James Branch Cabell

Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice (1919) 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, Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice is one of Cabell’s best-known works of fiction. For several years after its initial publication, the novel 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. Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice is one work in a series of novels, essays, and poems known as the Biography of the Life of Manuel. “For now had come to Jurgen and the Centaur a gold-haired woman, clothed all in white, and walking alone. She was tall, and lovely and tender to regard: and hers was not the red and white comeliness of many ladies that were famed for beauty, but rather it had the even glow of ivory […] to Jurgen this woman's countenance was in all things perfect. Perhaps this was because he never saw her as she was.” Unsatisfied with life as a lowly pawnbroker, Jurgen follows his heart in pursuit of ideal love. A proponent of medieval chivalry, he encounters gods, goddesses, kings, and queens as he passes from one otherworldly realm to the next. On his wondrous journey, he meets some of the most celebrated women in history and literature, including Guinevere, Anaitis, and Helen of Troy. Jurgen, a wily poet and legendary lover with a head full of dreams and desires, is an allegorical figure for modern humanity, a flawed hero whose kaleidoscopic world is not entirely 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 Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, 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 Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice is a classic of fantasy and romance reimagined for modern readers.

TO BURTON RASCOE Before each tarradiddle, Uncowed by sciolists, Robuster persons twiddle Tremendously big fists. "Our gods are good," they tell us; "Nor will our gods defer Remission of rude fellows' Ability to err." So this, your JURGEN, travels Content to compromise Ordainments none unravels Explicitly ... and sighs. "Others, with better moderation, do either entertain the vulgar history of Jurgen as a fabulous addition unto the true and authentic story of St. Iurgenius of Poictesme, or else we conceive the literal acception to be a misconstruction of the symbolical expression: apprehending a veritable history, in an emblem or piece of Christian poesy. And this emblematical construction hath been received by men not forward to extenuate the acts of saints.

James Branch Cabell: A Bibliography Of His Writings, Biography And Criticism is a book written by Frances Joan Brewer that provides a comprehensive overview of the life and work of James Branch Cabell, an American author known for his satirical and fantastical novels. The book includes a detailed bibliography of Cabell's writings, including his novels, short stories, and essays, as well as a biography that covers his early life, education, and literary career. In addition, the book includes critical analysis and commentary on Cabell's work, examining his themes, style, and influence on the literary world. This book is an essential resource for scholars and fans of Cabell's work, as well as anyone interested in the history of American literature.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

"[Cabell's] most substantial post-Biography fantasy was "The Nightmare Has Triplets," a sequence comprising Smirt: An Urban Nightmare, Smith: A Sylvan Interlude, and Smire: An Acceptance in the Third Person. This explicitly emulates the logic and geography of dreams . . . successfully mistly and dreamlike . . ." --The Encyclopedia of Fantasy

James Branch Cabell was a prolific American author of fantasy novels. Cabell's books are known for their satirical wit. Cabell's most famous work is Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice which became the subject of an infamous court case shortly after it was published in 1919. The book centers around the magical adventures of a middle-aged pawnbroker.

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.