Cabell

J.R.R Tolkien did not care for the work of the popular (in his day) writer of fantasy, James Branch Cabell, dismissing it as boring. Now I can find criticisms enough of my own for Cabell’s writing; I would also have to admit my forays into fantasy owe more to him than to Tolkien.

It is true that I might never have discovered Cabell at all had not the popularity of Tolkien, and fantasy in general, led to the reprinting of many classic fantasy novels in the late Sixties and the Seventies. Dunsany, Eddison, Morris—all perhaps left their mark on me. Dunsany, in particular, who is a far more subtle writer than Cabell.

Of course, I do love ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’ They are great novels in themselves and have some of the best world-building ever behind them. Tolkien set the bar for epic fantasy.

Cabell wrote anti-epics. His protagonists launch quests in pursuit of illusions. This is not to say he was cynical (or not too cynical); he seems rather fond of those illusions, of chivalry, of romantic love, while not taking them quite seriously. They provide a foundation on which he may build his witty tales and expound his sometimes dated (and sexist) views. But he is just as interested in exploring the fundamentals of existence as Tolkien—just on a more personal level.

Though all that is of interest, it is style and structure that more attracted me to Cabell’s fiction. There are complexities beneath the text that can be explored (though they needn’t be for enjoyment), anagrams, word games, intricate allusions to sources both real and invented. Some of his stories in actual historic settings veer close to the sort of thing Woolf did in ‘Orlando’ (or maybe vice-versa?).

If I were to make one great criticism of James Branch Cabell it is that he tended to write around ‘ideas’ and a bit of an agenda, rather than starting from the story itself. He can seem to be focused on illustrating and proving some point. That is rarely conducive to great writing, but he managed to keep it from getting too much in the way. None of his novels are, perhaps, ‘great’ but several are quite good.

Which ones? The famous—and infamous—‘Jurgen,’ of course, the novel that made his name. ‘Figures of Earth’ might actually be better, though a bit similar. His retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale, ‘The High Place,’ is, to me, his strongest offering as a cohesive story, as well as being perhaps the most humorous. ‘The Cream of the Jest’ hasn’t as much of a plot but is conceptually complex, epitomizing his worldview. Almost all his work, incidentally, is available free from Project Gutenberg.

Some might label Cabell’s books frivolous or superficial. I suspect Tolkien did! They are also very American, which separates him from the important British fantasists of his time—even the humorous ones such as Bramah. Ultimately, he is a bit peripheral to the fantasy mainstream, yet he has certainly influenced many who followed (such as Gaiman). My own writing would not be the same had I not discovered and read Cabell when relatively young. Yes, he’s one of those ‘early influences’ all writers have.

I do recommend investigating a title or two, whether one is interested in fantasy—either reading or writing—or not. James Branch Cabell is a moderately important figure in Twentieth Century American literature, a popular author in his time and acclaimed by the intelligentsia before they moved on to the next fashion. I moved on too, but his work remains a part of my foundation.

Stephen Brooke 2023