Robertson Davies Group Read (April-June)

Welcome to the Robertson Davies group read! The group read will run from April to June, but I decided to create this thread early so that we can start planning.

Robertson Davies (1913-1995) is one of Canada's most beloved and prolific authors. He is famous for his three trilogies (Deptford, Salterton and Cornish) but has also published essays, short stories, plays and libretti. The Canadian government even honoured him with a postage stamp in 2013.


His novels have won or been nominated for many major awards. Fifth Business, in particular, has appeared on many recommended reading lists, such as Peter Boxall's 1001 Books list.

Here are some links you may find useful:

Wikipedia page for Robertson Davies
LibraryThing page for Robertson Davies

Which Robertson Davies books are you planning to read? Is Davies a new author for you, or will you be rereading old favourites?

I reread the first two books of the Cornish trilogy last year and I plan to finish a reread of the third one, The Lyre of Orpheus. After that, I'll probably reread the Depford trilogy, starting with Fifth Business. I also have Murther and Walking Spirits on my shelf, which I've never read. It might be fun to seek out one of his plays, too.

I had the pleasure of hearing Davies speak in person in 1988. He really did have a larger-than-life personality!

This will be my first Davies-read and I'll be reading The Deptford Trilogy. I have no idea what his writing is like, so it'll all be brand new for me. Hope I like it... :)

I only discovered Davies through LT and this will be my first time reading his work. I own the Deptford trilogy and the first book, Fifth Business, is on the 1001 books to read before you die list which I read from. So I'll be starting with that. I'll wait to see how it goes before committing to more! Not sure when in this time frame I'll actually start it.

Woot woot! Thanks for starting up the thread!

I will be joining in with the Cornish Trilogy, which I own in an omnibus. Hoping to get through one book a month.

Count me in!

I also have Murther and Walking Spirits on the shelf. Although I've read them years ago, I recently re-read the first in the Salterton trilogy, a series I'd like to continue.

>3 -Eva-: I too hope you like Davies! I find it difficult to describe his writing style. Maybe "erudite and witty" would fit?

>4 japaul22: Though Davies wrote trilogies, the books all work very well as stand-alone books. I hope you'll enjoy Fifth Business enough to continue with more.

>5 rabbitprincess: I love the Cornish Trilogy. Great characters and a superb portrayal of academia.

>6 VivienneR: Tempest Tost was my introduction to Davies, so I have a certain fondness for the Salterton trilogy. I'd love to reread it too, but I'm not sure I can fit it in during this group read, as I want to reread the Deptford trilogy first.

>7 mathgirl40:
Ooh, I like the sound of that! :)

Last summer I got a bunch of books, including several by Davies, from my parents when they moved into a new condo. Here is what I got -- not including the Deptford books which I have already read:

High Spirits
Tempest-Tost
Leaven of Malice
A Mixture of Frailties
The Lyre of Orpheus

I guess that I will try to read the top 4, and if the mood strikes, I can get the first 2 books of the Cornish trilogy out of the library so I can read the last one.

>9 leslie.98: Lucky you, to have acquired that list of books! I'd be interested in hearing what you think of High Spirits. I've always liked ghost stories.

Just dug out my copy of the Cornish trilogy. Found a bookmark at pages 218 and 219 of The Rebel Angels. Didn't realize I'd got that far when I read it about 15 or so years ago.

I've pulled one of his trilogies off of my shelf in preparation. I can't remember which one it is, though. Looking forward to April.

I've started Fifth Business and even in the first few pages it has really grabbed me. I'm glad this group read gave me a reason to finally pick it up off the shelf!

>13 japaul22: Glad to hear it! I know exactly what you mean about the first pages grabbing you. I also just started a reread of Fifth Business, listening to it on audiobook this time.

I started the group read a bit early and finished off Lyre of Orpheus in March so that I could fit a reread of the entire Deptford trilogy into April, May and June. Though the first two books of the Cornish trilogy, Rebel Angels and What's Bred in the Bone, seemed to work well as standalone volumes, I do recommend reading both before reading Lyre of Orpheus, as it connects several themes from both of the earlier books. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it especially to anyone interested in music.

A couple of weeks ago, I toured the University of Toronto with my daughter. We got to see Trinity College, where Davies taught for two decades. Most believe that the fictional school featured in some of the novels and affectionately called "Spook" is based on Trinity College.



Here's another spot on the Toronto campus that I loved and might have been used by Davies: the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library:

I got a head start on The Rebel Angels in late March and have written down a lot of quotes about learning and the university environment so far. The chapters narrated by Simon Darcourt are working better for me than Maria Magdalena Theotoky, mainly because I can so easily picture Robertson Davies as a magnificently bearded older man and can't reconcile that image with a twentysomething female university student... especially when she talks about her feelings toward her professor.

