Forty Modern Fables was published by R. H. Russell in 1901. By the third collection, Ade had refined his technique to a high polish. The forty fables covered the full range of American social life at the turn of the century: business, courtship, religion, education, politics, and the eternal American struggle between democratic instinct and social aspiration.
The “modern” in the title was pointed — Ade’s fables were modern in language, subject matter, and sensibility. Where Aesop’s fables featured animals and taught eternal truths, Ade’s featured recognizable American types and taught lessons about the specific absurdities of contemporary life.
Collecting Forty Modern Fables
First edition (R. H. Russell, New York, 1901): Illustrated cloth.
Market values:
- Fine condition: $50–$125
- Very good: $20–$50
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
The Middle Period
Forty Modern Fables (1901) represents Ade at the peak of his popularity. The “modern” of the title signals a shift: these fables address the new phenomena of American life at the dawn of the twentieth century — automobile culture, the expansion of leisure, the rise of the corporation, and the growing gulf between rural and urban America. Ade’s targets remain the pretensions and self-deceptions of the middle class, but the world he satirises is visibly changing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular was George Ade in his time? Enormously popular. His fables were syndicated in newspapers nationwide, his plays ran on Broadway for years, and his income from writing and theatrical royalties made him one of the wealthiest authors in America. He built Hazelden, a grand estate in Indiana, and lived as a country gentleman.