Cable, George Washington

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Strange true stories from Creole Louisianna
Strange True Stories of Louisiana

Strange True Stories of Louisiana
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565540387

Book Description

At the turn of the century, people outside of New Orleans viewed the city through the eyes of journalist and author George W. Cable. His writings portrayed a tropical European city nestled on the banks of an American river still teeming with the literary, artistic, and social developments of a late Renaissance. In his own romance with Louisiana, Cable came upon many stories written by its denizens. While Cable assisted some authors in finding places to publish their works, there were many stories he kept for himself. Much of this collection can now be found in "Strange True Stories of Louisiana."

"They are mine by right of discovery," writes Cable. "From various necessities of the case I am sometimes the story-teller, and sometimes, in the reader's interest, have to abridge; but I add no fact and trim naught of value away. Here are no unconfessed `restorations,' not one. In time, place, circumstance, in every essential feature, I give them as I got them--strange stories that truly happened, all partly, some wholly, in Louisiana."

"Strange True Stories of Louisiana" is Cable's compilation of seven unusual, factual accounts of life and history in the area. They include tales of two French sisters who made the dangerous trek to the unsettled lands of North Louisiana at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Focusing on New Orleans, Cable adds the story of "The `Haunted House' in Royal Street," which spurs the imaginations of ghost hunters more than a century after its original writing. There is also a diary account, in its first published form, of a Union woman trapped behind the battle lines during the Civil War.

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Strange true stories from Creole Louisianna.......2003-02-24

As we traveled along Interstate 10 between New Orleans and "Red Baton," I mused about the girders which held the highway up out of the bayous. What must travel or life in general have been like in that part of Louisianna a century or so ago.

George Washington Cable first collected these seven stories about Louisianna and published them in 1888. He calls them true stories. They are stories from times before his own from 1782 to after the Civil War. At the same time these stories are strange to Cable because life had changed so much in Louisianna between the time that the stories occurred and his own time.

The stories start with the story of Louise who came to Louisianna and almost became the dinner of a local chief. This tragic tale is quickly followed by the "bright and happy" story of Francoise and Suzanne who travel through the "wilds" of Atchafalaya. Alix's story is next. She was once introduced to Marie Antoinette. Then the French Revolution came and Alix lost her first husband. She will be a character that I long admire but I ask you to read the story to see why. Salome Muller was a German who lost most of her family enroute to Louisianna. (Some 1200 of the 1800 who attempted to make that trip never arrived.) Salome became a slave. Yet some 20 years or so later her family took her case to the State Supreme Court to free her. The
"haunted house" is the house of Madame Lalaurie who chose to save her possessions rather than her slaves when a fire burned her house. The story of Attalie Brouillard reminds me of the con men of the movie "The Sting" with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The last story is a diary of a Union woman who lived in the South during the Civil War. To these I would like to add the story of George W Cable who begins his book by telling his readers how he got these other seven stories.

These are true stories from people who lived in Creole Louisianna, a time strange to us now.

Strange True Stories of Louisiana.......2000-08-31

Seven unusual, true stories set in Louisiana comprise the reissue of George Washington Cable's STRANGE TRUE STORIES OF LOUISIANA. First published in 1888, these stories are a gold mine of cultural lore and historical facts. As interesting as the stories themselves are the accounts of how Cable acquired them.

"The Young Aunt with White Hair" is set in Spanish occupied Louisiana in 1782 and describes the horrors experienced by a young woman on the long journey to New Orleans from Germany: robbed by sailors on the ship; an Indian attack near the mouth of the Mississippi River, during which her husband and baby are brutally murdered; being held captive by Indians and told she was to be the chief's dinner. Her ordeal was so great that her hair turned snow white in a matter of hours, and she never recovered from the experience.

Humor and suspense make "The Two Sisters" just plain fun to read. Two teenage girls- one a tomboy and one a demure, sweet lady- undertake a dangerous trek across the Atchafalaya swamp to North Louisiana in 1795. It's not only a good story, but the details of clothing, places and people are priceless. "Plaquemine was composed of a church, two stores, as many drinking-shops, and about fifty cabins, one of which was the courthouse. Here lived a multitude of Catalans, Acadians, Negros and Indians. ..It was at Plaquemine that we bade adieu to the old Mississippi.."

The story if "Alix de Morainville" reads like a fairy tale: the birth-deformed baby farmed out to a peasant family; the arranged marriage that turns out to be a love match; the convent stay; the marriage of dear friend Madelaine to Count Louis de la Houssaye and the couple's departure for the Louisiana colony; presentation to Queen Marie Antoinette; Aleix's grand wedding at Notre Dame Cathedral; the onset of the French Revolution; widowhood; rescue; and flight first to England and then to Louisiana.

