Reviews (54)

One can see why it's a Classic

Agreat book from Canada
This is one of the best book I have read for several years.
Wise and Mature
I've read Fifth Business five or six times over a 22-year period, and the older I become, the more it speaks to me.I think it's because Davies writes with a wisdom and maturity that is so rare these days that it's astonishing to find.
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Subjects:  1. Christian hagiography    2. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    3. Fiction    4. History teachers    5. Literary    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. School principals    9. Veterans    10. World War, 1914-1918    11. Fiction / Literary    12. Literature: Texts    13. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (47)

Read the Fifth Bussiness, but skip the rest
If you ask me to rank each part of this trilogy seperately, i would give the Fifth Business a 5 Star, The Manticore a 2 star and World of Wonders simply one star. Davies' obsession with Jung makes Manticore rather pretencious and unbearably monotonous to read. For the case of World of Wonders, its creation and value, in my opinion, might only rest on the romantic idea of the completion of a triology, which is a thing that Davies loves to do but failes to do well.

Starts well, ends badly
This was a dissapointing book.The first part of the trilogy went well enough, Davies has a skill at making dowdy characters interesting enough to sustain his plot.Other reviewers found fault with the second part, the Jungian analysis.The conceit of advancing the story through the conversation of doctor and patient is handled a little amateurishly, but it is done well enough to sustain the flow, and all in all it seemed the best of the trilogy to me.It would have been a better book to end after two.The final part is so forced that the plot and characters are reduced to a thin skeleton for hanging some tired and simplistic pseudo-speculations on the nature of religion and myth.The setup of a "scandanavian" film maker and his camera man is a pathetic little device if you've read the Bergman its nipped from. So it was that two-thirds of the way through the final part, I gave up and closed the thing.It reminded me of the Frankenstein monster, cobbled together out of stolen members. But unlike that great work of fantasy, there is no mad genius behind it.

To dree one's weird
The above title of this review is the gnomic answer of a sort given to the question asked by many of the characters in this trilogy, "Who killed Boy Staunton?" at the end by Ramsay.But to find out what this means, you'll have to look up the history of the word "weird" when it was still a noun, before the "three weird sisters" of Macbeth launched the word into its long trek to the adjective we know today.-So it is with much of this work, lots of interesting, fascinating tangents to follow, if one is so inclined.
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Subjects:  1. Didactic fiction, Canadian    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Psychological fiction, Canadian    6. Fiction / Literary    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (15)

A fascinating story told beautifully
The Cornish Trilogy is a beautiful work of fiction as Robertson Davies takes the reader on a trip across Europe and North America to unravel the mysteries of the rather unusual Cornish family.It sheds light on the human condition as it explores such things as culture traditions, societal class barriers, love, desire, power, altruism and morality as part of a historical journey.

But is it art?
Davies's Cornish trilogy should be read by anyone with an interest in the philosophy of art -- questions of attribution, forgery and fakery, and authenticity pervade all three novels, which deal with literature, painting and music respectively. Art in general, and art objects in particular, take on a shadowy, slippery aspect in spite of the very palpable (and almost erotically desirable) qualities they have for Davies's characters. Aesthetic and spiritual experience are intertwined. But the style, while elevated, is never dry or preachy -- the characters are rounded and often delightfully vulgar and even the most intellectual threads of the story are brimming with life and humour.

Art a la Carte with a Side of Salacious Behavior
Robertson Davies' greatest strength has always been in his ability to create a protagonist whose adventures quickly intrigue you.One can debate the virtues of each novel in this trilogy, but the simple fact remains that as parts of a trilogy the story remains incomplete without reading all three.
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Subjects:  1. Didactic fiction, Canadian    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Literary    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (19)

