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Fifth Business (Trilogie de Deptford #1)

by Robertson Davies, Gail Godwin (Introduction)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 6,467 ratings · 416 reviews

The first novel in Davies's celebrated "Deptford Trilogy" introduces Ramsay, a man who returns from World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross who is destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and myth collide.

Paperback, 272 pages

Published January 1st 2001 by Penguin Classics (first published 1970)

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Apr 10, 2013 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, favorites

4.5 stars

Robertson Davies is one of my literary heroes. At a time in my youth when I had been engulfed with ‘Canadian Literature’ that was, in my humble opinion at the time at least, depressing, uninteresting, and decidedly parochial, here was a man who wrote stories with verve, humour, erudition and a view to the wider world. _Fifth Business_ is the first book of Davies’ Deptford trilogy, a series of books that centre around people from the fictional small town of Deptford, Ontario. Sounds paro...more 4.5 stars

Robertson Davies is one of my literary heroes. At a time in my youth when I had been engulfed with ‘Canadian Literature’ that was, in my humble opinion at the time at least, depressing, uninteresting, and decidedly parochial, here was a man who wrote stories with verve, humour, erudition and a view to the wider world. _Fifth Business_ is the first book of Davies’ Deptford trilogy, a series of books that centre around people from the fictional small town of Deptford, Ontario. Sounds parochial already, doesn’t it? But wait, there’s more. The main character, and narrator, of this tale is Dunstan Ramsay, a man who seems to have been destined to exist on the periphery of the life he is now looking back on. Sharp-tongued and intelligent, Ramsay has let himself fall into the role of school-teacher at an all-boy’s private school, unencumbered not only by a wife and children, but also by any truly close friends. The closest he has is Percy Boyd “Boy” Staunton, the golden boy of Deptford and frenemy of his youth. Boy is everything Ramsay is not: outgoing, active, popular and rich. Boy soon makes his mark in the wider world, parlaying the small fortune of his grasping father into the foundations of a business empire that certainly does nothing to lessen Boy’s innate pride and narcissism. Aside from their origins in a small Ontario town as part of the same generation, the two boys share something else, a link to the tragedy that occurred in the life of Mrs. Mary Dempster. On a fateful winter day, when Boy’s pride is goaded on by the shrewd antagonism of Ramsay, the then-pregnant Mrs. Dempster becomes the victim of a snowball hurled by Boy and meant for Ramsay which had a stone at its heart. This blow not only precipitates the early delivery of her son Paul, but also leads to a loss of cognitive functions that makes her, in the words of the people of Deptford, “simple”.

Forever keeping the facts secret, Ramsay is wracked by guilt over this event for the rest of his life (despite the fact that his was certainly more a sin of omission when compared to Boy’s culpability). It in fact becomes the shaping catalyst for his life and in large part determines the man he is to become. Ramsay takes upon himself the care of Mrs. Dempster (officially at the urging of his mother, who helped to deliver the woman’s son, but ultimately at the prodding of his own conscience) and she becomes for him a figure of signal importance. For Ramsay is convinced that there is something special about Mary Dempster, in fact he is certain that she is a saint. This is not only the result of his guilt, but due to the fact that Ramsay is certain that he has personally witnessed three miracles performed by her (one the resurrection of his apparently dead older brother). Ramsay becomes obsessed with saints and saintliness and his life’s work, his true passion, the study of these enigmatic figures in human history. He is not a particularly religious man, but he is not incredulous of the validity of religious experience either. This is where Davies is able to bring in one of his own favourite obsessions: Jungian archetypes and the mythical significance of history. The lens through which Ramsay sees the world is coloured by this interpretation and it is a fascinating one that informs all of Davies’ other books.

Dunstan Ramsay is an excellent narrator and his voice is pitch-perfect. He seems to contain the perfect balance of incisive observation with a somewhat deprecating self-awareness…though of course we probably shouldn’t take everything he says as gospel. Through Ramsay’s eyes we view the petty concerns and grotesqueries of small town life, things that, while petty (or perhaps *because* they are petty), are more than powerful enough to destroy a human life; we share in some of the horrors of the First World War as well as the ennobling elements of life that can overcome such things; and we witness the ways in which, sometimes unbeknownst to us, our lives are intertwined with those of everyone we meet, no matter how disconnected and solitary we think we are.

