Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice
Encyclopedia
Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice is a 1919 fantasy
book by James Branch Cabell
– the eighth among some fifty-two books written by this author – which gained fame (or notoriety) shortly after its publication.
The novel was denounced by the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
; they attempted to bring a prosecution for obscenity, beginning on January 4, 1920 when the printing plates for the book were seized. The case went on for two years before Cabell and his publisher, Robert M. McBride
, won: the "indecencies" were double entendres that also had a perfectly decent interpretation, though it appeared that what had actually offended the prosecution most was a joke about papal infallibility
.
Cabell took an author's revenge: the revised edition of 1926 included a previously "lost" passage in which the hero is placed on trial by the Philistines
, with a large dung-beetle as the chief prosecutor. He also wrote a short book, Taboo, in which he thanks John H. Sumner and the Society for Suppression of Vice for generating the publicity that gave his career a boost.
Aleister Crowley
dubbed Jurgen one of the "epoch-making masterpieces of philosophy" in 1929, even though the book contains a parody of Crowley's Gnostic Mass
. Crowley's famous phrase from The Book of the Law
, "There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt" – or its source, Rabelais
's "there was but this one clause to be observed, Do What Thou Wilt – is parodied as "There is no law in Cocaigne save, Do that which seems good to you."
Robert A. Heinlein
consciously patterned his best-known novel, Stranger in a Strange Land
, after Jurgen, and the title and themes of his 1984 novel Job: A Comedy of Justice
also show Cabell's influence, as do those of his first novel, the 1938 For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs
.
was named after Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, which was her father's favorite book.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
book by James Branch Cabell
James Branch Cabell
James Branch Cabell, ; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. Cabell was well regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist and fit well in the culture of the 1920s, when his...
– the eighth among some fifty-two books written by this author – which gained fame (or notoriety) shortly after its publication.
The book and its reception
The eponymous hero, who considers himself a "monstrous clever fellow", embarks on a journey through ever more fantastic realms, even to hell and heaven. Everywhere he goes, he winds up seducing the local women, even the Devil's wife.The novel was denounced by the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice was an institution dedicated to supervising the morality of the public, founded in 1873. Its specific mission was to monitor compliance with state laws and work with the courts and district attorneys in bringing offenders to justice. It and its...
; they attempted to bring a prosecution for obscenity, beginning on January 4, 1920 when the printing plates for the book were seized. The case went on for two years before Cabell and his publisher, Robert M. McBride
Robert M. McBride
Robert Medill McBride was the publisher of James Branch Cabell and the later books of Frank Buck .-Early years:...
, won: the "indecencies" were double entendres that also had a perfectly decent interpretation, though it appeared that what had actually offended the prosecution most was a joke about papal infallibility
Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
.
Cabell took an author's revenge: the revised edition of 1926 included a previously "lost" passage in which the hero is placed on trial by the Philistines
Philistines
Philistines , Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age . According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with...
, with a large dung-beetle as the chief prosecutor. He also wrote a short book, Taboo, in which he thanks John H. Sumner and the Society for Suppression of Vice for generating the publicity that gave his career a boost.
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
dubbed Jurgen one of the "epoch-making masterpieces of philosophy" in 1929, even though the book contains a parody of Crowley's Gnostic Mass
Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass
Aleister Crowley wrote The Gnostic Mass — technically called Liber XV or "Book 15" — in 1913 while travelling in Moscow, Russia. In many ways it is similar in structure to the Mass of the Eastern Orthodox Church. However, the comparison ends there, as Liber XV is a celebration of the principles of...
. Crowley's famous phrase from The Book of the Law
The Book of the Law
Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904. Its full title is Liber AL vel Legis, sub figura CCXX, as delivered by XCIII=418 to DCLXVI, and it is commonly referred to as The Book of the Law.Liber AL vel Legis contains three...
, "There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt" – or its source, Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
's "there was but this one clause to be observed, Do What Thou Wilt – is parodied as "There is no law in Cocaigne save, Do that which seems good to you."
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
consciously patterned his best-known novel, Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and...
, after Jurgen, and the title and themes of his 1984 novel Job: A Comedy of Justice
Job: A Comedy of Justice
Job: A Comedy of Justice is a novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1984. The title is a reference to the biblical Book of Job and James Branch Cabell's book Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice...
also show Cabell's influence, as do those of his first novel, the 1938 For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs
For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs
For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, written in 1938 but published for the first time in 2003...
.
Trivia
Filmmaker Jurgen VsychJürgen Vsych
Jürgen Vsych , born in 1968, is the writer-director-producer of more than 30 films, including Son for Sail, Ophelia Learns to Swim, Tyrannosaurus Tex, and Pay Your Rent, Beethoven, which won the Prince's Trust Award. Her films have been shown in forty-three film festivals in thirty countries....
was named after Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice, which was her father's favorite book.
External links
- Notes on Jurgen; Text of footnotes and references collected by enthusiasts in 1928, augmented by modern additions
- HTML etext at the University of Virginia