Serendipity.
I was at my favorite second hand bookstore, and picked The Rebel Angels up on a whim. I had been looking for something that I could not find. I honestly no longer remember what I was originally looking for-- nor do I know what possessed me to pick this little Davies novel from the shelf. I can only tell you that I am glad that I did.
The Perfect Novel?
The Rebel Angels immediately entered my personal canon of favorite works of literature.Could it be the perfect novel?It features astounding characters, well defined and memorable (especially the unforgettable John Parlabane, almost as singular a character as Liesl in Davies' Deptford Trilogy).It features a page turning plot.I was initially hoping for a literary mystery, along the lines of Eco, when the "lost manuscript" is introduced.The plot doesn't exactly lead that way, but creates its own twists and turns, both comic and tragic. Good Characters and a Good Foundation for the Trilogy
The Rebel Angels starts off Robertson Davies's Cornish Trilogy by introducing us to a cast of characters and a mood that are the raw material of the collection of related stories.Davies is an author who utilizes a palette of archetypes, applying them again and again in successive snippets and passages.This first book of the trilogy serves as a kind of under-painting for the books that follow.It sets the stage and lays a foundation.But, like all under-painting, it is incomplete in itself.It needs the detail that comes from what follows.In a sense, then, this book is not truly complete apart from the other components of the trilogy.But, that said, in no way should the reader be dissuaded from reading this novel, for the rewards are deeper than the limitations.Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Collectors and collecting    3. Didactic fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Manuscripts    8. Fiction / General   

Reviews (18)

Entertaining and Well Written
I'd read the Cornish Trilogy and some of the Deptford Trilogy a few years before picking up the Salterton Trilogy.I read the Salterton books straight through, and enjoyed them.Unlike the other two, the Salterton Trilogy struck me as just a little dated, not because it doesn't discuss email or reflect recent political developments, but because social mores have changed somewhat over the last half-century, and so at times it seems a bit quaint.I could be quite wrong, but I suspect that even in a small, conservative Canadian town, folks may not be as prissy today as the characters in these books sometimes are.
Should Be the Last Davies Book You Read
I am an incredible Davies fan, and have lived and/or travelled to many of the places he writes about.This trilogy takes place in "Salterton", a thin veiling for Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and Queen's University, located there.
Quaint? I think not
Robertson Davies' "Salterton Trilogy" is a well-written, often funny and sometimes poignant look at the realistically odd occupants of Salterton, the deceptively quaint Canadian city with two cathedrals and one university. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Short Stories (single author)    5. Fiction / Literary    6. Modern fiction   

Reviews (26)

Great Cast of Characters
Robertson Davies' "The Cunning Man" purports to be the Diary or Case Book of a doctor--Jonathan Hullah--who moves from the wilderness of Sioux Lookout to Toronto, Canada.
Read for what it says, not how it says it
Pity the Amazon star system doesn't allow for fractional stars, or else I would have given this 3.5 or 3.75.
A life well lived
The Cunning Man will never be mistaken for the finest work of Robertson Davies, and the reader new to Davies should definitely start with the Deptford Trilogy in preference to this volume. The Cunning Man's plot is paper-thin, and merely a device that Davies uses to share the wisdom that he has accumulated in a long, eventful life.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Fiction / Literary    5. Modern fiction   

Reviews (1)

Insightful to Motivating
As indicated, these essays were originally given as lectures. Forturnately they were saved and published. That in itself illustrates the various ways information can be produced and distributed. Being a communicator, I found what Davies had to say to be, what I would consider to be "informative to motivational." Read more

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. Authors and readers    3. Authorship    4. Books And Reading    5. Creative Writing    6. Davies, Robertson,    7. Language    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Views on authorship    10. Davies, Robertson   

Reviews (12)

Great stuff if read as part of the trilogy
This is the second installment in the Deptford Trilogy, and my first bit of advice is that you read it in conjunction with Fifth Business, the first installment.I read Fifth Business years ago, and loved it, and struggled to remember the details of it as I began The Manticore.It isn't absolutely necessary to remember every word of the first in order to enjoy the second, but each one does help to accentuate the other.
Intelligent and beautifully written
This is my first Davies novel and I suspect I started with the wrong one in the series; however, MANTICORE was a fascinating read. In this, David Staunton comes to Zurich for psychoanalysis with a Jungian therapist after his father dies in a very strange accident.(Boy Staunton, his father, died in an auto accident with an egg sized stone of pink Canadian granite in his mouth) You think we're going to get a payoff on the mystery, which we eventually do, but we first have to go through Davey's life and get his personality integrated. The descriptions are very rich, which is a good thing because the book is mostly narrative.Despite sounding tiresome, the book for the most part is interesting and an enjoyable and challenging read. If you are a first time reader of Davies like me, I would suggest you start with the first book of this series, FIFTH BUSINESS before you read MANTICORE.