_Fifth Business_ isn’t my favourite book by Davies, but it’s a very good one and is an excellent introduction to the kind of writing you’ll experience if you choose to try him out. Not only was Davies a learned man, able to convey his learning in his books without sounding like a school-teacher or a man with a mission to convert (even though he was, perhaps, both things), but he was also a very accomplished writer:

I know flattery when I hear it; but I do not often hear it. Furthermore, there is good flattery and bad; this was from the best cask. And what sort of woman was this who knew so odd a word as “hagiographer” in a language not her own? Nobody who was not a Bollandist had ever called me that before, yet it was a title I would not have exchanged to be called Lord of the Isles. Delightful prose! I must know more of this.

Delightful prose indeed. Davies’ novels seem to flow effortlessly, partly due to the charming and fluid voice he attains in them, and partly, I think, through his clever weaving of myth and symbol throughout what is, on the surface, a rather mundane plot. Ramsay’s life, especially in his eventually acknowledged role of “Fifth Business”, is not one that is full of monumental events or unexpected novelty, but it is a human life and one which Davies puts into the greater context not only of the lives that all of us lead, but of the mythic symbols and higher meanings that we look to in order to find greater significance in what we do and who we are.

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Dec 28, 2008 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, classics, four-star-fiction, canada

This story is somewhat bizarre, and yet somehow oddly compelling. I kept telling myself I'd read just a little more, little more.......

The surface story is the autobiography of the narrator, "Dunny" Ramsay. He gets offended by a retirement piece written about him that makes him appear as a dim and dull old boarding school teacher who never had anything interesting happen to him. He writes his own story to set the record straight and tells about his upbringing, service in World War I, world trave...more

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Jul 03, 2007 Eleanor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who want an arts education without the expense

Shelves: canadiana

Robertson Davies is one of the most well-read writers I've ever read. His knowledge of the classic canon of English lit is unreal. (Having spent a stint at the Old Vic Theatre in London and a while as a journalist, editor of Saturday Night magazine, Master of Massey College at U of T, etc. I'm sure didn't hurt.) So, part of the thrill of reading his books is picking up little tidbits of knowledge that he absorbed along the way. For example, in the Psalms somewhere there is a line about how "I am...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Akshita rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I honestly didn't understand this book.....and neither did my classmates. Although this book may have many archatypes....I think a different bookight have been better as this book didn't seem to grasp anyone's attention in our class. I feel this book can be better understood by people who are more mature and should be read when you are older....not grade 11....because you cannot relate to the characters or anything the book is talking about at that age.......!!!

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Feb 27, 2009 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Because I loved, loved this book, I feel I must steal some precious seconds to write about it, before my memory of fades too much. Not that it could ever escape completely, because (as I said) I loved this book. I didn't know much about Davies, only that he was a famous Canadian author, and I bought this book used thinking that I should be exploring my Canadian heritage.* And I was totally wowed by the book. It is the story of Dunston Ramsey, or rather, a story told by Dunston Ramsey. Dunston co...more Because I loved, loved this book, I feel I must steal some precious seconds to write about it, before my memory of fades too much. Not that it could ever escape completely, because (as I said) I loved this book. I didn't know much about Davies, only that he was a famous Canadian author, and I bought this book used thinking that I should be exploring my Canadian heritage.* And I was totally wowed by the book. It is the story of Dunston Ramsey, or rather, a story told by Dunston Ramsey. Dunston comes to realize over the course of the novel that he has lived his life as a Fifth Business - a term, which derives from the opera, meaning to a supporting character , who, while he has no opposite of the other sex (being neither the hero nor heroine, villain nor rival), and is essential to the plot, for he often knows the secret of the hero's birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when all seems lost, or may even be the cause of someone's death. This is the role Dunston plays in his life, and the role he plays in the novel. For while Dunston is a compelling narrator, and a kind, honest and self-knowing man, his part in the story (and, perhaps, in life) is to tie together two disparate men, both of whom, like Dunston, got their start in the small town of Deptford, Ontario. One man is Percy "Boyd" Staunton, who becomes a famous business man - an almost Gatsby-esque type. The other is Paul Dempster, who runs away from home, joins the circus, and reappears as a famous magician. The two are linked through Paul's mother, a tragic figure whose life has taken on an almost religious significance for Dunston.

I don't even know if I can explain why I loved this book so much. It was a well-told story about compelling characters, and was well crafted, too (both in the way the plot worked and in the writing). Most of all, I loved it because it was one of those books that you start reading, and you just sink into it's world. I felt like I knew Deptford, and Dunston, and all the peripheral characters, too. I was so interested in the people in the book, that the plot sort of caught me by surprise at the end - as did the fact that the end was near - a real change from, say Fahrenheit 451, where I was counting down the pages. It was like reading a comfort read - but for the very first time.** And best of all, Fifth Business is the first book in a trilogy! I hope that I like the other two as much as this one. And I secretly hope to learn (as the last few sentences sort of hinted at) that at the end of his life Dunston managed to become the hero of his own story.