Edit for cross-posting: Oooooo I love that library!

Edit 2 to correct the identities of the narrators

>16 rabbitprincess: I listened to The Rebel Angels on audiobook last year and the narrator Frederick Davidson did a good job on the voices, so I didn't immediately picture Davies when Maria was speaking. :)

When you've finished the book, I'd be happy to see a few of your favourite quotes, if you don't mind sharing.

>15 mathgirl40: What a beautiful library! Rare books always get the most beautiful space.

Just finished Leaven of Malice and thought it excellent! I loved the literary and biblical allusions, and although I'm sure I missed some it didn't affect my enjoyment. The characters are delightful oddities, yet in real life they can be found everywhere.

Next up is A Mixture of Frailties.

I've begun Tempest-Tost, the first book in the Salterton trilogy. I'm enjoying it.

>18 VivienneR: >19 RidgewayGirl: I'm glad to hear that you're both enjoying the Salterton trilogy. It's been a long time since I'd read these books. It'll be interesting to compare the style of these very early works written in the 1950's to that of the Cornish trilogy, written three decades later.

I am starting with the short story collection High Spirits.

I have one chapter to go in Tempest-Tost. I'm saving it for after the kids go to bed.

I usually do my best reading early in the morning or late at night, which is coincidentally the times when my aged eyes are not happy about small print. I've owned my copy of The Salterton Trilogy for a few decades and I clearly purchased it when I found excessively small print a trivial matter.

>22 RidgewayGirl: I too enjoy reading just after I wake up and before I go to sleep, and I too suffer from aging eyes. I am becoming increasingly reliant on my e-reader with its built-in light and adjustable fonts. However, like you, I still have many TBR books in small print on my shelves.

No kidding. I've also found that the more serious the book, and the books that benefit most from being able to concentrate, are the ones most likely to have a tiny font.

In the intro to my edition, Davies was compared to Trollope. I like Trollope, but I do think Davies is better - sometimes Trollope has an obvious axe to grind, while Davies (at least in Tempest-Tost clearly cares deeply for all his characters, even the difficult ones.

I've finished Fifth Business, the first book in the Deptford trilogy. It was my first foray into reading Davies and I loved it! The first person narration by Dunston Ramsay was excellent. Davies hits just the right notes of creating a voice that is humorous and studious while managing to move the plot along but while building the character. I'll definitely continue the series, though I'll probably take a break first.

>Better than Trollope?!!! I can't agree with that, but then again I've read a ton more Trollope than Davies.

>24 RidgewayGirl: I too love the richness of Davies's characters, even (or perhaps especially) the difficult ones. One of my favourite characters is Parlabane from The Rebel Angels.

>25 japaul22: I'm almost halfway through Fifth Business and enjoying it too. However, the style seems so different from that of the Cornish trilogy, so it's taking me some time to adjust.

I discovered a work that has a slight link to Robertson Davies. Kari Maaren had published a Web comic, West of Bathurst, that ran from 2006 to 2014. The main character is a graduate student at "Davies College", based on real-life University of Toronto graduate residence Massey College. The founding master of Massey College was, of course, Robertson Davies.

I hadn't known about this comic, but it came to my attention last week, when the Aurora Awards (for Canadian sci-fi and fantasy work) shortlist was announced. The West of Bathurst collection, recently published as a single volume, was nominated in the "Best Graphic Novel" category.

I've finished Fifth Business as well and it was different than I had expected, but since I don't know what I had expected, I can't say why. This was my first attempt at Davies and I am already convinced. :) Did anyone else get a John Irving-vibe, though, or was that just me? The style is very distinct and I am intrigued to hear that it is different in other books. I am very much looking forward to continue this trilogy and I own a set of The Cornish Trilogy to try next.

I was also intrigued by the statement that the Cornish trilogy is a much different style. I think I could see a John Irving vibe. I kept thinking of Iris Murdoch's narrator in The Sea, the Sea. Something about the slightly pretentious but still sarcastic tone of the narrator really made them similar to me even though the characters and plot are very different.

I think I'll be getting back to the Deptford Trilogy after I finish one other book.

Now that I've finished rereading Fifth Business in its entirety, perhaps I overstated my feelings about the different styles, but I definitely get a different vibe from this book than from the Cornish trilogy. Fifth Business seems much more serious in tone while the Cornish trilogy is full of humour. The writing in Fifth Business also seems more straightforward and accessible, while the Cornish trilogy is filled with lofty and erudite references. Of course, this all may just be a reflection of the characters' personalities.