Book Description

As to her infantine bones, they were such as needed not to fail of straightness in the limbs, compactness in the body, smallness in hands and feet, and exceeding symmetry and comeliness throughout. Possibly between the two sides of the occipital profile there may have been an Incæan tendency to inequality; but if by any good fortune her impressible little cranium should escape the cradle-straps, the shapeliness that nature loves would soon appear. And this very fortune befell her.

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Customer Reviews:

Creole life in New Orleans, c.1800.......2006-09-05

Subtitled "A Story of Creole Life" and set in New Orleans during the early 1800s, the main thread of this novel revolves around a family feud between the Grandissimes and De Grapions. Various members of each family love and hate members of the other, which is eventually worked out to the satisfaction of some (Honore and Aurora) and the disappointment (even death) of others (Agricola and Palmyre). Cable's goal was to portray as realistic a picture of New Orleans and Creole society at the time when the city was still mainly French and Spanish (proud old Agricola hates the newly arriving Americans) as he could, and in that he mainly succeeds (even with many of the romantic elements that creep into the story, such as the developing love interest between Joseph Frowenfeld and Clotilde Nancanou). Beyond the feud, though, Cable depicts a society drenched in violence and racial hatred, and this is about as realistic as it could get. In one scene a black woman is lynched, then cut down just before she suffocates and told to run for her life; when she does she's shot dead. Bras Coupe, a one-time African prince who is now a slave, is an imposing character and worthy of respect. The book has a great deal of Creole and French dialect throughout, which may be problematic for some. A product of the deep South, Cable writes with vitriol against the slave system and the cruelty of white masters, but also reveals sympathy for a dying culture in New Orleans. Probably Cable's best work.

I had to read it & I ended up liking it !.......2003-05-10

To tell you the truth, I had to read this book for a class I took this year, which focused on literature from New Orleans. I don't mind reading books for classes; however, once I read the first couple of chapters of The Grandissimes, I thought that this would be one of those books that I would fall asleep reading. It seemed confusing and dealt with issues that did not really pertain to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting and complex the novel became.
Once the plot started to unfold, the novel grabbed my interest and I grew to respect and be amazed by it. I think that Cable did a great job tying major themes into this piece of literature, such as family pride, Creole lifestyle, Iron Virgins and Southern Belles, and the rigorous expectations of society. The Grandissimes takes place right after the Louisiana Purchase (1803), which allowed Cable to encompass ideas that many people are familiar with, such as a fear of change. The characters in the book where well developed and each seemed to carry their own message to the audience. For example, it is easy for everyone to relate to Joseph Frowenfeld, an American who finds himself wrapped up in the Creole society. This character was forced to be an outsider and the novel depicts how he dealt with the divisions of class and status.
The Grandissimes is titled after the Creole family from New Orleans who held most of the power and influence in society at the time. Throughout the book, the family must struggle through twists and turns of deceit and unexpected events, while still holding up their Old South charm. This book does a great job portraying how the family struggled to keep their position and power in society, in order to stay true to their roots.
If you are thinking of reading this book, I would suggest giving it a try. It may seem very complicated and choppy at first, but it will eventually tie together to make a great story. However, the only downfall to this book is that I could not truly like it until it was done and I reflected on it. It is one of those books that ends up surprising you!

Fantastic depiction of Creole Life.......2003-04-22

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.

"Do the Right Thing" - a century before the movie!.......2000-06-14

This farsighted inditement of Southern society is still powerful today.

Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Joseph Frowenfeld, a young Northerner of German background who has just moved to Louisiana with his family. He is soon left bereft by yellow fever, and with nothing to go back to is befriended by several kind souls, chief among them Honore Grandissime, the scion of a filthy rich Creole family.

He is quickly dismayed by the inequities of New Orleans society, a confession that prompts his new friend to pour out his heart to him. Honore, who knows what his family is, longs to reach out to his Mulatto half-brother and share the family business with him. He also wants to do right by the beautiful and virtuous Aurora Nancanou and her daughter Clotilde, who have been left destitute (by genteel standards, anyway) after Honore's father murdered Aurora's husband and swindled her. Honore would like to court Auroura, but honorable man that he is doesn't want to take advantage of her by performing his good deed barely before knocking on the door. In short, he wants an end to the moral decay of the old South.

He is not so deluded, however, as to think he can live happily ever after married to Auroura with his brother at his side. The Grandissime family will not give up it's ill-gotten wealth and prestige without a fight, and with few exceptions save his delightful nephew and protege Raoul - who is still too young to have a voice in family affairs - he is virtually alone.

Inspired by his new friend, Honore finally makes his lonely stand, unsure that his efforts will bear fruit - or even that they won't end with a Grandissime bullet in his back.

