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Fifth Business

The Deptford Trilogy, Book 1

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About this listen

Hailed by the Washington Post Book World as "a modern classic", Robertson Davies’ acclaimed Deptford Trilogy is a glittering, fantastical, cunningly contrived series of novels, around which a mysterious death is woven.

This first novel in the trilogy introduces Ramsay, a man who returns from World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross but who is destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and myth collide. As we hear Ramsey tell his story, we begin to realize that, from childhood, he has influenced those around him in a perhaps mystical, perhaps pernicious way. Even his seemingly innocent involvement in as innocuous an event as throwing a snowball proves to be neither innocent nor innocuous in the end.

©1970 Robertson Davies (P)2011 Audible, Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"A marvelously enigmatic novel, elegantly written and driven by irresistible narrative forces." ( The New York Times)
"Robertson Davies is one of the great modern novelists." (Malcolm Bradbury, The Sunday Times, London)
"One of the splendid literary enterprises of this decade." ( Newsweek)
All stars
Most relevant
Read the book many years ago and loved it. Actually enhanced by the brilliant narration.

5 stars for 5th Business

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listen to it repeatedly. My favorite book of all the Robertson Davies library collection. Bravo!

excellent!

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