Jurgen

About this book

Jurgen is a pawnbroker who has somehow offended the devil and lost his wife. When an opportunity appears to recover her, he enters a series of realms where gods, queens and old loves have their own claims upon him.

James Branch Cabell's fantasy moves through fairyland, heaven and hell with a dry wit that unsettled moral guardians when the book appeared. Jurgen's conversations turn adventure into a comedy of desire, self-importance and second chances. The elaborate medieval setting is often less surprising than the recognisable human excuses its hero makes at every turn.