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Fiction. Literature. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:"With a sure comic touch, Davies assembles his cast of characters and lets them make fools of themselves . . . in the best Shakespearean tradition."—The Emerald City Book Review Weaving a tapestry of wonderfully developed characters, smoldering rivalries, and witty satire, Robertson Davies introduces the first book in the Salterton Trilogy. An amateur production of The Tempest provides a colorful backdrop for a hilarious look at show more unrequited love. Mathematics teacher Hector Mackilwraith, stirred and troubled by Shakespeare's play, falls in love with the beautiful heiress Griselda Webster. When Griselda shows she has plans of her own, Hector despairs on the play's opening night. "High comedy with a spice of satire to give it savor."—Montreal Gazette "An exercise in puckish persiflage."—Toronto Star "Hilarious, satirical, witty and clever."—Edmonton Journal "By turns humorous and sympathetic, Davies shows us that he knows his stuff, even in this, his first book."—AllReaders.com "It would not be a bad thing for more writers to read and be inspired by Davies's example of intelligent, emotionally resonant fiction, or for more readers to discover its pleasures."—The Emerald City Book Review. show lessTags
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A perfectly entertaining story liberally sprinkled with the gentle humour typical of Davies. Amateur theatre groups appear to be a common target for humour but Davies brings us a very believable group for whom the reader wishes success. But let's not forget the keywords: amateur theatre. The characters, filled with personality, elicit sympathy, pity, scorn or admiration as warranted. Davies has a particular way with words that can accurately pinpoint the meaning with a simple turn of phrase.
I can't believe I missed the Salterton Trilogy when I was going through a Robertson Davies phase. I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first in the series, and look forward to the others. And then, on to reading or re-reading everything else. This was his show more first novel, and I know he gets even better. show less
I can't believe I missed the Salterton Trilogy when I was going through a Robertson Davies phase. I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first in the series, and look forward to the others. And then, on to reading or re-reading everything else. This was his show more first novel, and I know he gets even better. show less
Leer a Robertson Davies es un acierto seguro. Davies era un inteligente y refinado narrador, dueño de un sutil sentido del humor y una erudición privilegiada, características todas ellas que se hacen evidentes tanto en sus diálogos como en sus descripciones. Esto, unido a un pulso narrativo encomiable, hace que la lectura de sus novelas sea una delicia para el paladar más exigente.
'A merced de la tempestad' fue la primera novela que escribió el canadiense Robertson Davies, en el año 1951, libro que formaría posteriormente parte de la llamada Trilogía de Salterton (siendo las otras dos ‘Levadura de malicia’ y ‘Una mezcla de flaquezas’), localidad ficticia donde transcurren las tres novelas.
La historia que nos plantea show more Davies en 'A merced de la tempestad' es todo un homenaje al teatro, elemento que el autor, dramaturgo excelso, dominaba a la perfección. En ella se nos presenta a una serie de personajes, todos ellos actores aficionados, que desean representar La tempestad de Shakespeare. Pero a la presidenta del llamado Teatro Joven, se le ha ocurrido la idea de convertir la obra en una representación pastoril, y para ello han sido elegidos los jardines de St. Agnes, residencia de los Webster. Las desavenencias no se harán esperar.
Davies es un maestro a la hora de describirnos el ambiente en el que transcurrirá la novela, así como los personajes, la misma Salterton, con sus dos catedrales, los paisajes o la arquitectura. Desde el inicio, cuando se nos presenta el escenario en el que va a devenir la trama, Davies nos atrapa. Posteriormente, cuando asistimos al reparto de papeles entre el variopinto grupo de miembros de aficionados al teatro, a los ensayos y a la representación de La tempestad, caemos rendidos ante el saber hacer del escritor canadiense. Y es que los personajes son memorables: Hector Mackilwraith, profesor estricto de matemáticas al que le ha picado el gusanillo de las tablas; la presidenta del Teatro Joven, Nellie Forrester; las hijas del señor Webster, Griselda, que volverá loco a medio reparto, y Freddy, la pequeña aficionada a fabricar sidra; Solly, el joven ayudante de la directora Valentine; y un montón más de secundarios, a cual más delicioso. Davies realiza un meritorio análisis psicológico de las diferentes clases sociales que pueblan Salterton, poniendo de manifiesto sus debilidades y pasiones, todo ello no exento de un gran sentido del humor.
