Product Description

Born in Thamesville, Ontario, a student at Queen’s University in Kingston in the 1930s, and editor and later publisher of the Peterborough Examiner from the 1940s to the mid-1960s, playwright, essayist, critic, professor, and novelist Robertson Davies (1913–1995) was one of Canada’s pre-eminent literary voices for more than a half-century.

Davies, with his generous beard and donnish manner, was the very epitome of the “man of letters,” a term he abhorred. Best known for his Deptford Trilogy of novels (Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders), he also wrote two other trilogies (Salterton and Cornish) and was at work on the third volume of another trilogy (Toronto) when he died. With a life as rich in character and colour as that found in his fiction and essays, Davies had a great fondness for magic and myth, both of which are found in abundance in his work, along with a prodigious streak of wry humour.

Customer Reviews (1)

NVG
Not a very good book on Robertson Davies. It reads as if the author neither likes Davies nor is quite familiar with his work. Disappointing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Entertaining and thoughtful essays on the AlexanderTechnique
The Alexander Technique is well-known for improving posture, breathing and bringing about a general release and freedom of movement. Ordinary introductory books to the Technique explain the general principles, butgeneralities often leave out the individual. The Alexander Techniqueteaches a better use (muscular use, for example) of the self. The Techniqueis applied by the self, the individual, and no other modern book betterbrings out the variety of application possible than Curiosity Recaptured ­Exploring Ways We Think and Move. This beautifully produced bookcontains 14 essays which have been written by experienced teachers of theTechnique. Some of the subjects are dance, acting, playing the flute,childbirth, cycling, overcoming the fear of falling while walking, andmeeting the unexpected. Many well-known teachers have contributed,including Edward Avak, Deborah Caplan, Walter Carrington, Mary Holland, RonMurdock and Alex Murray. The beauty of the essays consists in showingnot only how the Technique is applied by the individual, for theindividual, but also how the Technique has helped people to observe andlearn, discover and rediscover interests, skills, capacities and, aboveall, one¹s self (one¹s true nature in popular jargon). As Robertson Davieswrites in the foreword: It [The Technique] is an enlargement of whateverlife may be yours. As the Technique unlocks tension patterns, it bringsout our sense of wonder and our delight in wondering. This particularcharacteristic of the Technique may be well-known among its practitionersbut is not known generally, and it has certainly not been written about soextensively until now. Curiosity Recaptured allows you to share theauthors¹ experiences of joy in learning and in being curious. Be curiousabout this book. It deserves your curiosity.Jean M. O. Fischer

Lively individual stories of changes
These personal stories are so interesting and varied that the book almost reads as a short story anthology.Everyone's story is different and the changes and experiences quite unique in every chapter.This AlexanderTechnique book is unlike others I've read which describe and explain theTechnique.The reader learns through others' personal histories what onemight encounter in the course of learning more about oneself.

A practical introduction to the Alexander Technique
Curiosity Recaptured is a practical introduction to the Alexander Technique, an educational method that uncovers the ways specific tension patterns cause chronic pain and interfere withour balance and breathing. These tensionpatterns also affect what are thought of as our "mental"faculties: our ability to make a decision andthen follow through on it, our level of confidence in learning somethingnew, and our overall awareness of oursurroundings. When we learn to stop these tension patterns, the resultingchange can be dramatic. The essays chroniclethis process of self-discovery in subjects ranging from dance, acting, andthe pleasures of playing a flute to childbirth,cycling, and overcoming the fear of falling while walking. No matter whatthe activity, these essays demonstrate ourability to change ingrained patterns of movement and thought. A greatersense of freedom and curiosity in the world awaitsthe reader! Curiosity Recaptured is fascinating, insightful,challenging reading!

