Sign-In
Cart
The Way of Ecben
Hardcover
FantasyGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025343792
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 224
Weight: 1.08
Height: 0.56 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Way of Ecben is a sophisticated fantasy novella that serves as a pivotal conclusion to James Branch Cabell's expansive Biography of the Life of Manuel cycle. The story centers on King Alfgar of Ecben, a noble ruler who chooses to forsake his kingdom and worldly responsibilities to pursue a mystical vision of Ettarre, the embodiment of eternal beauty and the unattainable ideal. His journey takes him through the enchanted and often ironic landscape of Poictesme, where he must navigate the harsh realities of aging and the inevitable passage of time.
Written with Cabell's characteristic wit and rhythmic prose, the work is a profound meditation on the nature of desire, the sacrifices of the artist, and the transience of human achievement. It explores the tension between the duty a man owes to his heritage and the internal drive to follow a dream, even when that dream leads toward certain obsolescence. As a significant entry in the history of high fantasy, The Way of Ecben offers a bittersweet reflection on the power of myth and the enduring struggle to find meaning in a world that is constantly changing.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
1 different editions
Also available
Also from
Cabell, James Branch
Taboo; a Legend Retold From the Dirghic of Sævius Nicanor, With Prolegomena, Notes, and a Preliminary Memoir
Cabell, James Branch
Hardcover
The Silver Stallion: The Works of James Branch Cabell, Storisend Edition
Cabell, James Branch
Paperback
The Silver Stallion: The Works of James Branch Cabell, Storisend Edition
Cabell, James Branch
Hardcover
Fiction: The Pocket University, Volume XXII - Part I
Voltaire, François-Marie Arouet de
Conrad, Joseph
Cabell, James Branch
Hardcover
Fiction: The Pocket University, Volume XXII - Part I
Cabell, James Branch
Voltaire, François-Marie Arouet de
Conrad, Joseph
Paperback
Between Dawn and Sunrise: Selections From the Writings of James Branch Cabell
Cabell, James Branch
Macy, John
Hardcover
Between Dawn and Sunrise: Selections From the Writings of James Branch Cabell
Macy, John
Cabell, James Branch
Paperback
Taboo; a Legend Retold From the Dirghic of Sævius Nicanor, With Prolegomena, Notes, and a Preliminary Memoir
Cabell, James Branch
Paperback
Between Dawn and Sunrise: Selections from the Writings of James Branch Cabell
Cabell, James Branch
Paperback
Gallantry; an Eighteenth Century Dizain in ten Comedies, With an Afterpiece
Cabell, James Branch
Hardcover
Taboo: A Legend Retold from the Dirghic of Saevius Nicanor, with Prolegomena, Notes, and a Preliminary Memoir
Cabell, James Branch
Paperback
Also in
Fantasy
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paperback
The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Paperback
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Kuang, R. F.
Paperback
Japanese Gothic: A Folk Horror Novel of Japanese Mythology, Murder, and Family Duty Across Two Timelines
Baker, Kylie Lee
Hardcover
Assistant to the Villain: A Cozy Fantasy Romantic Comedy from a Tiktok Sensation
Maehrer, Hannah Nicole
Paperback
Before I Knew I Loved You: A Cozy Magical Realism Novel of Time Travel, Love, and Memory, Set in a Fabled Tokyo Café
Kawaguchi, Toshikazu
Hardcover