Cuando se habla de Robertson Davies, siempre se le vincula a grandes maestros como Charles Dickens, y su influencia se hace notar también en autores como John Irving. Pero para mí Robertson Davies es único. Tenía una capacidad extraordinaria para crear personajes creíbles y consistentes, y sus historias son intemporales. 'A merced de la tempestad', siendo como es la primera novela que escribió Davies, no llega a la altura de otras obras suyas del mismo corte, como pueda ser 'Ángeles rebeldes', pero su calidad es innegable. Ágil y amena a partes iguales, es una altamente recomendable. show less
'A merced de la tempestad' fue la primera novela que escribió el canadiense Robertson Davies, en el año 1951, libro que formaría posteriormente parte de la llamada Trilogía de Salterton (siendo las otras dos ‘Levadura de malicia’ y ‘Una mezcla de flaquezas’), localidad ficticia donde transcurren las tres novelas.
La historia que nos plantea show more Davies en 'A merced de la tempestad' es todo un homenaje al teatro, elemento que el autor, dramaturgo excelso, dominaba a la perfección. En ella se nos presenta a una serie de personajes, todos ellos actores aficionados, que desean representar La tempestad de Shakespeare. Pero a la presidenta del llamado Teatro Joven, se le ha ocurrido la idea de convertir la obra en una representación pastoril, y para ello han sido elegidos los jardines de St. Agnes, residencia de los Webster. Las desavenencias no se harán esperar.
Davies es un maestro a la hora de describirnos el ambiente en el que transcurrirá la novela, así como los personajes, la misma Salterton, con sus dos catedrales, los paisajes o la arquitectura. Desde el inicio, cuando se nos presenta el escenario en el que va a devenir la trama, Davies nos atrapa. Posteriormente, cuando asistimos al reparto de papeles entre el variopinto grupo de miembros de aficionados al teatro, a los ensayos y a la representación de La tempestad, caemos rendidos ante el saber hacer del escritor canadiense. Y es que los personajes son memorables: Hector Mackilwraith, profesor estricto de matemáticas al que le ha picado el gusanillo de las tablas; la presidenta del Teatro Joven, Nellie Forrester; las hijas del señor Webster, Griselda, que volverá loco a medio reparto, y Freddy, la pequeña aficionada a fabricar sidra; Solly, el joven ayudante de la directora Valentine; y un montón más de secundarios, a cual más delicioso. Davies realiza un meritorio análisis psicológico de las diferentes clases sociales que pueblan Salterton, poniendo de manifiesto sus debilidades y pasiones, todo ello no exento de un gran sentido del humor.
Cuando se habla de Robertson Davies, siempre se le vincula a grandes maestros como Charles Dickens, y su influencia se hace notar también en autores como John Irving. Pero para mí Robertson Davies es único. Tenía una capacidad extraordinaria para crear personajes creíbles y consistentes, y sus historias son intemporales. 'A merced de la tempestad', siendo como es la primera novela que escribió Davies, no llega a la altura de otras obras suyas del mismo corte, como pueda ser 'Ángeles rebeldes', pero su calidad es innegable. Ágil y amena a partes iguales, es una altamente recomendable. show less
Robertson Davies is one of my favourite Canadian writers. And this book exemplifies why.
It is erudite without being snobbish, humourous without being slapstick and filled with interesting characters.
The Salterton Little Theatre has decided to put on The Tempest and it will be done out-of-doors, or a Pastoral as Nellie Forrester, doyenne of the Little Theatre likes to call it. The grounds of St. Agnes, home of the Websters, having been decided to be the best place to hold the play it was secured by offering a place in the play to Griselda Webester. Griselda then prevailed upon her father to allow the grounds to be used even though he generally disliked having people in the gardens. The book opens with Fredegonde (Freddy) Webster, little show more sister to Griselda, discussing this objectionable state of affairs with the gardener, Tom Gwalchmai in the Shed.
