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bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
Davies most famous book, Fifth Business was just the type of fiction I was looking for—I was looking for a writer that was John Irving, but not John Irving. (Coincidentally, I learned upon reading later reviews, that A Prayer for Owen Meaney was inspired by the Fifth Business.
It has a strong first-person narrative filled with plenty of flashbacks; the whole story arc is essentially a letter from the protagonist, an aged schoolmaster, writing to a younger schoolmaster about his life, in order to preserve his legacy. Though less comical in proportions to Irvin (and shorter on the sex) it is an intergenerational epic which delves into the psyche. It centers more on character development than page-turning plot, which can be slow, but makes for a savory simmer.
It's strange to think that I had not heard of Robertson Davies until several months ago. He's a treat and I look forward to reading the rest of his works.
It has a strong first-person narrative filled with plenty of flashbacks; the whole story arc is essentially a letter from the protagonist, an aged schoolmaster, writing to a younger schoolmaster about his life, in order to preserve his legacy. Though less comical in proportions to Irvin (and shorter on the sex) it is an intergenerational epic which delves into the psyche. It centers more on character development than page-turning plot, which can be slow, but makes for a savory simmer.
It's strange to think that I had not heard of Robertson Davies until several months ago. He's a treat and I look forward to reading the rest of his works.
kcrouth's review against another edition
4.0
I can't believe i have not heard of this excellent author before. Earlier in the summer, a close friend selected this novel for me while we were visiting the famous John K. King bookstore in Detroit. (go there, it's awesome! http://www.kingbooksdetroit.com/ ). This is a wonderfully told story of growing up and growing old with a little bit of magic and religion thrown in. Beautiful prose and compelling characters, plot, and story telling all make this a really great story. And come to find out, it is the first novel in a trilogy! Looking forward to running across the other two, and reading more about these people from Deptford! This is a book well worth the time to read, it is a treat!
thebobsphere's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing, A boy throws a snowball at a pregnant woman and the resulting baby is born on the spot. This makes the boy guilty so throughout his life he undertakes a journey to atone his actions.
What I like about Robertson Davies is that his prose is so effortless. He can go on tangents and make it seem like it's normal, Kind of like John Irving at his best. Apparently The Fifth Business is part of a trilogy which becomes quite surreal but it's ok to read The Fifth Business without reading the rest of the books.
What I like about Robertson Davies is that his prose is so effortless. He can go on tangents and make it seem like it's normal, Kind of like John Irving at his best. Apparently The Fifth Business is part of a trilogy which becomes quite surreal but it's ok to read The Fifth Business without reading the rest of the books.
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
This was a re-read for me. Davies complex, literate, and baroque world does feel just a little bit of its early 70's era of publication (something of nostalgia, sex, and mysticism that clings to that era) but holds up wonderfully for all of that. An immersive and fascinating read.
beillumined's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a holdover from my college days, and I knew there had to be a reason I hung into it for all these years. It was a slow start and as I trudged through I couldn't remember why so I set it aside to read something else. But when I picked it back up, so did the story, and I remembered how well written Fifth Business is. The slow beginning aside, this story of regret, memory, and how much small moments can shape our lives really stays with you.
maddy7171's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ajb24's review against another edition
4.0
I was really intrigued by this story. Some of it was a bit slow (I think mainly his expeditions to find saints probably because I don't have any context for anything lol) but towards the end the narrative with Paul Dempster really pulled me in and I might even continue the trilogy. I like the narrative style because it was really observant and self-aware. There’re some nuances that allude me and it makes me feel like the book would do well in an English literature class or something like that. I don't feel like doing the close analysis that might make this book more meaningful, but as it stands it was an interesting intellectual exercise in its deconstruction of faith/religion and its approach to mental health...the mental health bit isn't exactly a main theme, but I just find it interesting to see how the characters describe conditions when there is no technical language for it.
At first my reading was clouded by my modern perspective: wanting novels from perspectives not typically included in historical and/or contemporary novels. This book is part of the mainstream canon from which modernity seeks to diverge. I realized I can't fault it for what it is and just had to accept that the perspective is what it is.
That being said, something is nagging me at how the women are treated/portrayed throughout the book but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s probably just like, misogyny, but what can you do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
At first my reading was clouded by my modern perspective: wanting novels from perspectives not typically included in historical and/or contemporary novels. This book is part of the mainstream canon from which modernity seeks to diverge. I realized I can't fault it for what it is and just had to accept that the perspective is what it is.
That being said, something is nagging me at how the women are treated/portrayed throughout the book but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s probably just like, misogyny, but what can you do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
courtneyb95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
dina_b's review against another edition
4.0
Não sabia em o que esperar desta leitura e qual não foi a minha surpresa por ter gostado mais do que pensava.
É uma leitura lenta, onde vamos conhecendo a vida do narrador, um professor em fim de carreira que parece ter tido uma vida aborrecida mas que afinal não foi bem assim. Gostei das personagens que foi conhecendo ao longo da vida e como influênciaram o seu caminho, só o discurso um pouco teológico de uma das personagens é que me aborreceu e me deixou preocupada, mas o final foi top, não estava nada a espera disso.
É uma leitura lenta, onde vamos conhecendo a vida do narrador, um professor em fim de carreira que parece ter tido uma vida aborrecida mas que afinal não foi bem assim. Gostei das personagens que foi conhecendo ao longo da vida e como influênciaram o seu caminho, só o discurso um pouco teológico de uma das personagens é que me aborreceu e me deixou preocupada, mas o final foi top, não estava nada a espera disso.