The Cream of the Jest

<p><I>The Cream of the Jest</I> (1923) is a novel by James Branch Cabell. Set in a world where history and fantasy collide where a lowly pawnbroker can encounter monsters gods and devils The Cream of the Jest is one work in a series of novels essays and poems known as the <I>Biography of the Life of Manuel.</I> Partly inspired by the obscenity trial surrounding his novel <I>Jurgen a Comedy of Justice</I> <I>The Cream of the Jest</I> is a metafictional blend of literary criticism and fantasy fiction about an author whose sudden fame shocks his sleepy hometown. To the people of Lichfield Felix Kennaston is an unremarkable neighbor whose literary ambitions are pursued in secrecy and obscurity. While completing a fantasy novel he discovers a strange talisman not unlike the one his hero Horvendile presented to his beloved Ettare. That night Felix meets Ettare in a dream inspiring him to rewrite the story's ending. When it is published charges of obscenity threaten to sink his dreams before they can be realized. But critical attention has the opposite effect making Kennaston a bestselling author overnight. Told from the perspective of Richard Harrowby a neighbor from Lichfield <I>The Cream of the Jest</I> is a fascinating blend of literary criticism and fantasy that poses important questions about the divide between fiction and the world we live in. Cabell's work has long been described as escapist his novels and stories derided as fantastic and obsessive recreations of a world lost long ago. To read <I>The Cream of the Jest</I> however is to understand that the issues therein-the struggle for power the unspoken distance between men and women-were vastly important not only at the time of its publication but in our own divisive world. This edition of James Branch Cabell's <I>The Cream of the Jest</I> is a classic of fantasy and romance reimagined for modern readers.</p> <p>Since our inception in 2020 <b>Mint Editions</b> has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.</p> <p>With thousands of titles in our collection we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.</p>