An excellent introductory book on this educational method
Curiosity Recaptured: Exploring Ways We Think and Move brings the world of the Alexander Technique to life. For anyone interested in becoming more conscious of ways they move and think, the essays in this book, on subjects ranging from dance to chair design, back pain to walking, will help them look at their daily life in a new way. All the essays were written by teachers of the Alexander Technique, and there is a wonderful introductory essay by novelist Robertson Davies, written just a few months before he died. ... Read more

Product Description
A goodhearted priest and scholar, a professor with a passion for the darker side of medieval psychology, a defrocked monk, and a rich young businessman who inherits some troublesome paintings are all helplessly beguiled by the same coed.

Davies weaves together the destinies of this remarkable cast of characters, creating a wise and witty portrait of love, murder, and scholarship at a modern university. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

from the Me And My Big Mouth blog
It has been a while since I read this so this review is long overdue and may be a bit vague but I am on holiday and I don't really care.

The Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies is the first in The Cornish Trilogy. Not, as I had assumed for the several years the books sat on my shelves, anything to do with Cornwall; the title instead relates to Francis Cornish, a rich philanthropist and art collector who conveniently dies at the beginning of the book, thus setting in motion the bleak, dark comedy that is to follow.

His collection is a rambling mess, piled up in a dusty apartment, and the job of sorting through it falls to three of his friends, all professors at The College of St John and the Holy Ghost. They will allocate the works to the various museums and galleries to which they have been donated and can, for their efforts, select one item each to keep themselves.

Which leads to a clandestine and competitive search for a lost Rabelais manuscript supposedly hidden somewhere within the piles.

This background story is embellished with the goings on at the college itself. One of the professors is coping with the aftermath of an illicit encounter on a sofa with a student. And by coping, I mean pretending it never happened. She, on the other hand, is in love with the old duffer and spending every hour she can helping him in his offices.

But then Brother Parlabane turns up. An ex-faculty member now a monk who has gone off the rails, he acts as the catalyst for all manner of goings on. His appearance gives the various story strands a kick up the arse and sends them off in a number of dramatic, comic, rather rude and tragic directions. He appears to be an eloquent yet bumbling eccentric but you sense a cruel heart beneath it all. He reminded me of Bunny in The Secret History, and The Rebel Angels certainly has the same sense of campus community, gossip, secrets, rivalry and slight other-worldliness of Donna Tartt's modern classic.

The book is also populated by a fine supporting cast of characters such as Cornish's nephew - a businessman with seemingly no interest in art at all - and a mad professor squirreled away in his laboratory studying the science of, well shall we say, poo.

The Rebel Angels is both intensely serious and delightfully silly at the same time. I opened the book with zero expectations as I really knew next to nothing about it and ended up sailing through it in a couple of days and relishing every opportunity I had to spend time with it. There are two more books in the trilogy and I will certainly read on. The second in the series, What's Bred in the Bone, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize which I am taking as a good sign.

I have also subsequently picked up some more books by Robertson Davies. He is one of the (few?) giants of Canadian literature and I suspect I will be reading a lot more of his work.

A fascinating work of literature.
Perhaps the defining challenge of most national cultures in the second half of the 20th century (and the 21st) has been to find a place in a global culture increasingly dominated by American cultural products, particularly Hollywood.Literature has had an easier time of this than the visual media, but it is still an issue, particularly in English-speaking nations.The challenge for Canadian literature has been particularly acute, given Canada's proximity to the American cultural juggernaut. Surveying the Canadian literary scene in the second half of the 20th century, one could persuasively argue that Robertson Davies was the greatest presence (Margaret Atwood being probably the other main contender, and certainly the most prominent author now living).Davies' writing career spanned the 1950s to the early 1990s, with his most prominent works being two trilogies of novels ("The Deptford Trilogy" and "The Cornish Trilogy")."The Rebel Angels", first published in 1981, is the first entry in the latter cycle.