*Tangent time -- The whole Canada thing is sort of weird for me, in the following sense. Canada, like America, is a nation of immigrants unless you happen to be a Native American (er, Canadian)/First People/American (Canadian) Indian. My dad, and his ancestors going back are/were Canadian. In fact, I once participated in a smug little presentation about stereotypes in a college class about immigration (in the geography department) with a whole "guess which one of us is a first generation American" bit. And I think that some of my experiences are colored by that - the way I think about World War One, was, for sure, shaped by the fact that my great-grandfather was a veteran. I certainly have a fondness in my heart for the Canadian anthem, poutine and other things Canadian. However, being Canadian isn't really a heritage, like being Irish or Italian or what have you, right? I mean, I am as American as apple pie, deep down. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday - majored in American history - would never, ever leave the country no matter how much I hated the administration and it's politics. And I can't say that my the fact that my dad was born in Quebec rather than Massachusetts has shaped me too deeply. I mean I didn't say that my experiences were coloured or anything. Hmmm. I will have to ponder on that more, probably someplace other than a poor little book blog entry on Robertson Davies.

** Not to suggest that the book is simple, or not of literary merit. It's just that there are some books that when I read them are so comforting and easy and engrossing, and this book was like that.

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Dec 15, 2012 Ali Green rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can not stand this book and don't understand why people seem to rave about it.
I like the concept- that a character's life is not special, in itself, but how that character influences other character's lives gives the first character meaning, a bit like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet- but the book itself is just... Words on paper. I did not care at all about any of the characters. I found the main character to be boring, flat, uninteresting, and whinny. As the book is told in first pers...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Shauna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In opera, the Soprano is the diva, the Tenor the hero, the Bass is the villain, and the Alto support, but the Baritone is the "fifth business," the one who has no counterpart but is still necessary to move the story along. Supposedly the narrator of our book, Dunstable Ramsay, is the fifth business, and it makes for a curious tale, when the hero of the story does not see himself as a hero. Ramsay carries around a lot of guilt and responsibility, but always because he sees himself as the supporti...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Leonore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is exquisitely written in some of the best prose I have ever read. The book came together in part II and became much more compelling. The book starts in a small town in Canada, where several lives intersect and the book follows them over their lives until they all meet again in some form. The protagonist at about age 10 is having a disagreement with his disagreeable, spoiled rich playmate, and the latter throws a snowball with a stone inside at the protagonist. The protagonist ducks, an...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Tyler Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian-literature

The first (and best) novel in the famed Deptford Trilogy is as rare and wonderful as anything in literature. There are very few novels that manage to be so erudite (the number of classical and mythological references is mind boggling) and tightly-plotted. In fact the story unfolds at such a break-neck pace that Tom Clancy ought to read it to get some pointers on building suspense. And John Irving ought to give one dollar for every book he's ever sold to the estate of Robertson Davies...but that'...more The first (and best) novel in the famed Deptford Trilogy is as rare and wonderful as anything in literature. There are very few novels that manage to be so erudite (the number of classical and mythological references is mind boggling) and tightly-plotted. In fact the story unfolds at such a break-neck pace that Tom Clancy ought to read it to get some pointers on building suspense. And John Irving ought to give one dollar for every book he's ever sold to the estate of Robertson Davies...but that's another story.

In the winter of 1908, in the small Ontario town of Deptford, a spiteful boy throws a snowball with a rock in it at another boy. This impulsive act turns out to have life-altering consequences for both boys, as well as for a third boy who is still in the womb at the time of the incident. The intended target of the snowball, Dunstan Ramsay, is racked with guilt when a pregnant young lady, Mary Dempster, receives the blow meant for him. The injury induces a premature birth and forever alters the sensibilities of Mary Dempster. Out of a sense of partial responsibility Ramsey takes a personal interest in Paul, Mary's sickly small baby, and acts as a guardian and friend to the child as it grows. Later in his life, consumed by intellectual and spiritual pursuits, Ramsay settles in to the quiet life of a teacher in a boarding school.