It's just filler
I think the problem with this book is that Davies wrote the trilogy so that each book could stand by its own and that they need not be read in a particular order. While that sounded like a great idea initially, it seems to only work in theory. At least a half of this book is a blatant recap of Fifth Business, and most of the rest of it is an extrapolation into the very mundane. Everything that is unique to this book (because all three books have some exclusive content) is very non-consequential, and can be inferred or predicted by reading Fifth Business. The book is basically a very poor remake of Fifth Business, lacking an original story (also keeping in mind that Fifth Business has at least twice as many events), depth (F.B. is engrossed in psychology, philosophy and religion- in this book, it's all almost an afterthought, despite it revolving around a man seeking psychological help), and a good character- Davy is so one dimensional compared to Dunny, and even to Boy! The only reason you should read this is to get the "extended ending" that isn't included in F.B.- it reveals who killed Boy. But I'm sure that will also be discussed in World of Wonders.
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Subjects:  1. Canadians    2. Classics    3. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    4. English Canadian Novel And Short Story    5. Fiction    6. Jungian psychology    7. Literary    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Literature: Classics    10. Psychotherapist and patient    11. Switzerland    12. Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (7)

A romp through the graves of academe
What a fun book this is!These pieces, originally written for the amusement of his colleagues from the early 60s to the late 70s, work just fine as cozies for an educated general audience.The stories are literate, if somewhat samey, and very droll, in that understated Canadian way reminiscent of Stephen Leacock.It would indeed be great to have an audiotape of this, as many of the passages beg to be read aloud.Some fair use excerpts:
Great fun!
Every story in this book is a joy. Davies spoofs himself, as, in his persona as Master of Massey College of the University of Toronto, he narrates them. It seems that there is something about Massey College that is attractive to ghosts, famous, infamous and not famous at all. "Every part of our great University strives for distinction of one kind or another, but it is everywhere admitted that in the regularity and variety of our ghostly visitations Massey College stands alone." Even Little Lord Fauntleroy puts in an appearance! Splendid stuff.

For Hardcore Davies Fans Only
The prospect of Davies penning ghost stories delighted me, so I purchased High Spirits for my annual October spooky reading.These stories are fun, but there's no getting around the fact that I was hugely disappointed.They are comic, not scary or even groteque.They were written to entertain his colleagues and students, and they are kind of dull for the general public...especially as the premise is basically the set-up for all 18 stories.Nevertheless, even without enjoying the tales themselves, Davies never fails to be an engaging writer, and his first person narration is often clever and amusing in his own unique style.Worth the read, but for Davies fan's only. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Ghost stories, Canadian    5. Horror    6. Horror - General    7. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (3)

For Your Eyes Alone by Robertson Davies
Robertson Davies was 82 years old when he died on 12-2-1995 from
Gems galore
It's startling how thoughtful, evocative and just plain funny a man can be in writing his regular correspondance.Makes you want to be a prolific letter-writer yourself.Makes you wish he were still alive so that you could respond to some of the more inflammatory things he says. An Opportunity For More Insight
I enjoyed this book's organization, which was established by the various books Davies had written over the last part of his career.While not Canadian, and thereby somewhat in the dark regarding some of the letters' recipients, I found the editor's annotations brief but helpful.The main draw here is the author's distinctive voice, which emerges within the various letters.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. 1913-1995    3. 20th century    4. Authors, Canadian    5. Canadian    6. Correspondence    7. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    8. Davies, Robertson,    9. Essays    10. Letters    11. Letters And Correspondence    12. Literary Collections    13. Literature - Classics / Criticism    14. Literature: Classics    15. Canada    16. Davies, Robertson    17. English    18. Literary Collections / General    19. Literary studies: general    20. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    21. USA   

Reviews (16)

Blairlogie
I didn't know of Davies' history - except that he went to UCC and Queens and UofT - and that he was a wonderful storyteller. An astonishing book.
I, at first, did not enjoy this book since I am not a fan of the rather cold English way of writing which lacks empathy and joy and is full of cynicism and an almost brutal acceptance of suffering without any concomitant emotions. This changed throughout however and the book is almost a work of art.
Forged Truth
What's Bred in the Bone is the one true stand-alone novel in the Cornish Trilogy.This middle volume is a superb telling of the life of Francis Cornish, the hinge upon whom all of the trilogy is supported.Some elements of the story are clearly reminiscent (to readers of Davies) of his earlier book, Fifth Business.But this is no mere reworking of an old theme.There is a freshness to this novel that makes for a story well worth the read.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art forgers    2. Canada    3. Didactic fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Fiction / General   

