The Cabala

When Samuele, a student and writer, goes to Rome with his friend James Blair, Blair introduces him to a group of strange people known as the Cabalists. As he gets to know them Samuele gets more involved with their activities, and on the surface they seem very mysterious and odd: a priest who doesn't believe in prayer, a 16-yearold boy who commits suicide after committing incest with his sister, and a girl who believes she is the god Mercury. In fact, she reveals who the Cabalists really are to Samuele: they are the pagan gods of ancient Rome, grown old and useless now, thanks mainly to their human-like weaknesses. Just before sailing back to America, Samuele has a "conversation" with Virgil (or at least his spirit), a rather sophomoric complaint by Virgil against Milton and Shakespeare for not "honoring" him enough. It's part of Wilder's satire, but that particular scene is unfortunately weak. The importance of the book goes beyond the storyline and the characters, neither of which seem that compelling or memorable, and rests on Wilder's attention to style and form, which is as classic and formal as the ancients themselves.

I became aquainted with this novel shortly after reading Wilder's later and more famous novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey". That is also well worth reading by the way. ...Initially I simply liked it but shortly before reaching the middle of the book I became 100% entranced. And I think you will too! Bur there are things that you will have to be ready for. Basically this is a book for people who love to admire literary construction. If you are a DEVOUT Hemingway person this will not please you. Wilder writes long and descriptive paragraphs and describes his characters down to the tiniest detail. The reason I love this is because he so obviously cared about what he was writing. If you're like me and tired of the stream-lined effect of much of "modern" writing you will love this. Even if this jewel-like prose is not your cup of tea perhaps you can still appreciate what I find a forgotten masterpiece. So what is it about? Well to begin with it concerns a young, unnamed American student who is pursuing his Archeological/Classical studies in Rome between the wars. Here he runs into a strange group of people known locally as the Cabala. They are made up mainly of aristocrats and have great prestige if little real power. "Samuele" (as the student is called by one of the Cabalists) proceeds to chronicle this group's last exploits. Last because the group begins to drift apart right in front of "Samuele". What is the book really about? Well I for one am still figuring that out. The Cabalists are to a certain extent symbolic of decadent and dying but still important and lovely Europe while "Samuele" represents the "new Rome" America. But Wilder goes far deeper than that. I really don't want to spoil anything but certain themes that are raised are acceptance (of change, death, etc.), unrequited love, the reasons behind love, loss of faith and the nature of a civilization's construction. That sounds like alot but Wilder manages to ballance it brilliantly and create a huge number of great characters and interweaving storylines. All of this is expressed in some of the most lovely prose I've ever read. You can just loose yourself in the warm sea of Wilder's writing. Sample: "As a mere girl, if I may presume to reconstruct the growth of her personality, she sensed the fact that there was something that a little prevented her from making friends, namely intelligence. The few intelligent people who truly wish to be liked soon learn, among the disappointments of the heart, to conceal their brilliance." This is the start of a charachter's description. All of which in this book are magical. Wilder creates people who are real yet we truly love with all our hearts. That is the key to some of this book's greatness. Much of the love thrown around in this book is un-earned and yet it is love all the same. Why do we love some people and not others? Why do we love people who don't deserve it? There are no answers in words but this book SHOWS u

Lots of people took great pleasure in lambasting Thornton Wilder's inclusion on the Modern Library list of the 100 greatest novels of the twentieth century. Setting aside that publicity stunt, Wilder is an underrated writer, whose finest books, such as THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY and the wonderful THEOPHILUS NORTH, mingle shrewd observation, fine and wistful writing, and profound insight into the human heart.THE CABALA was Wilder's first novel, written when he was in his late twenties and appearing the year before his most famous book THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY. It chronicles a young man's sojourn in Rome and his involvement with a mysterious group of eccentric and charming individuals who are known as the Cabala. In many ways, THE CABALA presages THEOPHILUS NORTH -- in its sharply observed yet movingly nostalgic depiction of its setting (Rome), in its affectionate yet shrewd portraits of the men and women who make up the Cabala, and in its deft storytelling of each of the linked incidents into which Wilder's narrator finds himself drawn as he gets to know the Cabala more and more intimately. The indescribable last chapter presages magic realism -- and, for my money, is better than any of the more ponderous and better-known recent examples of the genre.In sum, this early novel by a fine yet under-appreciated writer is well worth reading and may well (and should) spur the reader to explore more of Wilder's works.

If you've ever been young, travelled while young, and met memorable characters in exotic places, here is a wonderful book from one of the masters. Wilder is always the observer, (as he is in his last, great book, Theopholis North). Great Summer reading!