If one were to compare Davies to other writers, one of the comparisons that springs to my mind would be a Canadian or English-language Umberto Eco.His novels have the same literacy, meaning, the same way of conveying the breadth of the education and erudition of the author.Davies' novels have this moreso in some respects, since his fiction is set in the present.A university professor by profession, "The Rebel Angels" is particularly pronounced in this regard, as it is set in the history department of a Canadian university (allegorical to the University of Toronto's Massey College, where Davies finished out his career).The plot, like Eco's, revolves around complicated academic issues, in this case not even dressed up as a mystery plot (as Eco's "The Name of the Rose" was).This is quite interesting to read, though part of me thinks that this wouldn't be nearly as interesting (perhaps even dreadfully boring) to anyone who hadn't attended a university (particularly graduate programs).Nonetheless, the novel has proved very popular, so perhaps this is not the case.

Unlike Davies' past works (particularly his famous "Deptford" books), this book includes a female narrator (one of two).The novel is split between the perspectives of one Maria Magdalena Theodotky (her chapters being titled "Second Paradise") and Rev. Simon Darcourt ("The New Aubrey"), the former a graduate student and research assistant, the latter a professor of theology.The plot, such as it is, has two separate catalysts: the death of one Francis Cornish, an art collector, who bequeaths to Darcourt and two others the task of handling his collection's dispersal; and the return to the college of Dr. John Parlabane, a truly strange former professor and eccentric, who has recently abandoned an attempt at monastic life.Maria is in love with her professor, Dr. Hollier, while virtually every male character at some point considers her desirability.It's rather too complicated to explain in a summary, but sufficed to say that Davies offers up his usual meditations on a wide variety of topics.You feel smarter after having read a book like this (and, unlike Eco, Davies never leaves untranslated foreign languages to niggle at your mind).Davies was something of a Renaissance man: actor, novelist, scholar.

If there was one really notable criticism, it would be that Davies' writing style has a certain limitedness to character voice.Everybody sounds rather alike.Maria, for example, is a 23-year-old Roma/Polish-Canadian woman, but she sounds more like an erudite 60something English-Canadian novelist (that is, Davies himself) trying to give voice to the thoughts of a 23-year-old Roma/Polish-Canadian woman.Nevertheless, it's a very articulate and readable novelist voice.

Recommended.

Makes you want to read the rest of the trilogy
This is a very literate book, full of a great deal of philosophy and academic intellectualism. It is also witty and well written and tells a fascinating story through the voices of two narrators: Maria Magdalena Theotoky, a graduate student, and Simon Darcourt, a university professor and Anglican priest.

Darcourt and two other professors--Clem Hollier and Urquhart McVarish-- are given the task of sorting out the collection of the recently-deceased Francis Cornish, a great collector of valuable art, books, and manuscripts.

Hollier knows that among the manuscripts is one by Rabelais that he wants very badly to get his hands on, to work on with his student Maria. The manuscript, however, is not among the collections. Hollier suspects that McVarish has it, but he denies it.

Hollier becomes obsessed with getting the manuscript, and even tries to enlist the aid of Maria's gypsy mother to put a curse on McVarish.

Meanwhile, John Parlabane, an old friend of Hollier and Darcourt, turns up on the doorstep, having run away from the monastery he had joined after decades of debauched living. He proceeds to sponge off the two men, as well as Maria, "borrowing" money from all of them, but never seeming to improve his lot in life. He sets out to write a great novel, and when it fails to interest publishers, he comes up with a fiendish way to get the book published, as well as to help Hollier and Maria.

It's definitely intriguing and makes one eager to read the next two books in this trilogy.

Very amusing and thoughtful.
I had to give this wonderful book 5 stars even though there are some flaws in the plot that are especially evident toward the end of the novel. HOwever, it is a delightful read, full of history, and philosophy, and base instincts wrapped up as academic intellectual whimsey.

The beautiful, brilliant and wealthy Maria Theotoky is a Ph.D. graduate student who becomes involved in an interesting academic power struggle for both her affections and for a discovered manuscript from the Middle Ages. He major professor, Clem Hollier; another professor who narrates much of the book, the Reverend, Simon Darcourt; a renegade gay dope-addict monk, Brother Parlabane; and a bright young billionaire, Francis Cornish, all compete for her mind, her attention, her love and finally, her hand in marriage.

