The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking

audiobook

The Cords of Vanity: A Comedy of Shirking

by James Branch Cabell

EN·~8 hours·8 chapters

Chapters

8 total

Produced by Suzanne Shell, Virginia Paque, Anuradha Valsa,

7:27:47

GABRIELLE BROOKE MONCURE

0:05

WILSON FOLLETT. - CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT

0:03

THE PROLOGUE - I HE SITS OUT A DANCE - II HE LOVES EXTENSIVELY - III HE EARNS A STICK-PIN - IV HE TALKS WITH CHARTERIS - V HE REVISITS FAIRHAVEN AND THE PLAY - VI HE CHATS OVER A HEDGE - VII HE GOES MAD IN A GARDEN - VIII HE DUELS WITH A STUPID WOMAN - IX HE PUTS HIS TONGUE IN HIS CHEEK - X HE SAMPLES NEW EMOTIONS - XI HE POSTURES AMONG CHIMNEY-POTS - XII HE FACES HIMSELF AND REMEMBERS - XIII HE BAITS UPON THE JOURNEY - XIV HE PARTICIPATES IN A BRAVE JEST - XV HE DECIDES TO AMUSE HIMSELF - XVI HE SEEKS FOR COPY - XVII HE PROVIDES COPY - XVIII HE SPENDS AN AFTERNOON IN ARDEN - XIX HE PLAYS THE IMPROVIDENT FOOL - XX HE DINES OUT, IMPEDED BY SUPERSTITIONS - XXI HE IS URGED TO DESERT HIS GALLEY - XXII HE CLEANS THE SLATE - XXIII HE REVILES DESTINY AND CLIMBS A WALL - XXIV HE RECONCILES SENTIMENT AND REASON - XXV HE ADVANCES IN THE ATTACK ON SELWOODE - XXVI HE ASSISTS IN THE DIVERSION OF BIRDS - XXVII HE CALLS, COUNSELS, AND CONSIDERS - XXVIII HE PARTICIPATES IN SUNDRY CONFIDENCES - XXIX HE ALLOWS THE MERITS OF IMPERFECTION - XXX HE GILDS THE WEATHER-VANE - THE EPILOGUE: WHICH SUGGESTS THAT SECOND THOUGHTS— - THE PROLOGUE

1:54

"DEAR LORD

0:08

"ROBERT ETHERIDGE TOWNSEND."

12:36

DEAR ROBERT:

0:52

AVIS M. BEECHINOR

46:07

Description

A sharply witty satire, this novel follows a young man who has mastered the art of evasion, slipping from one superficial pursuit to the next while the world around him demands earnest purpose. He navigates a glittering society that prizes appearance over substance, and his attempts to sidestep responsibility draw him into a series of absurd encounters that reveal both his own vanity and the pretensions of those he meets. The prose sparkles with ironic humor, turning everyday ambitions into a playful commentary on the costs of self‑delusion.

When a seemingly trivial invitation pulls him toward a mysterious quest, he is forced to confront the very games he has been playing. The journey unfolds with a light‑hearted tone, offering clever twists that test his habit of shirking while exposing the hidden motives of the characters surrounding him. As the first act builds, the reader is left wondering whether the hero will finally embrace genuine effort or remain comfortably ensnared in his own elaborate avoidance.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~8 hours (489K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

2006-01-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

James Branch Cabell

James Branch Cabell

1879–1958

Best known for the witty and once-controversial novel Jurgen, this Richmond-born writer built a strange, elegant body of fantasy that mixed satire, romance, and myth. His books were admired by major literary figures of his day and helped give early American fantasy a distinctly playful voice.

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