Fifth Business (The Deptford Trilogy #1) [B1533]

2015 PB Penguin reprint of the 1970 original, in nice clean condition. Ramsay is a man twice born, a man who has returned from the hell of the battle-grave at Passchendaele in World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross and destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and myth collide. As Ramsay tells his story, it begins to seem that from boyhood, he has exerted a perhaps mystical, perhaps pernicious, influence on those around him. His apparently innocent involvement in such innocuous events as the throwing of a snowball or the teaching of card tricks to a small boy in the end prove neither innocent nor innocuous. Fifth Business stands alone as a remarkable story told by a rational man who discovers that the marvelous is only another aspect of the real.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Best book I've read all year and possibly my favorite Canadian novel. Knew absolutely nothing going in and was just so blown away by the prose, wicked smart sense of humor, narrative structure, and multi-layered characters. More than this though, Davies uncovers truths about humanity and wonderment in such a mature and powerful way, all while never getting bogged down in sentimentality or moral pandering. Cannot wait to read more of his work"; "I became aware of Canadian author Robertson Davies through enthusiastic comments by GoodReads friends. Fifth Business sounded like a good starting point. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ramsey. A delightful reading experience of an author who currently appears somewhat unknown (my library has no copy - print or ebook of Fifth Business). Well worth your time reading or rereading."; "I first read Fifth Business in high school because it was assigned reading, and I went into it expecting just another required novel. Instead, I ended up loving it far more than I anticipated. I remember annotating the entire book, filling the margins with thoughts, questions, and reactions because every chapter felt layered and worth digging into. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy literary fiction with psychological depth, strong character arcs, and themes that linger long after the last page."; "Amazing! Everything about this book is deep. The reader could stop and contemplate on any paragraph, and yet is also compelled to carry on with the narrative. Davies' prose is flawless and carries a strong unique voice. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, from Ramsay's childhood in Deptford, to his time as a WWI soldier, to his position as a history teacher, and his friendship with an industrialist. It lead me to pick up the next two in the trilogy immediately."