Clever, witty, intelligent, absurd, and insightful are the odd mix that describes this book. It is Jungian in it symbolism but also very knowing of university politics and ambitions. It is amusing and thoughtful, entertaining and stimulating. It is a winner.

Serendipity.
I was at my favorite second hand bookstore, and picked The Rebel Angels up on a whim. I had been looking for something that I could not find. I honestly no longer remember what I was originally looking for-- nor do I know what possessed me to pick this little Davies novel from the shelf. I can only tell you that I am glad that I did.

The Rebel Angels is everything I like in a novel. Academics, art, philosophy, history and romance-- all tied up in a witty and well-written package. I would call it a cozy for intellectuals, but that would be unfair and making it sound a little bit more trivial than it is. Still, there is something to the description. It made me feel good to read it. It manages to convey experience without ever falling prey to cynicism. This is no mean feat.

When Parlabane comes back, Maria Theotoky is not quite sure what it is going to mean for her and her desired romance with her professor/advisor Clem Hollier. She only knows that once she meets him, she does not like him, and she does not trust the influence that he will have on her future.

The Rebel Angels is told by turns from the point of view of Maria and Reverend Simon Darcourt. Although the shifting voices took some getting used to, the device worked well and by the end of the book I found nothing jarring about the transitions.

Highly recommended, particularly if academic fiction is one of your interests. ... Read more

Product Description
A posthumous treasury of brilliant essays that shines with Davies's unmistakable wit, erudition, and magic.

One of Canada's--and the world's--most beloved authors, Robertson Davies was also a devoted fan of opera and the theater. In this follow-up to his first posthumous collection, A Merry Heart, Davies ruminates on these lifelong passions, offering a diverse sampling of personal reflections on everything from the ancient Greeks to Lewis Carroll, Scottish folklore to Laurence Olivier, the sins of Verdi to the virtues of melodrama. The combined effect of these thirty-three essays, lectures, plays, and librettos-- edited by his widow and daughter--is true alchemy, as "readers . . . come away with a renewed appreciation of the ease with which Davies routinely transformed his sometimes erudite passions into delightful entertainments" (The New York Times Book Review).

The book in thoroughly entertaining fashion acquaints us with Davies' expansive erudition and gift for rendering literary and historical complexities in simple, human terms." --The New York Times

"Lovingly collected. . . . A welcome addition to a corpus like no other in contemporary literature." --Kirkus ReviewsAmazon.com Review
The following passage reveals Robertson Davies's great love ofthe theater, and it shows that these collected pieces, numbering 33,transcend mere criticism: "For as long as I can remember,playgoing has stood first among all pleasures with me, and although tomost people it is simply a pastime, I think that I have broughtqualities to it which raised it above that.... I sincerely believethat I have been a good playgoer, and that is something better,perhaps, than having been a well-known critic."

One's admiration for this literary master doubles when rememberingthat drama was Davies's academic field, and it constituted one of histhree successful careers (he acted with the Old Vic in England). By1962, Davies had begun to craft his playgoing notes into theTheatre Diary--snippets of which appear in this posthumouslypublished collection. Each of these 33 pieces, introduced by theauthor and followed by a diary entry or two, demonstrates Davies'senormous and diverse erudition. Included are speeches, prologues toplays, articles about the theatre and opera, a discussion of folksong,a children's opera, a story set to music, and a preliminary sketch ofa film script. Several personal essays shed light on his own ambitionsas a playwright.

