These Restless Heads: A Trilogy of Romantics

by James Branch Cabell

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253 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

James Branch Cabell was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. Cabell was well regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist and fit well in the culture of the 1920s, when they were most popular. For Cabell, veracity was "the one unpardonable sin, not merely against art, but against human welfare."

Reviews

[Ryan Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although once quite popular, James Branch Cabell is sadly largely forgotten today, which is a real shame, because his books display an incredibly unique type of language, a very dry wit, and an absolutely original fantastical universe. Unlike most of his works, These Restless Heads is non-fiction, and details glimpses of his life in Richmond, VA in the 1920s. He muses on mundane topics and elevates them into his fantasy realm, all the while discussing trivial details with a wry sense of humor and a perceptiveness that is both anthropological and entertaining. The language is very unique, and blends some Southern dialect with archaic words, foreign terms, and high fantasy-style prose, but the combination is fascinating, albeit a little idiosyncratic by modern standards. Overall, I would highly recommend his books to anyone with a taste for fantasy, old-fashioned prose, and who admires a certain dry wit circa 1920.