Knowledge (XXG)

Figures of Earth

Source đź“ť

294:-- the more remarkable they have come to seem. . . . he chronicle of Manuel the Redeemer was not a book for the Young nor was it a book in the mood of the twenties. The story of the ambitious man of action who is cowardly, malignant and treacherous and who does not even enjoy very much what his crimes and double-dealing have won him, but who is rapidly, after his death, transformed into a great leader, a public benefactor and a saint, has the fatal disadvantage for a novel that the reader finds no inducement to identify himself with its central figure. Yet I am now not sure that this merciless chronicle in which all the values are negative except the naked human will, is not one of the best things of its kind in literature -- on a plane, perhaps, with 27: 277:, declared that "This new novel is, very much of it, beautifully written. Its characters share with the majority of his creations the curiously unhuman quality which is never more apparent than when he is trying to make them quite commonplace. . . . It is a curious, often very beautiful, and at the bottom very sad book." 240:. In the "Author's Note" preceding the novel's 1927 reprint, Cabell observed that "Not many other volumes, I believe, have been burlesqued and cried down in the public prints by their own dedicatees" alluding to the fact that both Untermeyer and Mencken had publicly expressed dislike with the novel in comparison with 308:
noted that while the novel's storyline was "meandering", it included "entertaining diversions on symbolically disguised book reviewers, philistines and their sexual obtusities, and pseudo-mythology." He concluded that "As a totality, repetitive, nagging, and boring, but with excellent moments."
164:
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
535: 525: 190:, before the final version emerged. The book was published in February 1921, during the legal battle to clear his previous novel, 510: 252:
fell, like most of his other works, into comparative neglect, but two paperback reissues in 1969 and 1971, with introductions by
167: 58: 530: 515: 330:, comments that "We are not admitted to any of thoughts, giving the book a chilly aspect despite fine poetic passages." 520: 326: 192: 232:, which, according to the author, registered "some disappointment over its lack of indecency"; he himself preferred 419: 350:
Cabell fixed the period covered by the novel as August 7, 1234 to September 29, 1239. See James Branch Cabell
414: 475: 290: 225: 157: 137: 40: 269: 228:. The scandal that surrounded Cabell's name at this time may have adversely affected reviews of 153: 494: 78: 457: 295: 245: 213: 480: 320:
is rather anti-romantic despite its materials, an effect reinforced by Cabell's style."
26: 321: 317: 299: 209: 205: 504: 305: 281: 217: 68: 221: 313: 257: 253: 161: 107: 352:
The Cream of the Jest, The Lineage of Lichfield: Two Comedies of Evasion
445: 404:, March 6, 1921, Book Review & Magazine, "Latest Works of Fiction". 489: 380:(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1975) pp. 137, 251. 196:, from charges of obscenity. He accordingly dedicated 367:(Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1975) pp. 33-4. 200:to "six most gallant champions" who had rallied to 132: 122: 114: 102: 94: 84: 74: 64: 54: 46: 36: 260:respectively, brought it back into circulation. 8: 19: 244:. A 1925 reissue included illustrations by 312:Anticipating its 1969 Ballantine reissue, 160:, set in the imaginary French province of 156:) is a fantasy novel or ironic romance by 18: 149:Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances 339: 354:(London: Pan/Ballantine, 1972) p. 265. 435:. Kent, Ohio: Kent State UP. p. 96-7. 