Many of these pieces were lectures, and they enjoy the immediacy andcadence of the spoken word. A spacious tone ensues; that is, complexideas are delivered clearly, because they are intended for a listeningaudience. Surprisingly, this enhances the pleasure of readingthem. Happy Alchemy may not appeal to the reader whose interestin theater and opera is only occasional but certainly will to anyardent Robertson Davies fan who delights in the turnings of a learnedand sophisticated mind. --Hollis Giammatteo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting for a Davies' fan
Although I'm not a big theatre fan, I do enjoy reading Robertson Davies.He is one of two writers whose work I will read even when the subject is not up my alley; so when C.S. Lewis writes about Medieval English Literature or Robertson Davies writes about the theatre, I still read them.It brings me great pleasure to experience their writers' craftsmanship and I know I will learn something.(I also know I'm going to enjoy their humor.)Happy Alchemy's subtitle reads, "On the Pleasures of Music and the Theatre", and this work present 33 Davies pieces, including "Lewis Carroll in the Theatre", "Opera for the Man Who Reads Hamlet", "Dickens and Music", "How I Write a Book", and the humorously self-depreciating "My Musical Career."Happy Alchemy shares many fine insights about humanity while also providing many historical and literary lessons for the reader.To read Davies (or Lewis) is to expand one's view of the world.

Great book by a great author.
This is a delightful collection of Davies's thoughts on the theater in all its myriad forms, including opera, melodrama, tragedy, and comedy. Davies has a perfect mix of wit, erudition, and curmudgeonly attitude, and in addition to being a terrific writer, he is an ardent devotee of the stage.

This comes forth in all the pieces, and is further emphasized by excerpts from his "Theater Diary," provided by the editors, his wife and daughter. While some of the pieces are there just for amusement (e.g., a libretto Davies wrote for a children's opera), others are very thought-provoking (such as his "Opera and Humour" talk), and still others are a melding of the two extremese (for instance, his talk on "Lewis Carroll and the Theater").

Some of the pieces repeat themselves, as they are based on talks he gave and pieces he wrote throughout his life, and obviously certain comments which are redundant to the reader would no doubt have been fresh to the audience.

All in all, I recommend this book very highly, for anyone with an interest in theater, or a love of Davies. I would have liked more of his thoughts about theater and less of things like his libretto (though I did find that amusing), as it felt more like that was included to meet some page count demanded by the publisher. However, this may not have been possible given the material at hand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Psychology revealed in melodrama
This book comprises the three Alexander lectures that Robertson Davies gave at the University of Toronto in 1982.He explores the evolution of nineteenth-century English-speaking society's view of itself, as reflectedin the popular theatre of the time.While these lectures are not ascholarly history of melodrama, synopses and descriptions of some of themost popular nineteenth-century plays in English provide much of hismaterial.So if your literature and theatre courses were like the ones Itook, where English drama disappeared between the Restoration comedies andGeorge Bernard Shaw, this book will begin to fill in the blank.

Daviesis the first to admit that these plays are not great literature. He drawsupon his practical experience in the theatre, his sense of the Romanticmovement, and his appreciation for the psychological insights of Freud andJung, to show how these plays gave nineteenth-century audiences a mirrorthat was "true to life as they [knew] it".The first lecturegives a general overview of melodrama as "oblivion's balm".Inthe second lecture, Davies uses archetypal concepts to interpret thelimitations imposed upon female characters in melodrama.The final lecturedeals with characters who have guilty secrets, a characteristic that Daviesbelieves many of the audience members must have shared.Since part ofDavies' theme is the evolution of the Nature that the theatre wasreflecting, the close of this lecture discusses the genius of Ibsen indealing with characters' secrets in a much more complex and illuminatingway than in the melodrama that preceded it.

