# Felix Kennaston — The Cream of the Jest character guide > Felix Kennaston in The Cream of the Jest by James Branch Cabell. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Kennaston, Mr. Kennaston, Mr. Felix Kennaston **First appearance:** 0001-the-cream-of-the-jest ## Snapshot A middle-aged poet whose sudden fame with Men Who Loved Alison masks a stranger transformation, as a mysterious sigil begins dissolving the border between his dreams and waking life. ## Who they are Kennaston is a country gentleman and former verse-writer whose late-blooming novel makes him a minor celebrity he greets with urbane amusement, even as he privately feels his real self slipping elsewhere. His marriage to Kathleen has settled into affectionate incomprehension: she urges him toward up-to-date, marketable fiction while he retreats into a world she will not read. The sigil he discovers opens that retreat into something stranger, and his growing detachment from ordinary human standards of value is what drives the book's central inquiry into dream, identity, and authorship. ## Relationships ### [La Beale Ettarre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/la_beale_ettarre) _romantic_ Felix is obsessively in love with the idealized La Beale Ettarre, who is both his muse and a projection of his desires. ### [Kathleen Saumarez](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/kathleen_saumarez) _romantic_ Felix is romantically entangled with Kathleen, a real-world counterpart to his fictional ideal. ### [Muriel Allardyce](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/muriel_allardyce) _social_ Muriel is a social acquaintance of Felix, part of his real-world circle in Lichfield. ### [Avis Blagden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/avis_blagden) _social_ Avis Blagden is a neighbor and social contact of Felix, involved in mundane local affairs. ### [Alison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/alison) _family_ Alison is Felix's wife, representing his domestic reality and emotional anchor. ### [Horvendile](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/horvendile) _psychological_ Horvendile is Felix's dream-self or alter ego, embodying his creative and heroic fantasies. ### [Cromwell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/cromwell) _rivalry_ Cromwell appears as a historical adversary to Felix's dream-identity, representing conflict. ### [Adam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/adam) _friendship_ Adam is a minor but loyal figure in Felix's dream world, serving as a helper. ### [La Beale Ettarre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/la_beale_ettarre) _romantic_ Felix is obsessively in love with the idealized La Beale Ettarre, who is both his muse and a projection of his desires. ### [Avis Blagden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/avis_blagden) _social_ Avis Blagden is a neighbor and social contact of Felix, involved in mundane local affairs. ### [Kathleen Saumarez](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/kathleen_saumarez) _romantic_ Felix is romantically entangled with Kathleen, a real-world counterpart to his fictional ideal. ### [Adam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/adam) _friendship_ Adam is a minor but loyal figure in Felix's dream world, serving as a helper. ## In the story ### [The Cream of the Jest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/the-cream-of-the-jest) The protagonist, whose experiences in both waking and dream worlds form the core of the narrative. ### [I: Palliation of the Gambit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/i-palliation-of-the-gambit) The central figure whose unexplained transformation from a tolerable poet to a genius is the subject of the chapter. ### [Book Second](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-second) Protagonist whose inner life and romantic idealization are central to the chapter's themes. ### [VIII: Of a Trifle Found in Twilight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/viii-of-a-trifle-found-in-twilight) Walks in twilight at Alcluid, musing on his unhappiness in his own country and the unsatisfactory ending he has given to the story of Ettarre and Guiron; discovers and pockets a broken metal disk. ### [IX: Beyond Use and Wont Fares the Road to Storisende](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/ix-beyond-use-and-wont-fares-the-road-to-storisende) Immerses himself in writing 'Men Who Loved Alison,' living the life of Horvendile and finding the dream world more real than his waking life. ### [Of Idle Speculations in a Library](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/x-of-idle-speculations-in-a-library) Sits in his library, pondering his identity and the books around him; examines the sigil he found. ### [XI: How There Was a Light in the Fog](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xi-how-there-was-a-light-in-the-fog) Protagonist who dreams of meeting Ettarre and reflects on the sigil and Beatricê Cenci. ### [XII: Of Publishing: With an Unlikely Appendix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xii-of-publishing-with-an-unlikely-appendix) Completes his romance 'The Audit at Storisende,' endures multiple rejections, revises the manuscript, and eventually sees it published as 'Men Who Loved Alison.' ### [XIII: Suggesting Themes of Universal Appeal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xiii-suggesting-themes-of-universal-appeal) Reflects on the vulgarization of his dream and the drollery of public notoriety; engages in a tense breakfast conversation with his wife about his book and domestic trivialities. ### [XIV: Peculiar Conduct of a Personage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xiv-peculiar-conduct-of-a-personage) Attends a luncheon with a famous personage and other notable men, feels out of place, and is later mystified by the personage's cryptic remarks about the sigil and white pigeons. ### [XV: Of Vain Regret and Wonder in the Dark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xv-of-vain-regret-and-wonder-in-the-dark) Dreams as the rogue Vanringham, experiencing a noble sorrow and recognizing the dream as such. ### [Book Third](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-third) Deeply absorbed in his dreams of Ettarre, losing interest in diurnal existence. ### [XVI: They Come to a High Place](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xvi-they-come-to-a-high-place) Dreams of meeting Ettarre on a high place, feels exultant and powerful, but cannot touch her. ### [XVII: Of the Sigil and One Use of It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xvii-of-the-sigil-and-one-use-of-it) Discovers the sigil's power and learns to prolong his dreams of Ettarre by using a candle's reflection. ### [XVIII: Treats of a Prelate and, in Part, of Pigeons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xviii-treats-of-a-prelate-and-in-part-of-pigeons) Visits the prelate, discusses his sigil and his book, and is warned against delving into forbidden knowledge. ### [XIX: Local Laws of Nephelococcygia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xix-local-laws-of-nephelococcygia) The dreamer, who experiences consistent dream laws and discovers his dream appearance differs from his waking self. ### [XX: Of Divers Fleshly Riddles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xx-of-divers-fleshly-riddles) Grows increasingly detached from his diurnal life and identity; reflects on the isolation of human consciousness. ### [XXI: In Pursuit of a Whisper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxi-in-pursuit-of-a-whisper) Nightly adventures with Ettarre; visits Napoleon, Shakespeare, and Pilate; reads his uncle's books; suspects other writers shared his divided life. ### [XXII: Of Truisms: Treated Reasonably](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxii-of-truisms-treated-reasonably) Reflects on the nature of reality and success, finding fulfillment in his dream experiences. ### [Book Fourth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-fourth) Continues to lose interest in diurnal life, finding greater meaning in his dream encounters. ### [XXIII: Economic Considerations of Piety](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxiii-economic-considerations-of-piety) The dreamer who witnesses historical scenes from his bed, reading the 'truthful history' through his sigil. ### [Deals with Pen Scratches](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxiv-deals-with-pen-scratches) Observes the burning of the Alexandrian library and other acts of literary destruction, philosophizing on the value of art and the insignificance of individual deeds. ### [XXV: Byproducts of Rational Endeavor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxv-byproducts-of-rational-endeavor) The observer who moves through these historical scenes, witnessing the byproducts of human striving. ### [XXVI: “Epper Si Muove”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxvi-epper-si-muove) The central consciousness of the chapter, reflecting on history, evolution, and the purpose of life. ### [Evolution of a Vestryman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xvii-evolution-of-a-vestryman) Develops a theory of God as an artist, becomes a vestryman, and reflects on the disappointment of fulfilled desires. ### [XXVIII: The Shallowest Sort of Mysticism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxviii-the-shallowest-sort-of-mysticism) Debates with Harrowby about the nature of reality, asserting that humans can only know appearances and that belief is a human privilege. ### [Book Fifth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-fifth) The narrator whose soul's delight is measured in dreams rather than waking life. ### [XXIX: Of Poetic Love: Treated with Poetic Inefficiency](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxix-of-poetic-love-treated-with-poetic-inefficiency) Reflects on his dreams of loving Ettarre, his past affairs, and encounters Muriel Allardyce at the train station. ### [XXX: Cross-Purposes in Spacious Times](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxx-cross-purposes-in-spacious-times) The dreamer, who experiences a puzzling dream as a cardsharp named Lionel Branch and awakens crying 'Valentia!' ### [XXXI: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Whitehall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxi-horvendile-to-ettarre-at-whitehall) Appears as Horvendile, questioning Ettarre about the nature of power and regretting his lack of historical knowledge. ### [XXXII: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Vaux-le-Vicomte](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxii-horvendile-to-ettarre-at-vaux-le-vicomte) Mentions the setting and historical figures; his dream self (Horvendile) speaks. ### [Horvendile to Ettarre: In the Conciergerie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxiii-horvendile-to-ettarre-in-the-conciergerie) Experiences the dream as Horvendile, seeing Ettarre and the guillotine. ### [Of One Enigma That Threatened to Prove Allegorical](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxiv-of-one-enigma-that-threatened-to-prove-allegorical) Appears as an aged king in the dream, lamenting the inevitability of death and the emptiness of worldly pursuits. ### [XXXV: Treats of Witches, Mixed Drinks, and the Weather](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxv-treats-of-witches-mixed-drinks-and-the-weather) Visits with his wife; shows sudden interest in witchcraft and the Sabbat, but otherwise seems withdrawn and uncommunicative. ### [Book Sixth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-sixth) Continues to be consumed by his dream experiences and the sigil, losing interest in diurnal life. ### [Sundry Disclosures of the Press](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxvi-sundry-disclosures-of-the-press) Discovers the missing half of the sigil in his wife's bathroom and realizes Kathleen is Ettarre. ### [Considerations Toward Sunset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxvii-considerations-toward-sunset) Walks at sunset, reflects on his life, marriage, and the inspiration for his fictional Ettarre. ### [One Way of Elusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxviii-one-way-of-elusion) Kennaston attempts to speak of the sigil with Kathleen but is met with denial; he resigns himself to the separation of his dream life from waking reality. ### [Past Storisende Fares the Road of Use and Wont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxix-past-storisende-fares-the-road-of-use-and-wont) Reflects on his literary career and married life, expressing a mix of contentment and wistfulness. ### [XL: Which Mr. Flaherty Does Not Quite Explain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xl-which-mr-flaherty-does-not-quite-explain) Portrayed as a flawed, dream-driven man; his wife dies; he remains unshaken in his faith in the sigil's lesson. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/felix_kennaston - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters