Robertson Davies existed for me as the name of a Canadian author who was recognizable, but not on the radar of someone to read. The problem is that Canada has a bad habit of employing a kind of affirmative action for our artists, giving them priority simply because they are Canadian. This creates a sense of doubt as to whether they are noteworthy because of the quality of their work, or because, well, they are Canadian, that they are good enough.
About a month ago I was listening to a podcast, and the person being interviewed was a really thoughtful and interesting historian, talking about, well, history. At the end, for reasons I can’t even remember, he said that the best books he’d ever read were the Deptford Trilogy, by Robertson Davies. I have a rule, that when someone who I respect (and I’ll admit, that listening to someone speak for three hours is a low bar, but good enough to take a book out of the library) says that a book is “the best book I’ve ever read,” I’m willing to give it a shot. So, I ordered The Fifth Business from the library…and read it in about two days. He was right – it was awesome.
I should say from the outset that when I read interpretations and criticism of the book afterward, it was clear that there are entire levels I didn’t pick up on (particularly Jungian psychoanalytic thought), and frankly, that didn’t matter an ounce. It’s a fabulous novel by a wonderful writer. Davies is a master-writer and storyteller. His prose is engrossing and clear. The story moves at a fast clip. The content is thoughtful and insightful, even surprising. The main character has a depth you want to explore as a reader, one that makes you curious to learn more about him. There’s something unpredictable about him and his choices which kept me engaged as a reader.
The background of this book, and the trilogy, begins in the fictional small town of Deptford, Ontario. That part of the book, the childhood of the main characters, reminded me of another Canadian author, Andre Alexis, and his book Pastoral. I wonder if Alexis drew on Davies in his writing. Each of the three novels in the trilogy focuses on one of these characters, and is told from their point of view. As such, the non-main characters, even if interesting, are relatively superficial (even if still interesting) when it is not “their book”’
But what is the book about? This may sound odd, but I’m not sure. I mean, it’s the story of their lives, their interactions and impacts upon one another, and their changes and growth over the years, but that’s not exactly a plot. Yes, there’s a connection between the beginning and the surprising end of the book, which was fun, but it was not obvious at all that the novel was building to that ending. The book explores ideas like faith, morality, love, family and psychology, and does so through storytelling, character, and a sort-of plot. And despite my inarticulate description – it was wonderful.
Just Because I Liked It:
- I was recently introduced to The Kichels, a hilarious satire about the frum world in Mishpacha magazine. I’m not sure who loves it more – me or my kids!