The Certain Hour

James Branch CabellProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 323K words
Chapters: 33

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) by James Branch CabellAuthor: Cabell, James Branch, 1879-1958,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 1, 1995

Editor's review

The Certain Hour, subtitled "Dizain des Poëtes," is a work by James Branch Cabell and part of his Poictesme cycle, often regarded as a side door into Cabell's literary world. Cabell's prose is rhetorically polished, rich in irony and allusion, and fond of discussing art, time, and the vanity of life beneath a romantic narrative surface; this book continues that intellectual playfulness. For readers accustomed to American literary language from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, it offers not only story but an aesthetic experience tinged with skepticism. One should not read it for plot momentum but attend to the narrator's repeated deliberations on the poet's identity, creation, and fate. As a public-domain ebook, it suits slow reading driven by study or interest; with some knowledge of Cabell's oeuvre, its irony and warmth become more apparent.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
Readers who enjoy ironic, allusion-dense, finely crafted prose narrative
Readers studying Cabell's Poictesme cycle or the genealogy of fantasy literature
Literary enthusiasts willing to read a public-domain ebook slowly and take notes

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who prefer fast pacing and strong suspense
Beginners unfamiliar with English literary allusions who want barrier-free reading
Researchers needing full annotation and an authoritative edition for scholarly citation

Reading tips

Read one short chapter first to get a feel for Cabell's narrative tone, then decide the pace for the whole.
Keep pen and paper handy to note recurring images of poets and time.
If allusions feel dense, skip minor details at first and grasp the narrator's ironic attitude.
After finishing, look up the background of Cabell's Poictesme cycle; a rereading will be clearer.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a short-story collection?

Judging from the subtitle "Dizain des Poëtes" and the format of Cabell's similar works, it is closer to a series of pieces organized around the theme of poets than a single long narrative. Chapters can be read independently, yet together they form an ongoing discussion of the poet's identity and creative fate.

Can I read it without having read other Cabell works?

Yes. The book does not depend on strict plot continuity, but knowing the basic setup of Cabell's imaginary kingdom Poictesme makes it easier to understand the names, places, and targets of irony. Readers with no background may treat it as independent literary essay-like narrative.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

According to the information, this is a public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg, and no notes or introduction are mentioned. If allusions obstruct reading, consult relevant literary background yourself or compare with an annotated print edition.

Comments

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About the author

James Branch Cabell Author · American · 1879–1958

James Branch Cabell (1879–1958) was an American writer born in Richmond, Virginia, and a graduate of the College of William & Mary in 1898. Much of his fiction is set in the invented kingdom of Poictesme. His best-known work, Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice, became the subject of an obscenity prosecution, a famous episode in early twentieth-century American literary censorship. The collection here includes 13 of his works, among them Figures of Earth: A Comedy of Appearances, Chivalry, and Gallantry, many bearing the subtitle "comedy," which reflects his tendency to treat chivalric romance and the worship of women with irony and parody. Public information is limited, but his books use fantastical frameworks for social allegory, creating a distinctive style poised between popular and serious fiction.