream of the Jest (1923) is a novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world, where history and fantasy collide, where a lowly pawnbroker can encounter monsters, gods, and devils, The Cream of the Jest is one work in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. Partly inspired by the obscenity trial surrounding his novel Jurgen, a Comedy of Justice, The Cream of the Jest is a metafictional blend of literary criticism and fantasy fiction about an author whose sudden fame shocks his sleepy hometown.

Taboo (1921) is a comic fantasy novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide, where a lowly pawnbroker can encounter monsters, gods, and devils, Taboo is a follow up to Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, which was the subject of an obscenity trial pursued by the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. In 1923, after winning his case, Cabell made sure to immortalize the event with a revised edition featuring a "lost" chapter where Jurgen is persecuted for his writing by grotesque Philistines. In Taboo, one work in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel, Cabell explores the cultural environment that led to his work's persecution, inventing a whole world in which to air his grievances.