Strong Hearts

by George Washington Cable

"We may hold that to make life a perfect, triumphant poem we must keep in beautiful, untyrannous subordination every impulse of mere self-provision, whether earthly or heavenly, while at the same time we give life its equatorial circumference." This collection of short stories has a singular synthesis despite the differences in time, characters and scene. They each tell of strength of spirit, of strong hearts. "The Solitary," "The Taxidermist," and "The Entomologist" all take place in south Louisiana and include Creole characters, among others. The first is about a timid man with a tortured soul who lets another man marry his sweetheart; then chooses to live in isolation. A surprising friendship, a sudden stroke of good fortune, and a potential disaster with an unexpected outcome take place in "The Taxidermist." And the last story tells of a collection of unusual relationships met with subsequent tragedy. This book represents a collection of some of George W. Cable's best short stories. It is sure to incite interest and please the soul with its colorful tales.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

George Washington Cable was an American novelist notable for the realism of his portrayals of Creole life in his native Louisiana.

Reviews

[Miles Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong Hearts in a collection of two short stories and one novella. The Solitary is among the best southern short stories ever written. The Entomologist explores themes of sacrifice, sin, and redemption in a way that powerfully foreshadows Christian writers, especially Roman Catholics, of British and American writers of the mid-20th Century. This is especially interesting because Cable remained a Presbyterian throughout his life. One cannot read The Entomologist and not recall the works of Greene, Waugh, and other traditionalist-type Protestant and Roman Catholic authors.

[Tocotin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh well. Sentimentalism galore. The only good part of the book was "The Taxidermist", and even that got worse at the end.