The Cords of Vanity · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for The Cords of Vanity by James Branch Cabell.

Read with companions Book page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

Chapter 1
Epigraph
The epigraph sets a poetic tone for the book, evoking themes of beauty, transience, and the artist's fleeting moment of joy and recognition.
Chapter 2
Dedication
The chapter is a brief dedication to Gabrielle Brooke Moncure, accompanied by a Latin epigram suggesting that the common people are wise because they know only what is necessary.
Chapter 3
An Introduction
Wilson Follett introduces the second edition of 'The Cords of Vanity,' discussing how James Branch Cabell has recreated the novel by deepening the character of Robert Etheridge Townsend, correlating his weakness as a man with his strength as an artist. Follett reflects on the book's initial poor reception and limited audience, and anticipates a wider appreciation in the changed post-war world.
Chapter 4
Epigraph
The epigraph sets a poetic tone for the book, evoking themes of beauty, transience, and the artist's fleeting moment of joy and recognition.
Chapter 5
The Prologue
The chapter introduces the narrator's reflections on love, memory, and the passage of time, setting the stage for the story to come.

Free preview

201 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

201 more companions → free preview

The Cords of Vanity — Chapters Explained