Reviews (5)

Overview of "World of Wonders"
The theme of the novel "World of Wonders" by Robertson Davies, is "search for self"(Warlton 4) Through ought the novel, there is a constant search for who the main character, Mangus Eisengrim, truly is. The majority of the novel is Mangus telling his life story. During this story, Mangus lives "four different lives"(Warlton 5) First he was born with the given name Paul Dempster, a Reverend's. At the age of ten he ran away with the carnival and became Cass Fletcher and controlled a mechanical card-playing machine as a carnival act. Later he named himself Fastus LeGrand and worked as a stunt double in a travelling play. He finally became Mangus Eisengrim, a world famous illusionist. Countless times during his story he asks the question, "Who was I?"(61).

Subjects:  1. Circus performers    2. Classics    3. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    4. English Canadian Novel And Short Story    5. Fiction    6. Kidnapping victims    7. Literary    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Literature: Classics    10. Magicians    11. Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (1)

Interesting for Robertson Davies fans
For people who have loved reading Robertson Davies' books, this is an interesting and enlightening compendium of interviews with one of Canada's foremost men of letters.The reading itself is a little tedious at times (though Davies is always lively) and if you haven't read any of Davies' other books, don't start with this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. 20th century    3. Authors, Canadian    4. Authorship    5. Canadian    6. Davies, Robertson,    7. General    8. Interviews    9. Literary Criticism    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Davies, Robertson   

Reviews (5)

Sunday Best
Usually, there is nothing more dead than someone's old newspaper columns.A quick take on the passing parade is normally gone as soon as said parade is.This collection of Robertson Davies' bread and butter writing newspaper writing is anything but stale.
As eclectic in his non-fiction as in his fiction
I took a break from Davies fiction this month to read this collection of non-fiction, culled from over thirty years of essays, and grouped into three broad categories: Characters, Books, and Robertson Davies. I say broad because Davies was not thinking of these categories as he wrote these essays. Instead, these were written to fill his column at the Peterborough Examiner ("A Writer's Diary") or book reviews for various American publications such as Harper's, The Washington Post, or The Atlantic Monthly. Characters, however, tends to be about "lives"--either the lives of authors (including Wodehouse and Freud), literary creations (mehitabel), or theater figures (Emma Calve and Melli Nelba). Okay, I'll admit it--I didn't know who Calve and Nelba were either, but that's because I'm a book person, not a theater person. Even so, some of the authors and books covered here do stretch even my prodigious reading (not to mention my memory), partly due to the age of some of these essays (some as early as 1942) and partly due to Davies quite eclectic interests. That's why I like him, however. Eclecticism is the mark of someone not afraid of change. A Treasure Chest of Gems
Robertson Davies lives up to his reputation as Canada's distinguished man of letters of the twentieth century.In addition to establishing his abilities as a novelist and a playwright, he reveals in the showcased selections in "The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies" how talented and perceptive a reviewer he was, covering a wide variety of writers and books.Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Fiction    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Fiction / General    5. Other prose: from c 1900 -   

Editorial Review

The great Canadian novelist Robertson Davies spent his long life in love with books. Thisposthumous collection of two dozen essays stands as the lively recollections of a great reader: Davies talkspraises the books he's loved, damns the books he's hated, and seeks to answer the eternal question of whywe read books. And while Davies writes with great authority, he's thankfully never pedantic, and hiscomments about books, which range from children's titles to Read more

Reviews (4)

My First Davies
You don't need to be familiar with Robertson Davies' work to enjoy this set of insightful talks and essays about reading, writing, and life in general. This has been my first exposure to his work (a gift from my mother-in-law), and I loved it. I'm now deeply interested in reading his other work. In fact, I bought the Deptford Trilogy, but haven't gotten to read it yet since my wife got ahold of it before I did.

