Rereading: THE HIGH PLACE by James Branch Cabell

Cover and illustrations by Frank C. Papé

The ninth book in Cabell’s “Biography of the Life of Manuel” is set in 1698 France in and adjacent to the author’s imaginary province of Poictesme. Florian, whose ancestors include Manuel and Jurgen, has a strange encounter with beauty on a hill in the magical forest of Acaire next to his ancestral home, the “high place” of the title. He wanders in as a child of ten, and finds a beautiful woman in an enchanted sleep. This is essentially the Sleeping Beauty story, but here Florian is too young to be a Prince Charming. He returns home to his life and grows to manhood and beyond, marrying several times, but always unsatisfied with his lovers, both wives and not, always remembering the sleeping princess, Melior, and finding all others wanting. Finally he makes a bargain with the devil, here known as Janicot, to rescue the princess and break the spell that has put her entire castle to sleep. In return, Florian promises Janicot the life of their first-born child. Also in the castle is a man Florian has been worshipping, known in his church as Saint Horwig, but despite being canonized, Horwig is not only still alive, he’s the priest of a rival religion.

As we follow Florian’s story, it becomes clear he’s a monster. Hiding behind veils of respectability and society, he’s actually a murderer who calls himself a romantic and considers himself pious, but he gradually learns how hollow and untrue both claims really are. Florian’s story is both sad and funny, as his desires prove unrewarding, and his plans are continually thwarted, until at last he comes full circle.

Cabell’s writing here is entertaining and sardonic as he explodes the mythology even as we are enchanted by it. Once again Heaven and Hell are involved as well as all kinds of mythical creatures and places. Recommended.

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