Although the entire cast appears in the pages of Tempest-Tost the main character is Hector Mackilwraith. Hector is a forty-year-old mathematics teacher and a bachelor who lives in a room in the YMCA. He is the treasurer of the Salterton Little Theatre but has decided that he wants to seek a role in The Tempest. He has never acted before and hardly reads any literature. Nevertheless he reads through a copy of The Tempest and determines that he should be Gonzalo, the wise old counselor. With a little bit of coercion he secures the role of Gonzalo. Griselda, who is to be Ariel, says a kind word to him after the casting evening and that is all it takes for Hector to fall in love with her. Of course Griselda has other suitors for her hand (and other parts of her body). Roger Tasset, Ferdinand in the play, considers that she is worth pursuing to add to the other conquests he has made. Solly Bridgewater, the director's assistant, has grown up with Griselda but has just started to notice her and fall in love with her. Thus we have the setting for a fine competition with Griselda as the prize. Truth be told, Hector really has no chance but maybe just to have made the effort is worth it.
Davies knew the theatre and especially Shakespeare well. His thesis for his BLit from Oxford was on Shakespeare's Boy Actors and after he graduated he acted in small companies in England. In 1940 he was with the Old Vic Repertory Theatre in London. Back in Canada, in addition to writing for various publications he wrote a play, Eros at Breakfast, that won the Dominion Drama Festival award for best new play in 1948. He was also instrumental in starting up the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. All this experience shows when he is writing about the staging of The Tempest and the progress of the rehearsals. I was involved with an amateur theatre company for a number of years and I recognize many of the types and situations. (I only acted once myself; although not as awful as Hector that convinced me to leave the acting to others.)
Tempest-Tost is the first book in the Salterton trilogy. I read the second book, The Leaven of Malice, long ago but I think I may read it again and then read A Mixture of Frailities. It's always good to have more Robertson Davies to read. show less
It is erudite without being snobbish, humourous without being slapstick and filled with interesting characters.
The Salterton Little Theatre has decided to put on The Tempest and it will be done out-of-doors, or a Pastoral as Nellie Forrester, doyenne of the Little Theatre likes to call it. The grounds of St. Agnes, home of the Websters, having been decided to be the best place to hold the play it was secured by offering a place in the play to Griselda Webester. Griselda then prevailed upon her father to allow the grounds to be used even though he generally disliked having people in the gardens. The book opens with Fredegonde (Freddy) Webster, little show more sister to Griselda, discussing this objectionable state of affairs with the gardener, Tom Gwalchmai in the Shed.
Although the entire cast appears in the pages of Tempest-Tost the main character is Hector Mackilwraith. Hector is a forty-year-old mathematics teacher and a bachelor who lives in a room in the YMCA. He is the treasurer of the Salterton Little Theatre but has decided that he wants to seek a role in The Tempest. He has never acted before and hardly reads any literature. Nevertheless he reads through a copy of The Tempest and determines that he should be Gonzalo, the wise old counselor. With a little bit of coercion he secures the role of Gonzalo. Griselda, who is to be Ariel, says a kind word to him after the casting evening and that is all it takes for Hector to fall in love with her. Of course Griselda has other suitors for her hand (and other parts of her body). Roger Tasset, Ferdinand in the play, considers that she is worth pursuing to add to the other conquests he has made. Solly Bridgewater, the director's assistant, has grown up with Griselda but has just started to notice her and fall in love with her. Thus we have the setting for a fine competition with Griselda as the prize. Truth be told, Hector really has no chance but maybe just to have made the effort is worth it.
Davies knew the theatre and especially Shakespeare well. His thesis for his BLit from Oxford was on Shakespeare's Boy Actors and after he graduated he acted in small companies in England. In 1940 he was with the Old Vic Repertory Theatre in London. Back in Canada, in addition to writing for various publications he wrote a play, Eros at Breakfast, that won the Dominion Drama Festival award for best new play in 1948. He was also instrumental in starting up the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. All this experience shows when he is writing about the staging of The Tempest and the progress of the rehearsals. I was involved with an amateur theatre company for a number of years and I recognize many of the types and situations. (I only acted once myself; although not as awful as Hector that convinced me to leave the acting to others.)
Tempest-Tost is the first book in the Salterton trilogy. I read the second book, The Leaven of Malice, long ago but I think I may read it again and then read A Mixture of Frailities. It's always good to have more Robertson Davies to read. show less
I first came across this author in high school studying [b:Fifth Business|74406|Fifth Business (The Deptford Trilogy, #1)|Robertson Davies|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170852646l/74406._SY75_.jpg|603433], and while I don't regard any of his books as fondly as that novel, which has gone on to be one of my favourites, I like his line of work enough that I felt the need to reread everything of his in chronological order. [b:Tempest-Tost|347358|Tempest-Tost (Salterton Trilogy, #1)|Robertson Davies|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1290198660l/347358._SY75_.jpg|1967443], the first of the Salterton trilogy, has an amateur theatre company attempt to put on a show more production of The Tempest in the fictitious Ontario city of Salterton (which if I recall correctly is an analog of Kingston), though Griselda, who has been cast as Ariel, attracts attention, and not necessarily of the right sort. No less than three of her colleagues are infatuated with her: the rakish soldier Roger Tasset, the diffident assistant director Solly Bridgetower, and the repressed math teacher Hector Mackilwraith.
This being a debut novel, it's not entirely without its issues; compared to most of the wider Davies oeuvre, the Deptford trilogy especially, the characters are kind of dry. It feels like this is mostly by design; there's a sort of neo-Victorian bent to their views and mannerisms, a sort of conservatism that probably wouldn't seem out of place in 19th-century literature. I was always fascinated by how the POV characters saw everyone else; I like how perspective in this book was utilized in such a way that it shows the foibles and hypocrisies of everyone else, though it isn't always reliable, as it is sometimes coloured by rivalry; for example, Freddy and Griselda both have rich inner lives but each thinks the other is a vacuous halfwit.
This narrative device was so effective, in fact, that I found viewpoint characters were more interesting when seen through the eyes of someone else, but this didn't ruin the book for me. Perhaps this could've been ameliorated if Salterton had a stronger presence, like how the eponymous village of the Deptford trilogy seems like a living entity that exists to keep its protagonists down, but at least the cast is varied enough to keep my attention. I especially liked Valentine Rich, she's easily the most reasonable person in the entire book, and I liked seeing her apply professional direction to amateur theatre.
Perhaps rereading the rest of his books will prove me wrong, but it feels like Davies' writing is almost fully formed; I find his turn of phrase warm, and like this book's characters, almost anachronistic, though this decided anachronism fits Salterton's WASP culture quite nicely. I also quite liked his depiction of community theatre, on account of it being mostly true to my experiences in the performing arts; a great deal of internal squabbling that might surprise outsiders, actors attempting to "improve" scenes and being told why such changes wouldn't work, a shared love of food, I can assure you that I've observed or heard of such things myself in amateur theatre.
Though I find Davies' storytelling ability isn't quite there at this stage of his literary career, his knack for writing believable and entertaining conversations is there, to the point where I found the most entertaining moments were often just people talking. There's also an effervescent love of theatre that really comes through in the book's depiction of an amateur production, which serves to ground the story in its comic context, and though I find that Davies would go on to make more thoughtful meditations on the arts, Tempest-Tost is still a rather entertaining debut that I'd gladly reread again, and I'll be interested to see how well the rest of the Salterton trilogy holds up. show less
This being a debut novel, it's not entirely without its issues; compared to most of the wider Davies oeuvre, the Deptford trilogy especially, the characters are kind of dry. It feels like this is mostly by design; there's a sort of neo-Victorian bent to their views and mannerisms, a sort of conservatism that probably wouldn't seem out of place in 19th-century literature. I was always fascinated by how the POV characters saw everyone else; I like how perspective in this book was utilized in such a way that it shows the foibles and hypocrisies of everyone else, though it isn't always reliable, as it is sometimes coloured by rivalry; for example, Freddy and Griselda both have rich inner lives but each thinks the other is a vacuous halfwit.
This narrative device was so effective, in fact, that I found viewpoint characters were more interesting when seen through the eyes of someone else, but this didn't ruin the book for me. Perhaps this could've been ameliorated if Salterton had a stronger presence, like how the eponymous village of the Deptford trilogy seems like a living entity that exists to keep its protagonists down, but at least the cast is varied enough to keep my attention. I especially liked Valentine Rich, she's easily the most reasonable person in the entire book, and I liked seeing her apply professional direction to amateur theatre.
Perhaps rereading the rest of his books will prove me wrong, but it feels like Davies' writing is almost fully formed; I find his turn of phrase warm, and like this book's characters, almost anachronistic, though this decided anachronism fits Salterton's WASP culture quite nicely. I also quite liked his depiction of community theatre, on account of it being mostly true to my experiences in the performing arts; a great deal of internal squabbling that might surprise outsiders, actors attempting to "improve" scenes and being told why such changes wouldn't work, a shared love of food, I can assure you that I've observed or heard of such things myself in amateur theatre.
