
BY - ALBION W. TOURGEE, LL.D., - LATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA - THIS VOLUME I GRATEFULLY DEDICATE TO
TO WHOSE UNFLINCHING COURAGE, UNFALTERING FAITH, UNFAILING CHEER, AND STEADFAST LOVE, I OWE MORE THAN MANY VOLUMES MIGHT DECLARE. - TRANSLATION:
BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW. - CHAPTER I. - TRI-NOMINATE.
CHAPTER II. - THE FONT.
CHAPTER III. - THE JUNONIAN RITE.
CHAPTER IV. - MARS MEDDLES.
MR. SILAS WARE:
CHAPTER V. - NUNC PRO TUNC.
CHAPTER VI. - THE TOGA VIRILIS.
CHAPTER VII. - DAMON AND PYTHIAS.
The novel opens with a whimsical retelling of an ancient decree: a ruler demands endless bricks but withholds the straw needed to shape them, sending his court jester on a futile mission to consult an owl. This absurd command sets a tone of dark humor, using mythic language to spotlight the absurdities of power and the burdens placed on the laboring many.
From there, a contemporary narrator—spoken in a vivid, colloquial dialect—draws a parallel between that ancient oppression and the modern struggle for identity and freedom. He muses on names, belonging, and the weight of history, weaving personal reflection with the jester’s folly. The voice is raw and immediate, grounding the lofty allegory in everyday experience.
The book blends historical satire with gritty, present‑day storytelling, inviting listeners to contemplate how ancient injustices echo in today’s world. Its sharp wit and lyrical prose make for an engaging listen that balances laughter with thoughtful critique.
Language
en
Duration
~14 hours (861K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1905
A Civil War veteran turned novelist, lawyer, and outspoken reformer, he wrote some of the most vivid fiction about Reconstruction and the struggle for equal rights in the postwar South. His life moved between battlefield experience, courtroom battles, and a determined effort to tell uncomfortable truths.
View all books
by Albion Winegar Tourgée

by Vinceslas-Eugène Dick

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Royall Tyler

by Abraham Cahan

by Abraham Cahan

by Eliza Fowler Haywood