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Fifth Business

The Deptford Trilogy, Book 1

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About this listen

Hailed by the Washington Post Book World as "a modern classic", Robertson Davies’ acclaimed Deptford Trilogy is a glittering, fantastical, cunningly contrived series of novels, around which a mysterious death is woven.

This first novel in the trilogy introduces Ramsay, a man who returns from World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross but who is destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and myth collide. As we hear Ramsey tell his story, we begin to realize that, from childhood, he has influenced those around him in a perhaps mystical, perhaps pernicious way. Even his seemingly innocent involvement in as innocuous an event as throwing a snowball proves to be neither innocent nor innocuous in the end.

©1970 Robertson Davies (P)2011 Audible, Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic reviews

"A marvelously enigmatic novel, elegantly written and driven by irresistible narrative forces." ( The New York Times)
"Robertson Davies is one of the great modern novelists." (Malcolm Bradbury, The Sunday Times, London)
"One of the splendid literary enterprises of this decade." ( Newsweek)
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Perfect story beautifully narrated with great tone. Slow build of plot well crafted and written well

Perfect story

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That's going straight into my top 5 books. The themes are too numerous to mention, so you shall have to be content with a couple randomly chosen. Self delusion and discovery, the 2Oth Century, self love and hate. the power of early experience and the guilt, remorse, vengeance, and forgiveness. A wonderful, funny, compelling book.

a masterpiece

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The narrator read this in a harsh, wooden style. Ruined it for me. This story is wondrous, full of meaning. I wouldn't have got any of that from this if I hadn't already read the book many times.

one of my favorite books of all time

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Robertson Davies seems to be less well-known than many of his contemporaries. I read his books some years ago and decided to listen to this one on a long drive through Europe. The story is as fresh and well told as I remember and overall I'd recommend it highly. The narration was just a bit strange though. I'm not sure if the accent is Canadian- certainly not from the areas I have visited, and it comes across as very mid-Atlantic.
If you've never read Davies, start with the Cornish Trilogy and as they stand alone, go for What's bred in the bone first. This is not quite as good but certainly will intrigue and entertain if you can live with the narration.

Great story narration less so.

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Funny, touching and often very implausible. Powerful canvas of early twentieth century Canadian small town life, WW1, capitalism, magic and mythical elements of Christianity. Would probably be considered quite misogynistic by today’s standards, and that made it all the funnier.

Funny, touching and often very implausible.

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