The Cords of Vanity (Paperback)

James Branch Cabell (1879-1956) is best known for his tales of the imaginary land of Poictesme, where chivalry and galantry live on. All of Cabell's works from before 1930 (including The Cords of Vanity, an otherwise mainstream supposed redeemer of the land of Poictesme, and they form a series which follows Manuel and his descendants through the centuries. Carter to Robert A. Heinlein. Townsend, who has adopted infancy as a profession, and never gets out of boyhood. Townsend is also one of the that he says, and thus romances alluringly of himself with no regard to the fetters of fact--truly a captivating liar. In this higher carelessness all his contradictions and repetitions are merged into a fine unity. By playing at emotion so long he finally breaks down the inward integrities, so that he is not able to realize when he is acting a part and when he is sincere. And his sin overtakes him in the circumstance that, having played at love so long, he finally is not able to love anybody in reality.