284:wrote "the more I have thought about 7: 378:The Letters of James Branch Cabell 365:The Letters of James Branch Cabell 14: 433:The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 25: 316:wrote that "the effect of this 168:Biography of the Life of Manuel 59:Biography of the Life of Manuel 536:Novels set in the 13th century 392:(1927 edition), Author's Note. 1: 526:Novels by James Branch Cabell 16:Novel by James Branch Cabell 459:The Encyclopedia of Fantasy 327:The Encyclopedia of Fantasy 280:On Cabell's death in 1958, 248:. In Cabell's later years 174:Cabell's working title for 552: 420:Farrar, Straus and Giroux 376:Edward Wagenknecht (ed.) 363:Edward Wagenknecht (ed.) 24: 415:The Bit Between My Teeth 348:The Lineage of Lichfield 31:First edition title page 511:American fantasy novels 431:Bleiler, E. F. (1983). 448:, February 1970, p.46 531:Novels set in France 516:1921 American novels 521:1921 fantasy novels 291:The Silver Stallion 226:Joseph Hergesheimer 158:James Branch Cabell 138:The Silver Stallion 41:James Branch Cabell 21: 288:-- and its sequel 270:The New York Times 495:Project Gutenberg 145: 144: 127:Beyond Life  95:Publication place 79:Robert M. McBride 20:Figures of Earth 543: 497: 490:Figures of Earth 476:Figures of Earth 462: 455: 449: 442: 436: 429: 423: 422:, 1966, p. 322-3 411: 405: 399: 393: 390:Figures of Earth 387: 381: 374: 368: 361: 355: 344: 286:Figures of Earth 275:Figures of Earth 250:Figures of Earth 234:Figures of Earth 230:Figures of Earth 214:Louis Untermeyer 198:Figures of Earth 176:Figures of Earth 133:Followed by 123:Preceded by 86:Publication date 29: 22: 551: 550: 546: 545: 544: 542: 541: 540: 501: 500: 487: 481:Standard Ebooks 471: 466: 465: 456: 452: 443: 439: 430: 426: 412: 408: 400: 396: 388: 384: 375: 371: 362: 358: 345: 341: 336: 266: 103:Media type 87: 32: 17: 12: 11: 5: 549: 547: 539: 538: 533: 528: 523: 518: 513: 503: 502: 499: 498: 485: 483: 470: 469:External links 467: 464: 463: 450: 437: 424: 406: 402:New York Times 394: 382: 369: 356: 338: 337: 335: 332: 322:David Langford 318:heroic fantasy 265: 262: 210:Wilson Follett 206:Sinclair Lewis 180:The Fairy Time 178:was initially 143: 142: 134: 130: 129: 124: 120: 119: 116: 112: 111: 104: 100: 99: 96: 92: 91: 88: 85: 82: 81: 76: 72: 71: 66: 62: 61: 56: 52: 51: 48: 44: 43: 38: 34: 33: 30: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 548: 537: 534: 532: 529: 527: 524: 522: 519: 517: 514: 512: 509: 508: 506: 496: 492: 491: 486: 484: 482: 478: 477: 473: 472: 468: 461: 460: 454: 451: 447: 441: 438: 434: 428: 425: 421: 417: 416: 410: 407: 403: 398: 395: 391: 386: 383: 379: 373: 370: 366: 360: 357: 353: 349: 343: 340: 333: 331: 329: 328: 323: 319: 315: 310: 307: 306:E. F. Bleiler 303: 301: 297: 293: 292: 287: 283: 282:Edmund Wilson 278: 276: 272: 271: 263: 261: 259: 255: 251: 247: 246:Frank C. PapĂ© 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 218:H. L. Mencken 215: 211: 207: 203: 199: 195: 194: 189: 185: 181: 177: 172: 170: 169: 163: 159: 155: 151: 150: 141: 139: 135: 131: 128: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 98:United States 97: 93: 89: 83: 80: 77: 73: 70: 67: 63: 60: 57: 53: 49: 45: 42: 39: 35: 28: 23: 488: 474: 458: 453: 440: 432: 427: 413: 409: 401: 397: 389: 385: 377: 372: 364: 359: 351: 347: 342: 325: 311: 304: 289: 285: 279: 274: 273:, reviewing 268: 267: 249: 241: 237: 233: 229: 222:Hugh Walpole 201: 197: 191: 187: 183: 179: 175: 173: 166: 148: 147: 146: 136: 126: 314:James Blish 258:James Blish 204:s defense: 188:The Figures 505:Categories 254:Lin Carter 184:The Figure 444:"Books", 264:Reception 162:Poictesme 75:Publisher 446:F&SF 296:Flaubert 108:Hardback 47:Language 202:Jurgen' 182:, then 106:Print ( 69:Fantasy 50:English 242:Jurgen 238:Jurgen 224:, and 193:Jurgen 140:  55:Series 37:Author 334:Notes 324:, in 300:Swift 115:Pages 65:Genre 298:and 256:and 154:1921 90:1921 493:at 479:at 346:In 302:." 236:to 186:or 118:356 507:: 418:, 220:, 216:, 212:, 208:, 171:. 152:( 110:)

Index


James Branch Cabell
Biography of the Life of Manuel
Fantasy
Robert M. McBride
Hardback
The Silver Stallion
1921
James Branch Cabell
Poictesme
Biography of the Life of Manuel
Jurgen
Sinclair Lewis
Wilson Follett
Louis Untermeyer
H. L. Mencken
Hugh Walpole
Joseph Hergesheimer
Frank C. Papé
Lin Carter
James Blish
The New York Times
Edmund Wilson
The Silver Stallion
Flaubert
Swift
E. F. Bleiler
James Blish
heroic fantasy
David Langford

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