Publisher's Synopsis
The Ladies Almanack is a satirical novel written by Djuna Barnes, first published in 1928. It is a fictionalized account of the lives and loves of a group of lesbian women in 1920s Paris. The book is structured like an almanac, with each chapter focusing on a different character and their astrological sign. The characters are all thinly veiled versions of real-life figures from Barnes' circle of friends, including Natalie Clifford Barney, Radclyffe Hall, and Gertrude Stein.The book is written in a highly stylized, poetic language, with frequent use of puns, alliteration, and wordplay. The narrative is interspersed with illustrations by Barnes herself, depicting the characters in various states of dress and undress.Despite its subject matter, The Ladies Almanack was not well-received upon its initial publication, with many critics finding it too obscure and inaccessible. However, it has since become a cult classic of lesbian literature, admired for its wit, its subversive humor, and its celebration of female desire.Oh Zeus! Oh Diane! Oh Hellebore! Oh Absalom! Oh Piscary Right! What shall I do with it! To have been the First, that alone would have gifted me! As it is, shall I not pour ashes upon my Head, gird me in Sackcloth, covering my Nothing and Despair under a Mountain of Cinders, and thus become a Monument to No-Ability for her sake?This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
