The Cream of the Jest · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Cream of the Jest by James Branch Cabell.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to Louisa Nelson with a Latin epigraph expressing that no old age will separate him from her love.
Chapter 2
The Cream of the Jest
The chapter introduces the novel's central conceit: a comedy of evasions, where the protagonist, Felix Kennaston, navigates the blurred boundaries between waking life and a dream world, using art and illusion to escape the limitations of reality.
Chapter 3
Book First
The opening chapter introduces the central figure of Ettarre, comparing her to the mythical Phoenix and establishing her as a paragon of grace and beauty, setting the stage for the themes of idealization and the power of storytelling.
Chapter 4
I: Palliation of the Gambit
The narrator introduces Felix Kennaston's mysterious transformation from a writer of tolerable verse to the genius behind 'Men Who Loved Alison,' attributing the change to Kennaston's encounter with a sigil. The chapter sets up the story as Kennaston's own explanation, pieced together from notes and social knowledge, beginning with a dream-like opening at Storisende in the world's youth.
Chapter 5
II: Introduces the Ageless Woman
Count Emmerick plans a marriage-feast for his sister La Beale Ettarre and Sir Guiron des Rocques. Ettarre, watching from the turrets of Storisende, confides in Horvendile her lingering fear of Maugis d'Aigremont. Horvendile, hopelessly in love with Ettarre, delivers a philosophical discourse on love and illusion, arguing that she embodies an ageless, idealized woman beyond humanity—a figure glimpsed by poets from Homer to Theocritus. He declares his intention to return to his own country, where no woman can be loved because they are all too familiar and lack mystery.
Chapter 6
III: Wherein a Clerk Appraises a Fair Country
Horvendile surveys the rich and noble land of Storisende from its highest turrets, reflecting on its beauty and the dignity of its people. He recites a poetic lament about unrequited love, comparing his longing to the skylark's ecstatic flight and fall. Observing a troop of jongleurs approaching for a marriage feast, he acknowledges his role as the master of these 'beautiful fantastic little people' and resolves to renounce love and depart into eternal exile.
Chapter 7
Of the Double-Dealer’s Traffic with a Knave
Horvendile visits Maugis d'Aigremont in his encampment in the hill-country of Perdigon, where the brigand languishes, unable to attack Storisende due to lack of followers. Horvendile proposes a treacherous plan to help Maugis win Ettarre and deal with Sir Guiron, Count Emmerick, and Count Perion. Maugis, weary and distrustful, reluctantly agrees, and they settle the details. Horvendile returns to Storisende in time for Count Emmerick's revel.
Chapter 8
V: How the Double-Dealer Was of Two Minds
In the deep silence of night, Horvendile enters Ettarre's chamber and lights all the lamps, revealing her in white with the broken sigil of Scoteia. He confesses that he has betrayed the castle by admitting Maugis d'Aigremont and his men, setting up a contest between Guiron and Maugis for mastery of Storisende and Ettarre. Ettarre bravely declares that heaven will defend the right, but Horvendile, acting as a puppet-shifter, claims the outcome rests with him. The arras parts to reveal Maugis, and Horvendile chuckles.
Chapter 9
VI: Treats of Maugis d’Aigremont’s Pottage
Maugis confronts Ettarre, expressing his despair and the futility of his wicked deeds driven by desire for her. Horvendile reveals his manipulative role, declaring Maugis's death necessary. Ettarre, horrified, witnesses the confrontation and later sees Guiron alive.
Chapter 10
VII: Journey's End: With the Customary Unmasking
Horvendile reveals himself as the creator of the dream world of Storisende, confessing to Sir Guiron and Ettarre that he is a writer of romances from another country and that they are characters in his tale. After Maugis's death, Horvendile bids farewell, gives Ettarre half the sigil of Scoteia, and departs, leaving Guiron and Ettarre together.
Chapter 11
Book Second
The chapter opens with a poetic epigraph reflecting on an inaccessible beloved, a divine Idea that commands the heart and inspires fictions. The narrative likely continues Kennaston's exploration of dream and reality, his longing for an idealized figure, and the interplay between art and life.
Chapter 12
VIII: Of a Trifle Found in Twilight
Felix Kennaston, walking in the twilight gardens of Alcluid, reflects on his dissatisfaction with his waking life and the droll ending he has written for the romance of Ettarre and Guiron. He picks up a broken metal disk inscribed with tiny characters, which he later realizes he had unconsciously woven into his story as a breast-ornament for Ettarre, and pockets it without fully understanding his motive.
Chapter 13
IX: Beyond Use and Wont Fares the Road to Storisende
Kennaston dines alone with his wife and reflects on his past literary attempts before immersing himself in writing 'Men Who Loved Alison.' He becomes absorbed in the life of Horvendile, the fictional narrator, finding the dream world more real than his waking life. The chapter explores Kennaston's inadequacy as a person and the disconnect between his inner life and how others perceive him.