I found the book quiteinteresting, because I admire Davies' ability to draw upon eclectic sourcesto illuminate human Nature, both in his novels and in his nonfiction. While I do not expect to energetically pursue the study of Victorianmelodrama after this, I now have a much greater sense of why it mattered. For those readers who would like to learn more about the subject, the bookincludes some illustrations and a bibliographical note pointing toscholarship on the nineteenth-century theatre, as well as some collectionsof memoirs and anecdotes "of varying dependability." ... Read more

Product Description
No other Canadian novelist is lauded and read as widely outside his homeland as Robertson Davies. His characters fascinate, and his gentle, graceful style makes no demands on the reader. His civilized prose should read well aloud-indeed, Davidson helps one hear its strengths. He provides an intelligent, expressive, well-paced rendering of the narrative about a Canadian university professor, as well as vivid impersonations of the characters. However, he has trouble with the "authorial voice." In his mouth, the narrative has a sarcastic, even cynical, edge, whereas Davies's words, though not without humor and irony, are far more empathetic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Modern classic
Robertson Davies's "Tempest Tost," first volume of the Salterton trilogy, opens in a deceptively quaint Canadian city, with two cathedrals (one Catholic, one Anglican) and one university. Still waters run deep, and quaint towns run weird. While it's not Davies' best work, it's still entertaining and quite amusing.

An amateur production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is being put on in Salterton, under the guidance of Ms. Valentine, and a seemingly random assortment of people arrive to audition. The usual problems -- revealing "arty" costumes, warring auditions, simmering rivalries, and some rare old books -- crop up, with a few extras in the bargain.

Hector Mackilwraith, a prissy, aging teacher, joins because of his crush on the beautiful heiress Griselda Webster. But Griselda is flirting with womanizing soldier Roger, who's romancing her to gain a sense of class, and is worshiped by the colorless Pearl. The relationships and mistakes they make come to a climax as the "Tempest" begins to storm...

Anyone who's watched "Midwinter's Tale" knows that putting on a play is never a picnic, and it's even worse when there's internal tension and weird actors. There's a sense of the fantastical around "Tempest Tost," even though nothing really fantasy-like happens. His tone is less barbed than traditional satire, but no less amusing or insightful. His style is a good combination of the more formal styles of the early twentieth-century and the more streamlined style of more recent times.

Where the book excels is character development. The plot really has no beginning or end; it just stops after awhile. The characters just border on parody, with fussy teachers, effusive "bad girls," gypsy philosophers, slick serial womanizers, precocious teens, pompous professors, and more. Humphrey Cobbler, who is a sort of gypsy philosopher, is the most vivid and engaging guy in here.

The characters are very multifaceted, like real people. Roger is an expert portrait of a human Ken doll who feels no need to be anything else; Griselda and Freddy are the slightly fickle but kindly daughters of an eccentric; the Torso seems like she'll be a pain at first, but is revealed to be a diamond in the rough. Hector, with his stalkerlike obsession with Griselda and odd brand of sexism (he considers a girl who has been kissed to be no better than a hooker) just gave me the creeps.

"Tempest Tost" was Davies' first book, but while it hasn't got the polish his later works have, it's still a solid and smooth read. Highly recommended as a modern classic.

A sheer delight
A brilliant, brutally honest, yet affectionate satire of the excentricities and insecurities present in old small-town Victorian-remnant Canadian Anglo-saxon culture...those of you among this set: you know who you are!Required reading for an Ontarian or a Maritimer born in the early 1940s, or for anyone who has ever known, loved, or worked closely with one.The story revolves around characters putting on an amateur production of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," and although I found the ending slightly anti-climactic, I really haven't laughed so hard in years!

An Astounding Feat
Far from fluffy.Tilting at "The Tempest" as Davies does in this early novel is brave, or foolhardy, beyond measure. Extremely acute human beings are only occasionally profoundly generous.Do NOT forego the pleasure, even if you imagine you might balk at play within play.Davies came to novels by way of his love for theatre. Everything begins here, most remarkably his unique ability to write charming lively characters of both sexes, all ages, many orientations.In "Tempest-Tost", five or six rise to the level of presiding spirits.Plus the gnarled final effort of Shakespeare is tweaked/tickled/refreshed to a very nice renewal.Grand.Sharp without ever descending to mean.You can't meet Valentine Rich or the sisters Freddy & [Im]Patient Griselda (Gristle to Freddy) anywhere else.First in the Salterton.Read it.

