Figures of Earth

Figures of Earth, published in 1921, is one of the central novels in James Branch Cabell’s Biography of the Life of Manuel series. The story follows Dom Manuel, a swineherd-turned-lord, whose journey through love, ambition, and disillusionment forms a darkly satirical allegory of human aspiration. Blending fantasy, irony, and ornate prose, Cabell critiques romantic ideals and the pursuit of glory. The novel’s mix of medievalism and philosophical cynicism established Cabell’s reputation in the literary world, particularly among modernists and satirists.