Chapter 14
Of Idle Speculations in a Library
Felix Kennaston, in his library at Alcluid, reflects on his newfound wealth and the books left by his predecessor. He muses on the power of reading to escape one's own personality, and examines a mysterious inscribed piece of metal he found earlier, wishing he had a college education to decipher it. The chapter also touches on his wife Kathleen's distaste for books, stemming from her past as a lecturer and journalist.
Chapter 15
XI: How There Was a Light in the Fog
Kennaston dreams of meeting Ettarre in a fog, where they discuss the nature of dreams, the sigil of Scoteia, and the influence of a portrait of Beatricê Cenci. He wakes at his writing-table, reflecting on how dreams draw from forgotten memories.
Chapter 16
XII: Of Publishing: With an Unlikely Appendix
Kennaston completes 'The Audit at Storisende' and submits it to publishers, who praise its literary quality but reject it for commercial reasons. After many rejections, the Baxon-Muir Company accepts it, renames it 'Men Who Loved Alison,' and publishes it. A controversy over indecency in the novel sparks public interest, leading to commercial success and cultural fads, though the book is eventually forgotten by the general public.
Chapter 17
XIII: Suggesting Themes of Universal Appeal
Felix Kennaston observes the public reception of his novel 'Men Who Loved Alison' with a mixture of amusement and disappointment, noting that only riffraff seem to respond while cultured readers remain silent. He and his wife Kathleen engage in a domestic exchange that reveals her practical concerns and his frustration with her lack of appreciation for his artistic work, culminating in a reflection on the difficulty of conversing with one's spouse.
Chapter 18
XIV: Peculiar Conduct of a Personage
Kennaston lunches with a famous personage and a group of notable men, feeling out of place among them. After the meal, the personage privately warns Kennaston about his book's references to the sigil of Scoteia, asks about white pigeons, and shows a small mirror, leaving Kennaston bewildered. He later examines the sigil fragment he found, pondering the mystery.
Chapter 19
XV: Of Vain Regret and Wonder in the Dark
In a dark dream, Kennaston, as the rogue Vanringham, converses with a woman (Ettarre) outside a door, debating his base reputation and his yearning for purity. He recognizes the dream as such and feels a noble sorrow. When the door opens, Ettarre sees Horvendile and they acknowledge sharing the same dream. Kennaston awakens at his writing-table, resolves to discard the sigil, but doubts his own resolve.
Chapter 20
Book Third
Kennaston's longing for Ettarre intensifies, blurring the line between dream and reality as he becomes increasingly detached from waking life.
Chapter 21
XVI: They Come to a High Place
Kennaston dreams of meeting Ettarre on a high place overlooking a fantastical city. He encounters a repulsive old woman knitting who speaks of paying upon leaving. Ettarre awaits him by a stone balustrade, and they share a moment of transcendent connection, though Kennaston finds he cannot touch her. He reflects on the dreamlike nature of their meeting and the sigil's magic.
Chapter 22
XVII: Of the Sigil and One Use of It
Kennaston discovers that touching Ettarre in his dreams causes them to end abruptly. He learns more about the sigil's history, seeing it whole in ancient Alexandria. To prolong his dreams, he devises a method using a candle and the sigil's reflection, allowing him to escape into the dream world for eight hours each night.
Chapter 23
XVIII: Treats of a Prelate and, in Part, of Pigeons
Kennaston is summoned by a visiting prelate, an old acquaintance of his deceased uncle, who engages him in seemingly trivial conversation about Lichfield and pigeons. The prelate reveals he has read 'Men Who Loved Alison' and warns Kennaston about meddling with dangerous subjects, alluding to the sigil of Scoteia. Kennaston, frightened, denies any deeper knowledge and reaffirms his preference for a quiet, dreamy life. The prelate blesses him, and Kennaston returns to his world of dreams.
Chapter 24
XIX: Local Laws of Nephelococcygia
Kennaston's dreams are governed by consistent laws: Ettarre appears in each, time flows in real-time, no dream repeats, and he never occupies a historically prominent figure. He discovers that in these dreams he is a tall, red-haired young man, not his waking self. He reflects on the nature of his dreams and his relationship with Ettarre, questioning whether she is the heroine of his book or a timeless woman glimpsed by poets.
Chapter 25
XX: Of Divers Fleshly Riddles
Kennaston begins to lose interest in his waking life and his own identity, noticing his wife's distrust and his own growing detachment from mundane concerns. He reflects on the fundamental loneliness of human existence, concluding that all communication is flawed and that true understanding between people is impossible—until the arrival of Ettarre changed everything.
