The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

George Washington Cable (Author), Michael Kreyling (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1988 | Series: Penguin Classics

At the centre of this novel is a story of two lovers from feuding Creole families in early 19th century New Orleans. The romance of "the grandissimes" the masked ball at the beginning of the story, the conversations in patois, the scenes between reluctant but eventually blessed lovers, the colours of the Creole spring and the French quarter helped make George Washington Cable famous in America during the 1880s. But in contrast to the idealized romance is Cable's accurate, unflattering portrait of Creole gentility and his arguments for racial equality.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Washington Cable was born in New Orleans in 1844. Often considered the South's first modern writer, he wrote many books, including Old Creole Days; Dr. Sevier; John Marsh, Southerner; Bonaventure; and The Cavalier.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (December 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140433228
• ISBN-13: 978-0140433227
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Novel of New Orleans Before JK Toole, May 30, 2000

By 

"oscar_freak" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A native Louisianian, I didn't read this book for a long time, but was well rewarded when I finally got around to it. Cable caught a lot of hell for this book (along with OLD CREOLE DAYS) and it's easy to see why. Taking potshots at popular historical myths (and making arguments for racial equality) was never popular, especially in Louisiana right after Reconstruction when this book was written. While the writing and some of the melodrama are considerably dated (if exquisitely lush and beautiful), Cable makes excellent (if occasionally strident and jarring) points of his own while giving us a beautifully entertaining story of forbidden love and the clash of cultures, (themes more than resonant in Southern literature), and his characters, particularly the strong-willed Aurore, the family black sheep Honore de Grandissime, and the idealistic young Anglo (well, German, really) immigrant, Joseph Frowenfeld, stay in the soul's memory long after the book's finish. As an afterthought, the way Cable goes after Creole society has relevance today, as there is probably no other part of Louisiana history and culture as misunderstood and yet sentimentally applauded as its Cajun and Creole components. A great novel not only on its own terms, but also for the impact its had on perceptions of the South and especially Louisiana.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a little known masterpiece, January 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Critic Rebecca West compared Cable to Balzac and the comparison is apt; this is possibly the closest an american novelist came to the french author. Set in exotic New Orleans during the time when Louisiana was being admitted to the Union, the novel is atmospheric and rich in description. The plot is complex but never enervating. The Grandissimes will be a real surprise to readers who have only read the society novels of Henry James and Edith Wharton.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic depiction of Creole Life, April 21, 2003

By 

Jason Rosenbaum (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Cable's epic masterpiece details the adventures of a young protagonist stranded in New Orleans after his family succumbs to yellow fever. Through an acquaintance with a well-connected Doctor, he is able to enter a society that few people get to experience -- upper class New Orleans.

Mark Twain said that if you read the Grandissimes, you wouldn't have to go to New Orleans, because by reading it, you have already visited. Cable, with extensive detail, humor and intricate commentary on the Old South, has written a novel that stands the test of time, even though some of the characters (Agricola Fullister) do not.

Although the book is at points tenuous, the characters are vibrant and interesting enough to keep the plot moving along.

Of course, the most controversial aspect of The Grandissimes is the ending, which many feel is a let down after pages and pages of emotional build-up. Without giving anything away, the finals pages are somewhat of a disappointment. But the ending in its entirety is a well done.

Overall, the Grandissimes is a fascinating look at class and culture of the Creoles. It is recommended to anybody who enjoys reading New Orleans literature or literature in general.