Showing results by author "James Branch" in All Categories

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.

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.

In this charming romantic comedy, love takes a twist when a substantial inheritance complicates the relationship between two unsuspecting souls. Join them on a journey filled with laughter, unexpected turns, and the trials of navigating both love and wealth. - Summary by W. Blaine Dowler

Figures of Earth, subtitled "A Comedy of Appearances", follows the vicissitudes of Dom Manuel the Redeemer from his lowly swineherd origins through his unlikely elevation to the Count of Poictesme, and beyond. Published in 1921, it was the second volume of “The Biography of Manuel”, Cabell’s great work about an imaginary land that also managed to skewer the world of his upbringing as a Southern Gentleman of Virginia, and nearly everything else, besides!

In this volume we meet the novelist, Felix Kennaston, who lives in parallel worlds. One of these is with his wife in their suburban Virginia home and genteel society. The other is with the beautiful Lady Ettarre, who shares his travels through space and time to meet, among many others, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon, and the Emperor Tiberius. Lusty and magical, romantic and rueful, subtly erotic and laced with sardonic humor, this absorbing book is highly regarded as a masterwork of Fantasy literature.

Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice by James Branch Cabell is a delightful fantasy novel that has sparked both acclaim and controversy since its release in 1919. This witty adventure takes readers on a whimsical journey through a medieval universe, filled with playful parodies of Arthurian legend and thrilling escapades to both Heaven and Hell, reminiscent of Dantes The Divine Comedy. Cabells work is celebrated as a pioneering force in the comic fantasy genre, leaving a lasting impact on authors like Terry Pratchett and beyond. - Summary by Wikipedia

When Girls Talk, Some Guys Listen opens a long avoided dialogue between men and women, with common discussions on lifestyles, relationships, and expectations. It gives men some insight into the subject that intrigues them the most...women. It attempts to break the longtime conundrum of understanding their wants and needs, and establishes an environment of compromise, respect. and communication.