Chapter 26
XXI: In Pursuit of a Whisper
Kennaston, now nightly adventuring with Ettarre, visits historical figures such as Napoleon, Shakespeare, and Pontius Pilate in their private moments. He becomes convinced that he alone perceives the miraculous nature of existence, while others stumble blindly through life. Reading his uncle's library, he finds parallels in legends of mortal men loved by immortal mistresses and in the works of Coleridge, Herrick, Marlowe, and others, suspecting that many creative writers have shared his divided life. He explores Rosicrucian dogmas and the idea of muses with audible voices, feeling himself an initiate into a hidden understanding.
Chapter 27
XXII: Of Truisms: Treated Reasonably
Kennaston awakens to the wonder of life, realizing that reality exists only in the present moment. He concludes that success lies in being fully engrossed in each instant, and he finds this in his dreams, where he experiences a range of human emotions while maintaining a detached awareness that he is dreaming. He can end any dream by touching Ettarre, treating these experiences as toys to be discarded when they no longer amuse him.
Chapter 28
Book Fourth
Kennaston's increasing detachment from waking life is mirrored by his deepening immersion in the dream world, where he confronts the illusory nature of reality and the power of artistic creation.
Chapter 29
XXIII: Economic Considerations of Piety
Kennaston, reading in his dead uncle's library, finds that most books no longer seem important. Instead, each night he experiences vivid visions of historical events. He witnesses Tiberius Caesar on Capreae, discussing the new Christian sect with the physician Charicles. Tiberius sees political and financial advantage in adopting Christ as a Roman deity, but Charicles, a secret Christian, fears that state patronage will destroy the faith by eliminating martyrdom. He poisons Tiberius to ensure persecution under Caligula. Kennaston then sees a priest in a gray-walled room constructing a steam-engine disguised as a miracle device to attract worshippers back from the Galilean heresies, revealing the economic and political calculations behind piety.
Chapter 30
Deals with Pen Scratches
Kennaston witnesses the burning of the Alexandrian library by Amrou, reflecting on the destruction of countless literary masterworks. He observes similar acts of cultural vandalism across time, from a monk erasing Sappho to the loss of Shakespearean manuscripts, and grapples with the futility of individual action versus the enduring power of artistic creation.
Chapter 31
XXV: Byproducts of Rational Endeavor
Kennaston observes a series of historical vignettes where human ambition and rational endeavor produce unintended consequences. He witnesses an alchemist seeking eternal life who accidentally discovers gunpowder, then the dying Christopher Columbus lamenting his neglect despite having expanded the known world, and finally King Henry VIII being persuaded by Anne Boleyn to break with Rome for personal and political gain, leading to the English Reformation.
Chapter 32
XXVI: “Epper Si Muove”
Kennaston reflects on the irrational progress of humanity, seeing history as a series of blind blunders that nonetheless lead to improvement. He extends this view to the evolution of life on Earth and the cosmos, questioning the purpose of existence and the role of life as an intruder in a soulless universe. He then critiques revealed religions, finding them akin to fairy tales and noting that they promise a better tomorrow while urging disregard for the present moment. He concludes that art, unlike religion, fulfills the need to make the sensations of the moment soul-satisfying.
Chapter 33
Evolution of a Vestryman
Kennaston develops a theological theory that God is an artist expressing Himself through creation, leading him to embrace orthodox Christianity and become a vestryman. He reflects on how life is always lived in anticipation of a 'tomorrow' that never arrives, and how his own desires—shaped by literature—have been fulfilled but left him disappointed.
Chapter 34
XXVIII: The Shallowest Sort of Mysticism
Felix Kennaston and Dick Harrowby engage in a philosophical debate about the nature of reality, belief, and human perception. Kennaston argues that humans can only know appearances, not reality itself, and that belief is a noble privilege. Harrowby counters with his own occult beliefs, suggesting that the Wardens of Earth allow only fleeting glimpses of other worlds and that any complete theory of the universe is inherently flawed.
Chapter 35
Book Fifth
Kennaston's soul finds its delight not in waking life but in the secret, moonlit realm of dreams, where it experiences a love and life that sleepers may know, yet lacks the triumph of waking joy.
Chapter 36
XXIX: Of Poetic Love: Treated with Poetic Inefficiency
Kennaston reflects on his dreams as a form of romantic art, where he experiences love for Ettarre in a way he never could in waking life. He contrasts this with his past affairs with married women, which left him emotionally unfulfilled. The chapter culminates in a chance encounter with Muriel Allardyce at the train station, where he momentarily mistakes her for Ettarre but ultimately rejects her plea to run away together, returning to his wife Kathleen.
Chapter 37
XXX: Cross-Purposes in Spacious Times
Kennaston reflects on the futility of fleshly love and his eternal, unattainable longing for Ettarre. He recounts a dream in which he is a cardsharp named Lionel Branch who quarrels with a boy, Master Skirlaw, and flings wine in his face. As he reaches to touch the boy's signet ring, the dream ends and he awakens crying 'Valentia!', realizing the boy's face was Ettarre's. The dream remains an enigma, governed by the law that he can never touch Ettarre.