Though I find Davies' storytelling ability isn't quite there at this stage of his literary career, his knack for writing believable and entertaining conversations is there, to the point where I found the most entertaining moments were often just people talking. There's also an effervescent love of theatre that really comes through in the book's depiction of an amateur production, which serves to ground the story in its comic context, and though I find that Davies would go on to make more thoughtful meditations on the arts, Tempest-Tost is still a rather entertaining debut that I'd gladly reread again, and I'll be interested to see how well the rest of the Salterton trilogy holds up. show less
Though this is his first published novel, every aspect of Davies' style that I enjoyed in the Deptford trilogy - the genial, avuncular prose stylist - is fully-formed here. What makes Davies so distinctive is his keen eye for human pettiness. Lots of novelists write extensively on the small flaws that are foundational to the human psyche, but very few do it with the peculiar combination of wit, affection, and indulgence that Davies does. The efforts of a small-town theater troupe to put on a performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest provides ample room for Davies to bounce his characters' flaws off of each other, while reminding us that his is always the strongest voice on his stages.
Surely Davies has his reasons for creating fictional show more small towns rather appropriating using real ones - even though the play-staging elements of Tempest-Tost are clearly based on Davies' actual experience, there's something about his choice of setting that fits his aims. I like that even though his small-town Canada is somewhat romanticized, in that it seems almost too pleasant, it's not idealized, in that its limitations are front and center. The protagonist, virginal love-struck math teacher Hector Mackilwraith, is a case in point - his infatuation for town babe Griselda Webster strikes just the right balance between pathetic and sympathetic. Something about how Davies draws his disciplined strengths and his emotional weaknesses makes sense for his journey through Salterton's over-proud social scene, and his plan to seize the role of Gonzalo to impress a girl is both endearing and cringe-worthy.
And at the risk of getting too mechanical with the analysis, the same is true of the other characters who have enough screen time. While his skills at characterization would be even better by the Deptford trilogy, here all the characters have their own personalities, and their interactions, such as when Hector is competing with out-of-town rake Roger Tasset and well-meaning Oedipal victim Solly Bridgetower for Griselda's hand, are usually very funny. His plotting could use some work (for example, Fredegonde's wine-making in the first scene is forgotten about for the remainder of the book until it makes a noticeable but pointless appearance in the very last scene), yet I'm glad Davies resisted the temptation to go meta and with a play-within-a-play concept or something similar. There's plenty of drama to be found in even the smallest spaces if you know where to look, and Davies found plenty. Hopefully the next two volumes in the Salterton trilogy will improve upon the first. show less
Surely Davies has his reasons for creating fictional show more small towns rather appropriating using real ones - even though the play-staging elements of Tempest-Tost are clearly based on Davies' actual experience, there's something about his choice of setting that fits his aims. I like that even though his small-town Canada is somewhat romanticized, in that it seems almost too pleasant, it's not idealized, in that its limitations are front and center. The protagonist, virginal love-struck math teacher Hector Mackilwraith, is a case in point - his infatuation for town babe Griselda Webster strikes just the right balance between pathetic and sympathetic. Something about how Davies draws his disciplined strengths and his emotional weaknesses makes sense for his journey through Salterton's over-proud social scene, and his plan to seize the role of Gonzalo to impress a girl is both endearing and cringe-worthy.