Reflections on reading, writing, and the world of books
It is usually a pleasure to sit down to a Robertson Davies work whether it be a novel, a collection of speeches, ghost stories, essays, or newspaper articles.The Merry Heart is a felicitous adddition to the Davies canon,containing his usual eclectic selection of literary topics and sparklingideas.Each chapter has a few introductory comments (often includingexcerpts from Davies' diary) by the book's editors that paint thebackground for each piece.Readers enjoy comparing notes about favoritebooks and biographical history, so for avid readers, The Merry Heart willbe like reading a series of letters from a funny, witty, learned friendabout some of those events and books that have shaped his life.This fine385 page book of 24 chapters is easy to read in bits and pieces, eitherduring a lunch break, before bed, or on a weekend next to the fire.(Onenote of caution: for those unfamiliar with Davies' worldview, do not besurprised to see elements of gnosticism popping up from time to time.)Allin all, this book was a real pleasure to read.

The old man has done it again!!
When I read this collection it was as if the old friend was still alive.He is most certainly alive and kicking in this book.The book gives not only his honest view of books, authors and the literary world but alsoincludes yet another ghostly tale of mythological origin.Not only was this an informative read, as most of Davies' work is, it was also aheartfelt pleasure, and continues to be so, again and again and again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Books & Reading    3. Books and reading    4. Essays    5. History and criticism    6. Literary Collections    7. Literary Criticism    8. Literature    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Literary Collections / General   

Reviews (7)

Modern classic
Robertson Davies's "Tempest Tost," first volume of the Salterton trilogy, opens in a deceptively quaint Canadian city, with two cathedrals (one Catholic, one Anglican) and one university. Still waters run deep, and quaint towns run weird. While it's not Davies' best work, it's still entertaining and quite amusing. A sheer delight
A brilliant, brutally honest, yet affectionate satire of the excentricities and insecurities present in old small-town Victorian-remnant Canadian Anglo-saxon culture...those of you among this set: you know who you are!Required reading for an Ontarian or a Maritimer born in the early 1940s, or for anyone who has ever known, loved, or worked closely with one.The story revolves around characters putting on an amateur production of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," and although I found the ending slightly anti-climactic, I really haven't laughed so hard in years!

An Astounding Feat
Far from fluffy.Tilting at "The Tempest" as Davies does in this early novel is brave, or foolhardy, beyond measure. Extremely acute human beings are only occasionally profoundly generous.Do NOT forego the pleasure, even if you imagine you might balk at play within play.Davies came to novels by way of his love for theatre. Everything begins here, most remarkably his unique ability to write charming lively characters of both sexes, all ages, many orientations.In "Tempest-Tost", five or six rise to the level of presiding spirits.Plus the gnarled final effort of Shakespeare is tweaked/tickled/refreshed to a very nice renewal.Grand.Sharp without ever descending to mean.You can't meet Valentine Rich or the sisters Freddy & [Im]Patient Griselda (Gristle to Freddy) anywhere else.First in the Salterton.Read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General   

Reviews (13)

Very disturbing prose butchery
I am told that Robertson Davies has written good books. This book is not one of them and now I, for one, will probably never find out about the others. At times the book rises to mildly entertaining competence, especially in the first 30 pages or so.
Murther and Walking Spirits
This book is not intellectually demanding, but for what it is, is light, pleasant reading.It gives one person's view of Canadian history from 1776 to the present, weaving the dead (but participating) protagonist's forbears into a plot laced with sympathy and occasionally wry (Canadian?) humor.I found it a rewarding read, and don't hesitate recommending it to others with an interest in history and Europe's contribution to modern-day North America.

It's Like a Film Festival in Purgatory
My quick advice: if you love Davies and you've read absolutely everything else, nothing I say will stop you.
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Subjects:  1. Modern fiction   

Reviews (10)

