And for 1970, this tale was probably innovative insight into the evolution Canadian nationhood. (and to be really picky, the Brit Davidson did a better job of sounding old fashioned Canadian vowels than Vietor (who may not have even attempted that little added touch to the pre WWII Canadian English of the characters - I imagine that Davies would have delighted in that little touch-up to the vowels) I've no formal literary background, but Davies seems to me to be the great Jungian bridge between colonial and postcolonial CanLit and culture. The narrator was good, but it takes someone like the late Frederick Davidson to get his tongue around those multiclaused sentences in a natural sounding way. I love Davies' old fashioned, (and sometimes) poetry-infused prose. While Fifth Business is a very worthwhile listen, it's not THE great Canadian novel, but maybe it was the great Canadian novel of the Canadian psyche of its day (1970?). Since it finds itself on 'best novels of all time' lists, my expectations were very high however, I enjoyed books in Davies' Cornish and Salterton trilogies more. This is another novel I've always wanted to read but wouldn't have gotten to if not brought to audio. Thanks, Audible, but mildly disappointing I am excited to spend more time with these characters in books two (The Manticore) and book three (World of Wonders). Enough so that I'm jamming a copy I bought for my wife to read (she is a beast on books, so I bought her a mass-market version for her pleasure and sacrifice.she doesn't get the hardcover one I have). Anyway, the book carried a great deal of emotional resonance with me. And while I readily admit that these are a bit like sugar sprinkles for me - they work and their is a reason I adore them.

quotable bon mots or philosophical epigrams. He is a master of time, place, and character AND he is also one of those authors whose prose is full of little. It reminded me of an intellectualized version of John Irving (later I discovered Irving LOVED/LOVES Davies) mixed with a bit of John Fowles.

A friend of mine, who is an author and shares many similar tastes (Patrick O'Brian and John le Carré, etc) recommend the Deptford Trilogy by Davies.

Recently I asked a couple friends to recommend some bigger books (or series) that they really liked. I've seen his books, corner of my eye, at bookstores (used and new) but never focused. 'As I have grown older my bias-the oddly recurrent themes of history, which are also the themes of myth-has asserted itself, and why not?' - Robertson Davies, Fifth Business Robertson Davies is one of those authors who has constantly been a peripheral artist.

Fifth business by robertson davies