The Grandissimes

Cable helped to lead the colorist movement in the 19th century. Cable fought through his writings to eliminate the color caste system and abolish political corruption in the South. The stories in this volume illustrate life in New Orleans by using local dialect and colorful descriptions. The Grandissimes was criticized for its discussion of forbidden love and its coverage of the Reconstruction period in the Creole South. Now this masterpiece is seen as an accurate commentary on the social and racial inequality of the 19th century. The story begins "It was in the Theatre St. Philippe (they had laid a temporary floor over the parquette seats) in the city we now call New Orleans, in the month of September, and in the year 1803. Under the twinkle of numberless candles, and in a perfumed air thrilled with the wailing ecstasy of violins, the little Creole capital's proudest and best were offering up the first cool night of the languidly departing summer to the divine. "