He spent more than a decade and tremendous effort on it, and aspired for it to be "the best work of my life and maybe of my time".

Before Stefan's execution, the Generalissimo tries to convince the corporal that war can never be stopped because it is the essence of human nature.

The spirit of the Corporal has transferred to a British message runner, who eventually confronts the old Generalissimo.

[7] Julian Smith has noted similarities between A Fable and Humphrey Cobb's novel Paths of Glory.

[8] Frank Turaj has examined opposing images and themes in terms of the dialectic in the novel.