Characters are the Treasure Here
The Lyre of Orpheus is the concluding novel in Robertson Davies's Cornish Trilogy, and it stands as a strong work within the context of that collection.Like The Rebel Angels (the first book), The Lyre of Orpheus is very much dependent upon the two other books and does not do well as a stand-alone. Unless your an Welsh Opera fanatic
After reading "The Rebel Angels" and "What's Bred in the Bone", two five star novels, I expected to thoroughly enjoy the last segment of the trilogy.Well, the only reason I made it through the novel was that I wanted to say that I read the entire trilogy.The book completely changes in tone from the first two.Professors I respected in the first books are buffoons in this one.There are an untold number of quotations from opera librettos, medieval poems, etc. that were not relevant to me at all.One of the characters is incapable of appearing without making multiple references to Wales, Welsh literature and history.This would not have been a problem except that this is one of the main characters.The whole gypsy theme, which was so fascinating in the rebel angels gets overwhelmed by the Welshness. Fun, But The Weakest of the Trilogy
The Lyre of Orpheus continues the story of the characters introduced inThe Rebel Angels -- Maria and Arthur Cornish, Simon Darcourt, ClementHollier, etc.I read the Cornish Trilogy straight through, and while Ivery much enjoyed it, I thought Davies ran out of gas somewhere in the Lyreof Orpheus.What I liked so much about the first two books was Davies'delving into the personalities of the characters; What's Bred in the Bonedeals more with Francis Cornish, but goes very deeply into the forces thatshaped his life.Davies has great insight into human nature.In The Lyreof Orpheus, the characters' motivations are not well explored.Forexample, we learn that a character's wife has an affair that results inpregnancy, and that the man, with apparently little ado, not only forgiveshis wife and treats her with undiminished devotion, but also continues toregard her lover as the dear friend he had been.Well, that's great, butuncommon, and Davies makes no attempt to explain this astounding level ofgenerosity other than to analogize it to the Arthurian legend (but that wasa legend).Similarly, we learn that Simon Darcourt has taken something ofa new path in his life, but for motivation we are told little more thanthat, after taking a walk in woods, he has decided to view his lifedifferently.Instead of helping us to relate to these characters, Daviesspends a great deal of time educating us about how to produce an opera,evidently a great love of his.Opera fans will find this great fun, but itdoesn't make for a great story.Finally, the analogizing to Arthurianlegend of the characters' lives that permeates the entire work as aleitmotif becomes increasingly heavyhanded as time wears on, almost to thepoint of self-parody.In short, it's an entertaining read, but not up tothe level of the first two parts of the trilogy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appreciation    2. Arthurian romances    3. Canada    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Musical fiction    8. Opera    9. Fiction / General    10. Modern fiction   

Reviews (5)

An impassioned plea for better readers
Although billed as a collection, this series of essays holds its own as an extended monologue. Davies, as erudite a reader and writer as you will ever discover, is not for the faint of head. In his argument here, he attempts to describe why reading--intense, concentrated reading--can be valued as art. The likely argument against this idea is that reading is not an act of creation, which art aspires to. He quickly deflates that argument with a description of reading that could apply just as well to performance art. Thoughtful and engaging
This book is an extrememly thoughtful commentary on the nature of reading and what it means to be a bibliophile, especially in today's age. It can come across as somewhat stuffy and self-important, but Robertson Davies' thoughts and opinions are varied and resonating enough to overcome that.He doesn't capitulate to the lowest common denominator, or present reading as a pursuit only worthwhile if one reads a predetermined list of "great books". his chapter on humour and comedic writing throughout the ages is priceless. It isn't a book for everyone, but it's a welcome relief from the endless parade of critics who typecast the typical reader as "nobody' if they haven't read a set list of prerequisite books.

stuffy, typical
Conservative, stuffy voice, uncomfortable with new and innovative literature, about 200 years behind the times... And also the whole canadian bit alienates readers because its only interesting to canadians of courseand nobody really cares outside of there. And he talks as if he's on thelevel of some of the greates writers but really he is pretty mediocrecompared to the mad writing of the greats of now (DFW, Pynchon, Powersetc.). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Books    2. Books & Reading    3. Books and reading    4. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    5. Essays    6. Literary Criticism    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Reviews    9. Canada    10. Cultural studies    11. English    12. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    13. Literary studies: general    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

A first class Canadian Wit
Humor has moved to tv/movies.There are very few really funny writers around.Robertson Davies is a gem, all the rarer for being in such sparse company.This book has at least two or three laughs per page.It is a compendium of miscelleanous writing by one Samuel Marchbanks (Davies' alter ego) who keeps diaries and writes columns.I find myself giggling on my way to work on the subway as I race through these short aphoristic pieces.Highly recommend for any scrooges who refer to babies in terms appropriate for judging a ham and can stand dogs only in newspaper reports about their valorous deeds.

Robertson Davies' Alter Ego
Samuel Marchbanks is a grouchy old newspaperman who struggles with his coal furnace, garden, and neighbours in an attempt to live life as he feels is proper. He is witty, open-minded, well-read, and likes to shock hisacquaintances.Read more

Subjects:  1. Davies, Robertson - Prose & Criticism    2. Diary fiction    3. Didactic fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Fiction / General    8. Modern fiction