Fifth Business

MadArchitect · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:17 pm Post subject: Fifth Business

Who was it that mentioned that they had enjoyed Robertson Davies' "Deptford trilogy"?

I've just started the first book, "Fifth Business", and I'm enjoying it immensely. I'm opening this thread because someone mentioned it as one of their favorite books, and I want to bounce some ideas off of them.

Loricat · Graduate Student Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 446 Gender:

I'm a Robertson Davies fan, maybe not 'the' Davies fan.

I would love to bounce ideas...but I need to pick up another set of the books. I gave mine to a visiting British couple this summer, and they brought Fifth Business to their reading club.

It is a full book, that's for sure.

"All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds."

Loricat's Book Nook
Celebrating the Absurd

Mr. Pessimistic · Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Fifth Business

Jeremy suggested this book a while ago. I am interested in reading it someday...but there is too much on the plate right now.

Lets keep it in mind.

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

Once you perceive the irrevocable truth, you can no longer justify the irrational denial. - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

MadArchitect · Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:25 pm Post subject: Re: Fifth Business

Definitely give it a whirl. I've loaned it to two people since having read it a month ago, and they've both loved it. I'll probably be reading the second book, "The Manticore", as soon as I finish Donna Tartt's "The Secret History".

Loricat · Graduate Student Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 446 Gender:

Mad, one thing to keep in mind while reading the trilogy is that they were (supposedly) edited in three different styles: Canadian, US, European. I have not read them with this in mind, as I only heard this a year ago, from my editing/proofreading teacher at college. Of course, this is a subtle thing that may only be of interest to editing geeks, and it may only be a rumour (or 'rumor').

"All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds."

Loricat's Book Nook
Celebrating the Absurd

MadArchitect · Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 3:19 pm Post subject: Re: Fifth Business

What do you mean by "edited" in different style? Davies uses different narrative styles for each, and in doing so, he may have emulated different styles of autobiography. Otherwise, I'm not sure what and editing style would refer to.

Incidentally, I just started "The Manticore", the second book in the trilogy. The beginning already has me interested. It follows the son of one of the main characters from the first story, and there's some overlap on the events which close the first, which I rather like.


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