Chapter 38
XXXI: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Whitehall
Kennaston, in the guise of Horvendile, witnesses a conversation between Oliver Cromwell and Ettarre at Whitehall. Cromwell speaks of his plans for Ireland and Virginia, revealing his weariness and age. After Cromwell departs, Kennaston questions Ettarre about her role in the rise of powerful men like Cromwell, Mohammed, and Napoleon. Ettarre explains that she is merely an incident in their lives, and that a mirror aids them in focusing on their own ends. Kennaston reflects on the moral compromises of power and regrets not being better prepared to influence Cromwell.
Chapter 39
XXXII: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Vaux-le-Vicomte
In a dream, Kennaston and Ettarre attend a fête at Vaux-le-Vicomte, where young Louis XIV is being entertained by Fouquet. Horvendile points out historical figures like La Vallière and the future Madame de Montespan, and remarks on a new comedy by Molière (then known as Poquelin). He reflects on the human inability to speak one's true thoughts, the price poets pay for glimpses of perfect beauty, and his own jealousy toward Molière. The chapter ends with Horvendile's anguished confession of his love for Ettarre and the frustration of never being able to truly possess her.
Chapter 40
Horvendile to Ettarre: In the Conciergerie
Horvendile and Ettarre await execution in the Conciergerie during the French Revolution. Horvendile confesses his lifelong search for Ettarre, his disillusionment with earthly love, and his inability to touch her. Ettarre explains that all women reflect her beauty and that their dream is ending. As the doors open to the guillotine, she touches him to end the dream.
Chapter 41
Of One Enigma That Threatened to Prove Allegorical
Kennaston, as an aged king in a dream, reflects on the futility of love, power, and wisdom, concluding that all which has known life must suffer death. He is visited by Ettarre, who appears as death itself, offering a moment of sweet terror and happiness.
Chapter 42
XXXV: Treats of Witches, Mixed Drinks, and the Weather
The narrator recalls a typical late-afternoon visit from the Kennastons, where conversation drifts from mundane domestic concerns—carpets, roads, weather, servants—to a discussion of witchcraft and the Sabbat, prompted by Kennaston's curiosity. The narrator, Dick Harrowby, shares his knowledge of occult traditions, but the talk soon returns to ordinary topics, leaving Moira to wonder about Mrs. Kennaston's vanity and Kennaston's apparent dullness.
Chapter 43
Book Sixth
Kennaston's growing obsession with the sigil and his dream life leads him to neglect his waking existence, culminating in a philosophical reflection on the elusive nature of truth and the limitations of human understanding.
Chapter 44
Sundry Disclosures of the Press
Felix Kennaston discovers the missing half of the sigil of Scoteia hidden in his wife Kathleen's bathroom press, realizing she is the real-world counterpart of Ettarre. He reflects on the implications of this revelation and leaves the reunited sigil for her to find.
Chapter 45
Considerations Toward Sunset
Kennaston takes a meditative walk at sunset, reflecting on his life, his marriage to Kathleen, and the sanctity of ordinary human ties. He realizes that his fictional Ettarre was actually inspired by his wife, and he finds contentment in the simple, earthly bonds of home and flesh, contrasting with the grand dreams of his earlier pursuits.
Chapter 46
One Way of Elusion
Kennaston confronts Kathleen about the sigil of Scoteia, but she denies any knowledge of it, forcing him to realize that their shared life in the flesh cannot accommodate the dream world of Horvendile and Ettarre. He understands that to speak of the sigil would be to invite being labeled insane, and so he acquiesces, dropping the matter. Kathleen discards the sigil pieces into the wastebasket, and they go about their mundane evening, dining and attending a theater performance, after which Kennaston sleeps dreamlessly.
Chapter 47
Past Storisende Fares the Road of Use and Wont
Felix Kennaston reflects on his life after publishing 'The Tinctured Veil,' having written no more books. He and Mrs. Kennaston continue their social duties, and he outwardly expresses contentment with his comfortable life. The chapter delves into the inevitable disillusionment of marriage, contrasting the idealized love of courtship with the mundane realities of married life, and suggests that a certain mystery remains between spouses.
Chapter 48
XL: Which Mr. Flaherty Does Not Quite Explain
The narrator reflects on Felix Kennaston as a parable of humanity, flawed yet devoted to his dream. After Kathleen Kennaston's sudden death, the sigil is found intact among her effects. The narrator reveals the sigil is merely the metal top of a cold cream jar, designed by P. N. Flaherty, and Kennaston's visions were a product of self-hypnosis and faith. Despite this, Kennaston insists the sigil taught him that life is miraculous.