Honore must rank as one of the most likable of literary heroes - a good man who you can unreservedly sympathise with and root for. The point is not that he succeeds - we are left very much uncertain on that point - but that he has the strength to be the first to fight for what he knows in his heart is right. It's a struggle that many concientious white people are facing now long after this book was written.

Best Novel of New Orleans Before JK Toole.......2000-05-31

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.

Old Creole days, by George Washington Cable, together with The scenes of Cable's romances by Lafcadi

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Old Creole days, by George Washington Cable, together with The scenes of Cable's romances by Lafcadi
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

$Gideon\'s Band (Large Print Edition): A Tale of the Mississippi$
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Gideon\'s Band (Large Print Edition): A Tale of the Mississippi
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1426474199

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Saturday April 1852. There was a fervor in the sky as of an August noon although the clocks of the city would presently strike five.

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Strange True Stories of Louisiana
Washington George Cable
Manufacturer: IndyPublish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1428057447

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Old Creole Days
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FMD2T4

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CREOLES

The Creoles of Louisiana
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Old Creole Days: A Story of Creole Life (Pelican Pouch Series)
Strange True Stories of Louisiana
The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life (Penguin Classics)
Creole: The History and Legacy of Louisiana's Free People of Color
Africans in Colonial Louisiana: The Development of Afro-Creole Culture in the Eighteenth Century

ASIN: B0008AJCHY

Book Description

Louisiana is known for its rich, complex cultural heritage, but even in Louisiana, the question "What is a Creole?" is often answered in a number of ways. In "Creoles of Louisiana," George Washington Cable knowledgeably addresses this question with precision and aplomb.

Originally published in 1884, "Creoles of Louisiana" builds on earlier explorations of the lives of the white descendants of early French and Spanish immigrants during the transitory post-Civil War period. Cable wrote faithful portrayals of the Creoles, with a pioneering ear for the dialect that earned him an acclaimed place as a leader of the local colorist movement.

From the early settlement of Louisiana, to the trials of the War Between the States, to the yellow fever epidemic, and on to "Brighter Skies," the chapters chronicle the Creoles' experience in the Pelican state. New Orleans emerges as a town carved out of the wilderness of the bayou, and together, city and citizens flourished.

Customer Reviews:

CREOLES.......2007-01-28

This is a fantastic book on Creoles, it is well researched and very enlightening. The word Creole means the original European natives of New Orleans, NOT light skinned African Americans, now I'm sure many light skinned blacks from New Orleans has Creole ancestry. The word has been eroneously used, when I tell people that my grandmother was of Creole and Austrian ancestry, they are like, wow, I did not know you were black..im like, uh, im not black, it's so annoying, and the media perpetuates the idea, that the word means any light skinned black person from Louisiana. Everyone in Louisiana should have to read this book in history class, then they could get educated on the word, and spread the information the the obtuse media. Highly recommended.

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The Cavalier
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 142643703X

Book Description

Our camp was in the heart of Copiah County, Mississippi, a mile or so west of Gallatin and about six miles east of that once robber-haunted road, the Natchez Trace. Austin’s brigade, we were, a detached body of mixed Louisiana and Mississippi cavalry, getting our breath again after two weeks’ hard fighting of Grant.

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Our camp was in the heart of Copiah County, Mississippi, a mile or so west of Gallatin and about six miles east of that once robber-haunted road, the Natchez Trace. Austin's brigade, we were, a detached body of mixed Louisiana and Mississippi cavalry, getting our breath again after two weeks' hard fighting of Grant. Grierson's raid had lately gone the entire length of the State, and we had had a hard, vain chase after him, also. Joe Johnston's shattered army was at Jackson, about forty-five miles to northward; beleaguered Vicksburg was in the Northwest, a trifle farther away; Natchez lay southwest, still more distant; and nearly twice as far in the south was our heartbroken New Orleans. We had paused to recuperate our animals, and there was a rumor that we were to get new clothing. Anyhow we had rags with honor, and a right to make as much noise as we chose.

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Louisiana History

Old Creole days
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Louisiana History.......2003-11-03

The fact that I was in New Orleans while reading part of this book added to the experience. It is a history of that city and being on location provided a visual element that not everyone can enjoy unless they make the trip.

This book is somewhat straightforward as a historical work. It isn't necessarily colorful or instructive. It's just there. Cable describes the setting, the people, the controveries surrrounding a given location and time.

If you want to know more about the people who developed the city of New Orleans and how it resulted in some of the mindset there today, this book may provide some answers.

Old Creole Days
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Old Creole Days
George Washington Cable
Manufacturer: Signet Classic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0AR4A

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