And at the risk of getting too mechanical with the analysis, the same is true of the other characters who have enough screen time. While his skills at characterization would be even better by the Deptford trilogy, here all the characters have their own personalities, and their interactions, such as when Hector is competing with out-of-town rake Roger Tasset and well-meaning Oedipal victim Solly Bridgetower for Griselda's hand, are usually very funny. His plotting could use some work (for example, Fredegonde's wine-making in the first scene is forgotten about for the remainder of the book until it makes a noticeable but pointless appearance in the very last scene), yet I'm glad Davies resisted the temptation to go meta and with a play-within-a-play concept or something similar. There's plenty of drama to be found in even the smallest spaces if you know where to look, and Davies found plenty. Hopefully the next two volumes in the Salterton trilogy will improve upon the first. show less
It’s funny how sometimes you read a book and it just leaves your head the moment you put it down, and other times books just stay with you. This is somewhere in between, though it’s hard to say since it’s probably been 25 years between readings. I had a hankering to read Davies, maybe because I am away from Canada and Davies writes so quintessentially Canadian. Salterton is an academic town somewhere in Ontario, and its denizens are drab, quirky, and everything in between, just as you’d expect to find in any Canadian town. The book was written in the ‘50s, though Davies omits any references to politics or technology so it really is timeless, and could take place anytime in the 20th or 21st centuries. A disparate group of show more players comes together to mount a production of The Tempest, and what ensues is a complicated web of love and self-aggrandizement, people managing their lives with varying degrees of success. I’d forgotten what a narrative master Davies was, changing perspectives seamlessly between the characters and developing each one so that the reader gets a better picture of the various subtexts and mini-dramas. Every character is utterly human, which is actually very hard to pull off. show less
This book may be just a trifle, but it is seldom that a comic novel is funny on so many levels: delightful plot, funny situations, clever dialogue, amusing sentences. Granted, his chosen target, the pretensions of a provincial amateur theatrical troupe. is an easy one, but the sheer inventive energy buoys this book above the level of cliché. The basic approach is like that of the country house or campus comedy - a group of varied and idiosyncratic characters gathered together in a confined area, and the resulting intrigues, misunderstandings, inappropriate love affairs, and clashes of egos. The main plot centers on a hapless middle-aged mathematics instructor who falls in love with a beautiful and wealthy young women when they are both show more cast an amateur production of The Tempest. Even his attempted suicide ultimately doesn't spoil the fun. this is simpler than some of Davies's other novels, but a delight. show less
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"Robertson Davies manages to include in his first novel all the possible ingredients of a dull, amateur theatrical -- the jollying, the fussing, the chatter and a suicide, which is a miss.
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William Robertson Davies was born in Thamesville, Ontario in 1913. He taught English at the University of Toronto and was an actor, journalist, and newspaper editor before winning acclaim as a novelist with Tempest-Tost, the first of his Salterton trilogy. His most famous trilogy, The Deptford Trilogy--Fifth Business, The Manticore, and World of show more Wonders--develops the earlier Salterton novels. The locale is a fictitious Ontario city that prizes its English tradition, including the Anglican Church and the genealogy of the old families. Robertson's novels have been translated into approximately 20 languages. His masterful story-telling encompasses such issues as evil, love, fear, tradition, and magic as he brings his characters to life with wisdom and humor. Robertson Davies died in 1995. (Bowker Author Biography) Robertson Davies (1913-1995) had three successive careers during the time he became an internationally acclaimed author: first as an actor with the Old Vic Company in England; then as publisher of "The Peterborough Ontario Examiner"; & finally as professor & first master of Massey College at the University of Toronto. With twelve novels & several volumes of essays & plays to his credit, Davies was the first Canadian to be inducted to the American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters. His last novel, "The Cunning Man" (Viking 1995), was a national bestseller. (Publisher Provided) show less
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- Canonical title
- Tempest-Tost
- Original publication date
- 1951
- People/Characters
- Hector Mackilwraith; Griselda Webster; Pearl Vambrace; Fredegonde (Freddy) Webster (Freddy)
- Important places
- Ontario, Canada
- Epigraph
- I'll drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his pent-house lid;
He shall live a man forbid.
Weary se'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
Though his bark cannot... (show all) be lost
Yet it shall be tempest-tost.
Macbeth I.3 - First words
- "It's going to be a great nuisance for both of us," said Freddy.
- Quotations
- With this plan in view she was at the residence of the late Dr. Adam Savage at five minutes to ten on the following morning, dismayed to find that an astounding total of two hundred and seventeen clergymen were there before h... (show all)er, waiting impatiently on the lawn. They ranged from canons of the cathedral, in shovel hats and the grey flannels which the more worldly Anglicans affect in summer, through Presbyterians and ministers of the United Church in black coats and Roman collars, to the popes and miracle workers of back-street sects, dressed in everything under the sun. There was a young priest, a little aloof from the others, who had been instructed by his bishop to bespeak a copy of The Catholic Encyclopaedia which was known to be in the house, for a school library. There were two rabbis, one with a beard and one without, chatting with the uneasy geniality of men who expect shortly to compete in a race for a shelf of books on the Pentateuch. There were High Anglicans with crosses on their watch chains, and low Anglicans with moustaches. There were sixteen Divinity students, not yet ordained, but trying to look sanctified in dark suits.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Hector slept.
- Original language
- English
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