Deep PG Wodehouse
An early novel (actually the first). Light touch with Davies's brand of situational and character-based humor. Comes off like deep PG Wodehouse,which is certainly no insult. I wish a few of the characters had beenreturned in following books - I like the precocious daughter especially,and her foil and co-hort, the grumpy gardener.

Yes, he was younger then.
I agree with the above reviews.This delightful book was written by a green Davies -- not yet in his prime.The thing for you prospective readers is to do as my Canadian literary guru had me do.Start with thisbook, this trilogy and read chronologically.Then you get the doublepleasure of reading good literature and admiring the author's development. As for wanting to read more Davies after this -- it's a given. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Simple yet informative.
I purchased this to assist with a spanish class.The instructor told us to put post it notes all over the house with the spanish word for everything.If we said the English translation to say the Spanish.It was very helpful and the book is awesome!Simple enough for beginner adults and children. ... Read more

Product Description
“Do you know the characteristic wine of Madeira?…I do not know whether Leacock ever drank Madeira himself – he was very much a Scotch-whisky man – but I enjoy Madeira greatly, and I never drink it without thinking of Leacock, who was sometimes dry, sometimes sweet, but who always leaves upon the tongue a hint of brimstone…”

In his witty and illuminating introduction, which takes up the first third of the book, Robertson Davies invites us to join him in a Feast of Stephen. Davies’ selection of fifteen pieces from Leacock’s less familiar works presents the humorist as a true, broad, and sympathetic interpreter of Canadian life, as a man who may have lacked self-knowledge and sensitive insight into the feelings of others, but “whose best work was the outpouring of genius.” All shades of Leacock’s writing are represented here, from the “brilliant nonsense which made some critics liken him to Lewis Carroll,” to his occasional attacks of “aggressive Lowbrowism.” Together in all their diversity, Davies’ selections pay tribute to the gifts of exuberance, originality, and slightly malicious truth with which Leacock so entertainingly extends our vision. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Leaving Me Hungry for More!
Stephen Leacock is one of my favorite humorists - perhaps somewhat obscure these days, but as sharp and as witty as ever. Think of him as a precursor to Garison Keillor and you can't go too far wrong. This book is slender, too slender for my tastes, and I do not regard it as a feast, more like a selection of hors d'oeuvres. The introduction by Robertson Davies is not, as one might expect, a fawning admiration of Leacock, but serves him up, warts and all, on a platter. Positive but with qualifications.

The selections are very good, though I can think of some pieces I would have preferred, it must have been a very difficult task to limit the Leacock to just these fifteen. And they are gems, each one. I thought I might quote a little here and there, but found myself unable to stop - all the review would be selections from the selections. Do yourself a favour and buy a copy if you like Leacock. Davies' introduction is worth the price alone, and the selections are a bonus, and you may then read all of the pieces I would have included in their entirety.

If you don't know of Stephen Leacock, run, do not walk, to the 1-click button and give it a click. You'll be glad you did!

Leaving Me Hungry for More!
Stephen Leacock is one of my favorite humorists - perhaps somewhat obscure these days, but as sharp and as witty as ever. Think of him as a precursor to Garison Keillor and you can't go too far wrong. This book is slender, too slender for my tastes, and I do not regard it as a feast, more like a selection of hors d'oeuvres. The introduction by Robertson Davies is not, as one might expect, a fawning admiration of Leacock, but serves him up, warts and all, on a platter. Positive but with qualifications.

The selections are very good, though I can think of some pieces I would have preferred, it must have been a very difficult task to limit the Leacock to just these fifteen. And they are gems, each one. I thought I might quote a little here and there, but found myself unable to stop - all the review would be selections from the selections. Do yourself a favour and buy a copy if you like Leacock. Davies' introduction is worth the price alone, and the selections are a bonus, and you may then read all of the pieces I would have included in their entirety.

If you don't know of Stephen Leacock, run, do not walk, to the 1-click button and give it a click. You'll be glad you did! ... Read more