>28 japaul22: You are right that the "slightly pretentious but still sarcastic tone" does permeate throughout all the novels. I do think Davies takes "pretentious" to new heights (in a good way) in parts of the Cornish trilogy. :)

I'm going to start The Manticore shortly. I'd be interested in hearing more views on how the trilogies compare, or on how early Davies compares with late Davies.

Today, I picked up The Morningside Years by Peter Gzowski at a book sale. Morningside was a very popular radio show on Canada's public station CBC that ran from 1976 to 1997 and Gzowski was its host. I was thrilled to find this collection of excerpts from the show includes a lengthy interview with Robertson Davies.

I also really enjoyed Fifth Business. I gave it one of my very rare 5 star ratings. I really loved the exploration of the magical/mystical/religion need to believe.

I just picked up The Manticore from the library, but it will be a bit before I can start it.

I'm half-way through The Manticore and the style is already different - this one is written in a much "easier" voice (narrated by Boy Staunton's son). Lots of Jungian ideas in this one.

I very much enjoyed the short stories in High Spirits -- ghost stories that aren't scary are just my kind of thing :)

I've finished The Manticore and it was certainly a faster read than Fifth Business, but perhaps a little clumsier. It did change a few things about the events in Fifth Business, so I'm now very excited about continuing with World of Wonders to see what that one has to add. I am liking this Davies fella a lot! :)

I think some of us might be able to identify with this quote from The Rebel Angels:

"Hollier was in charge of books, and he was the kind of man who hates to have anyone else touch a book until he has examined it thoroughly, by which time he might as well put it in its final place. Except that there rarely is any final place for books, and people whose job it is to sort them seem always to be juggling and pushing them hither and yon, making heaps as tall as chimneys on the floor, when the space on tables has been filled."

I hope to finish Rebel Angels in the next couple of days. I'm already further into the book than my previous attempt :)

>34 rabbitprincess: lol! Those heaps sound mighty familiar :-)

>34 rabbitprincess: Book rearranging is the best.

I've begun the second book in the Salterton Trilogy, A Leaven of Malice.

>34 rabbitprincess:
Great quote!

I've just finished The Manticore, the second book in the Deptford trilogy. I liked it, but not as much as I liked the first book in the series. In this one, the first person narrator is going through therapy in Switzerland and there was a bit too much dream analysis and personality analysis for my taste. It felt a bit dated. But I'm still interested in the characters and story, I just wish this book had advanced the plot a bit more. I'll read the last book in the series, World of Wonders within the next couple months.

Just finished The Rebel Angels. The culminating incident of the book made me drop the book in stunned surprise. And because I was reading on the couch at the time, this meant I dropped a hefty paperback omnibus directly onto my chest. So it knocked the wind out of me literally AND figuratively! I am glad that my high school self did not read that far; she would not have known what to make of it. Fortunately, the last chapter manages to smooth things over and put everything in place for What's Bred in the Bone.

For those who have read the book, I am specifically referring to Parlabane murdering McVarish.

I've finished the second book in The Salterton Trilogy, Leaven of Malice and it was fantastic. So satisfying, with an ending that had me rapt. I'm trying to leave a few days before beginning the final book in the trilogy.

>40 RidgewayGirl: I've started A Mixture of Frailties, the third in the Salterton Trilogy, and so far enjoying it even more than Leaven of Malice.

I'm really enjoying all the discussion here and glad that many of you who were new to Davies liked your first Davies books enough to continue with our group read!

After finishing Fifth Business, I must say that the opening scene strikes me as being particularly effective. Not only does it grab the reader's attention but it sets the stage perfectly for the rest of the book.

I'm reading The Manticore now and am not sure yet what I think of the structure. It really is a very different book from the first in the trilogy. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be much in terms of plot advancement, but the story does reveal many interesting things about the characters from the first book.

>39 rabbitprincess: I was stunned by that part too. Parlabane is one memorable character!

>41 VivienneR: That's good to hear! I'm ready to start reading A Mixture of Frailties but should finish a few books already underway first.

I finished A Mixture of Frailties and enjoyed it very much. The section when Monica is in England was slower, but my interest didn't lag. I loved that she had to put shillings in the meter to use the gas stove. Those meters ate coins at an alarming rate and always ran out at the worst moment - sort of what happened here.

>44 VivienneR: Glad to hear that you liked A Mixture of Frailties. Now that the Salterton trilogy is done, will you be diving into any more Davies next month?

I finished The Manticore and agree with many of the earlier comments in this thread. It felt very much like a middle book, answering open questions from the first book and setting the stage for the third. I'll be starting World of Wonders shortly.

