Jurgen by James Branch Cabell (1919)

Jurgen is a fantastical tale of a pawnbroker who embarks on a journey through love, loss, and identity, where he encounters mythical beings and grapples with his own desires amidst the backdrop of unfulfilled love and impending loss. As he navigates the vibrant yet empty pleasures of his world, he reflects on his past choices and the emotional turmoil of his affections.

By James Branch Cabell · First published 1919 · Genre: Fantasy, Philosophical Fiction, Satire · 50 chapters

Contents

• Why Jurgen did the Manly Thing
• Assumption of a Noted Garment
• The Garden between Dawn and Sunrise
• The Dorothy who did not Understand
• Requirements of Bread and Butter
• Showing that Sereda is Feminine
• Of Compromises on a Wednesday
• Old Toys and a New Shadow
• The Orthodox Rescue of Guenevere
• Pitiful Disguises of Thragnar
• Appearance of the Duke of Logreus
• Excursus of Yolande's Undoing
• Philosophy of Gogyrvan Gawr
• Preliminary Tactics of Duke Jurgen
• Of Compromises in Glathion
• Divers Imbroglios of King Smoit
• About a Cock that Crowed too Soon
• Why Merlin Talked in Twilight
• The Brown Man with Queer Feet
• Efficacy of Prayer
• How Anaïtis Voyaged
• As to a Veil they Broke
• Shortcomings of Prince Jurgen
• Of Compromises in Cocaigne
• Cantraps of the Master Philologist
• In Time's Hourglass
• Vexatious Estate of Queen Helen
• Of Compromises in Leukê
• Concerning Horvendile's Nonsense
• Economics of King Jurgen
• The Fall of Pseudopolis
• Sundry Devices of the Philistines
• Farewell to Chloris
• How Emperor Jurgen Fared Infernally
• What Grandfather Satan Reported
• Why Coth was Contradicted
• Invention of the Lovely Vampire
• As to Applauded Precedents
• Of Compromises in Hell
• The Ascension of Pope Jurgen
• Of Compromises in Heaven
• Twelve that are Fretted Hourly
• Postures before a Shadow
• In the Manager's Office
• The Faith of Guenevere
• The Desire of Anaïtis
• The Vision of Helen
• Candid Opinions of Dame Lisa
• Of the Compromise with Koshchei
• The Moment that did not Count

More by James Branch Cabell

• The Story of the Sestina (1928)
• The Story of the Tenson (1917)
• The Story of the Rattrap (1918)
• The Story of the Choices (1924)
• The Story of the Housewife (1920)
• The Story of the Satraps (1921)
• The Story of the Heritage (1921)
• The Story of the Scabbard (1924)
• All works by James Branch Cabell