James Branch Cabell

Broschiertes Buch

Let Me Lie

Being in the Main an Ethnological Account of the Remarkable Commonwealth of Virginia and the Making of Its History

Beschreibung

When Let Me Lie was first published in 1947, most reviewers missed the double meaning of the book's title. Deaf to James Branch Cabell's many-layered ironic wit, they read the book as a paean to the old South. Readers of this new paperback edition are unlikely to repeat the mistake. Let Me Lie is indeed a carefully researched and brilliantly written historical narrative of Virginia from 1559 to 1946 - focusing on Tidewater, Richmond, and the Northern Neck - but as a fictional scholar remarks in the book, Cabell's history is ""both accurate and injudicious."" Virginia's story of itself, Cabell claims, depends on illusion and myth, and his skill as a satirist allows him to construct and deflate these myths simultaneously. Ranging in topic from Don Luis de Velasco and Captain John Smith to Edgar Allan Poe and Ellen Glasgow, from Confederate heroes to the oddities of the post-Civil War Old Dominion, Let Me Lie remains compulsively readable, as history, entertainment, or both.

Autor

American writer James Branch Cabell (1879-1958) is renowned for his works of social criticism, satire, and fantasy. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Cabell honed a distinctive literary style that combined humor, sarcasm, and romance. Early in the 20th century, Cabell started his writing career and became well-known for his ambitious work, the "Biography of the Life of Manuel." The connected books in this series, include "Jurgen," "Figures of Earth," and "The Silver Stallion," demonstrated Cabell's talent for weaving complex stories and his examination of subjects like love, desire, and the definition of heroism. In Cabell's writings, fantasy and social critique are often combined in fanciful worlds and locations. Extensive language, sophisticated wordplay, and a self-awareness that questioned accepted literary standards were characteristics of his writing style. Despite Cabell's decreasing popularity in the middle of the 20th century, his writings are still valued for the literary skill with which they probe human nature and society structures. James Branch Cabell is now regarded as a significant contributor to American literature, especially in the fields of satire, fantasy, and speculative fiction.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: University Press of Virginia
• Seitenzahl: 316
• Erscheinungstermin: 17. Juni 2001
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 19mm
• Gewicht: 448g
• ISBN-13: 9780813920436
• ISBN-10: 0813920434
• Artikelnr.: 21119338