James Branch Cabell 4 hr 55 min read

A humble swineherd named Manuel rises to become a great lord by following the motto 'Mundus vult decipi', the world wishes to be deceived.

James Branch Cabell's 1921 novel is the cornerstone of his celebrated Biography of Manuel, an ironic, richly ornamented fantasy of ambition, illusion, and myth-making. Witty, sophisticated, gorgeously written. Read it for a founding work of literary fantasy, a sly comedy about the appearances by which men become legends.

In its time

Published in 1921, during the 1920s, the pulp era proper.

Reading it

4 hr 55 min read (a novel-length work, settle in).

Illustrated by

Frank Cheyne Papé