Rereading: GALLANTRY by James Branch Cabell

The tenth book in Cabell’s epic “Biography of the Life of Manuel” was originally published in 1907, and revised in 1922 to add references to Manuel and Jurgen, making it part of his epic, just slightly. Unlike other short story collections from Cabell in this series, the ten stories in Gallantry are one continuous narrative time wise, set almost as plays full of witty dialogue, with at least some characters from each story also appearing in the next, and later stories. It takes place in 1750 beginning in England, and moving to France, following a group of upper class, military, and theatrical people through romances, marriages, abductions, escapes, war, and politics. Some of the stories are exciting adventures, others are quieter romances. Cabell’s wit and humor are evident throughout, and his characters are all a bit cynical in an entertaining way. I enjoyed the reread. There’s no magic at all in this one other than the magic of clever tongues and wily characters. For that reason I will only mildly recommend it.

The post Rereading: GALLANTRY by James Branch Cabell appeared first on Todd's Blog.