A side note ... the small print of my old copy hurt my aging eyes so I borrowed a library copy of The Manticore. This turned out to be perhaps the most marked-up book I'd ever encountered. There were extensive notes and underlining from several different readers, as well as "meta-notes" with one reader complaining about another's notes and a third one disagreeing, insisting that the notes were useful. Apart from the distractions, it was nice to read such a well used and well analyzed copy. Given that (psycho)analysis is a theme of the book, I suppose this is fitting!

I finished the Salterton Trilogy with A Mixture of Frailties. I'm eager to read more of Davies, but will have to wait until mid-July, when I will once again have access to my copy of the Cornish Trilogy.

>45 mathgirl40: That's interesting about the notes in The Manticore. It's definitely one of those books that you could super-analyze. It might be what made me not like it as much as the first book in the trilogy. I'll probably start the last book next or at least soon.

>45 mathgirl40: I started Murther and Walking Spirits which now seems to be weeks ago! After a wonderful opening, he changed direction entirely for the rest of the story. I'm not enjoying it as much as his other books so it's going very slowly. I have to finish it this weekend as I'm going away in a few days and would prefer other reading for the trip.

If I am able to start another in June, it will be Rebel Angels. This will be a re-read, and a start on the Cornish trilogy that I didn't finish at the time of the first reading.

Your comments about the marked-up copy of The Manticore were interesting. It can be annoying, entertaining, or enlightening depending on the quality of the comments!

Despite the slow progress on Murther & Walking Spirits I have finished it at last. Although the ending was perfect, it was my least favourite from Davies. As usual, it had lots of the instantly recognizable Davies humour.

I finished World of Wonders during my vacation and I liked it a lot, but my favorite part was finding out what had actually happened at the end of Fifth Business - that was a great spin! I'm very happy that this group read got me to finally read Davies - I will be reading more!!

I have finally gotten to the Salterton trilogy and started Tempest-Tost yesterday. An academic satire -- just my kind of book :)

I've finally begun What's Bred in the Bone. I miss being privy to Maria's thoughts! But the storytelling structure is interesting in this one, too.

>46 RidgewayGirl: The Davies group read officially ended on June 30, but I'd be more than happy to see this thread continue into July and beyond. I'll be glad to hear your thoughts on the Cornish trilogy when you get to it.

>47 japaul22: I just finished the final Deptford book myself and thought it was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

>49 VivienneR: Too bad you didn't find Murther and Walking Spirits as enjoyable as the other Davies books. This is sitting on my shelf and I hope to get to it in the near future. I expect a mediocre Davies book is still a worthwhile read. :)

>50 -Eva-: I was happy too to see a lot of the open questions answered in the final book. I'm glad you had a positive introduction to Davies through this group read!

>51 leslie.98: If you like academic satire, you'll probably enjoy the Cornish trilogy too. Having spent many years in a university setting, I think Davies captured some of the personalities perfectly.

>52 rabbitprincess: I really liked the structure of What's Bred in the Bone, specifically the conversation between the angel and daimon.

>53 mathgirl40: I would be happy for this thread to continue too. I loved reading everyone's opinion of Davies. As mentioned, I intend to read the Cornish trilogy soon - aiming for some time this year.

You are absolutely right in saying a mediocre Davies book is still a worthwhile read!

Finally finished The Lyre of Orpheus, and with that the Cornish Trilogy! Excellent conclusion. More coherent thoughts to come.

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to your comments. I planned to start the Cornish Trilogy but haven't got around to it yet. I read it a long time ago but don't remember much of it although it will probably come back to me as I read.

Thoughts, such as they are, on the Cornish Trilogy:

The Rebel Angels: http://www.librarything.com/topic/219387#5574448
What's Bred in the Bone: http://www.librarything.com/topic/225601#5682789
The Lyre of Orpheus: http://www.librarything.com/topic/231628#5719719

The trilogy as a whole: https://www.librarything.com/review/70475019

I really enjoyed how each book did something different structurally and covered a different general subject area (philosophy, art, music), yet all of them worked to advance the story of Francis Cornish and the impact he had on the lives of others. I was talking about this trilogy with a friend who read The Lyre of Orpheus first and it is her favourite. She had the same thoughts as me about the weirdness of Davies narrating as a woman in The Rebel Angels, although I think I decided to ignore the weirdness sooner than she did.

Next trilogy I read will be the Deptford trilogy, although this one will be read in individual volumes rather than an omnibus because my BF has a copy of Fifth Business lying around somewhere.

>57 rabbitprincess: The Cornish Trilogy remains my favourite. I too like how Davies examined the three different themes in each book but made the entire trilogy a coherent whole.

I've still got more Davies on my shelf to read, so hopefully, this thread will stay active for a while longer.

I still have hopes of getting to the rest of the Salterton trilogy this year so I am also hoping the thread remains active.