The thrower of the snowball, the pampered Percy "Boy" Staunton, never shows any sign of remorse. Son of the town's elite, Staunton is sent to the best schools and soon becomes a wealthy captain of industry. A man of nearly limitless ambition, Staunton begins to pull strings in order to add respectability to his wealth.

Paul, son of the stricken Mary Dempster, is too fragile to participate in the normal rambunctious activities of boyhood, but at an early age he discovers he has an uncanny talent for magic tricks. While still a boy Paul runs away from Deptford and after many years it seems that the lives of the three men have gone off in three completely different directions. But fate draws them together again and there is a final accounting for that night decades earlier in Deptford.

That journey of the book takes the reader across continents, delving into spirituality, vengeance, magic and love along the way. It is a simply remarkable book that invites (and stands up to) many re-readings.
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Jan 08, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"You are still young enough to think that torment of the spirit is a splendid thing, a sign of a superior nature. But you are no longer a young man; you are a youngish middle-aged man, and it is time you found out that these spiritual athletics do not lead to wisdom."

I think the reason this book struck me is because it fleshes out something I've been pondering. Which is the small and mean ways in which we sometimes act; that we can't really excuse or explain. And the mental and spiritual contort...more

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May 29, 2010 Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meet Dunny, the "Fifth Business" in his own life story. Because of an accident (during the war) his left leg was damaged and now he limps.

A short definition of "Fifth Business" is given just before the table of contents of the book, but I like the one given by one character on page 227 thereof--

"'You do not know what that (Fifth Business) is? Well, in opera in a permanent company of the kind we keep up in Europe you must have a prima donna--always a soprano, always the heroine, often a fool; and...more Meet Dunny, the "Fifth Business" in his own life story. Because of an accident (during the war) his left leg was damaged and now he limps.

A short definition of "Fifth Business" is given just before the table of contents of the book, but I like the one given by one character on page 227 thereof--

"'You do not know what that (Fifth Business) is? Well, in opera in a permanent company of the kind we keep up in Europe you must have a prima donna--always a soprano, always the heroine, often a fool; and a tenor who always plays the lover to her; and then you must have a contralto, who is a rival to the soprano, or a sorceress or something; and a basso, who is the villain or the rival or whatever threatens the tenor.

"'So far, so good. But you cannot make a plot work without another man, and he is usually a baritone, and he is called in the profession Fifth Business, because he is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex. And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero's birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody's death if that is part of the plot. The prima donna and the tenor, the contralto and the basso, get all the best music and do all the spectacular things, but you cannot manage the plot without Fifth Business!"

Indeed, Dunny was the "Fifth Business" here. He was the holder of secrets and who brought about the denouement. The ending was unexpected and a surprise. Reading the book brought so much delight.

Aside from fun, however, what can one get from this book? A realization that one should go easy on judging people, for it often is that what seems to be is the exact opposite of what a person really is.

Dunny, for instance. He was acclaimed as a war hero for singlehandedly neutralizing a deadly German machinegun nest during the war. What really happened, however, was that he was fleeing at that time, not really knowing where to go, lost in the din of battle, when he accidentally staggered into those Germans. He had no choice then but to shoot them, otherwise THEY'LL shoot him. The perception, however, was that he bravely charged into that machinegun nest by his lonesome.

Another was Mrs. Dempster, the local parson's wife. She was reported missing so the village people conducted a search at the local gravel pit. There, they saw a tramp (vagabond) having sex with Mrs. Dempster. Thanks to the imagination and brilliance of the author, this seemingly unambiguous sin would later be transformed into a saintly act of charity on Mrs. Dempster's part and would effect a profound religious transformation on the tramp's (who'd later become a preacher himself).(less)

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Apr 15, 2010 Timothy Dean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robertson Davies, Professor and man of letters: I enjoyed this book thoroughly, both when I read it several decades ago, and last year. His characters and storytelling are elegant and unforgettable. "Fifth Business" is a theater term that means, on stage, a character whose function is to bring about the key action. Dustan Ramsey, the fictional teller of the story, is "fifth business." He knows all about a stone in a snowball that hits a woman (who may be a saint) and causes her to lose her mind....more

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Mar 10, 2010 Jerry added it · review of another edition

My lifelong involvement with the Fifth Business began at 5:58 o’clock pm on 1 March 2010. I still remember the strong feelings and expressions on my face as I eagerly scanned your letter, and I must say Mr Dunstan, your letter was beyond crafty and colourful – it was ingenious. It revealed the truths, the lies, and those burning thoughts you held within your mind for all these years. You took me through a truly marvellous journey.
You had me confused at first when you talked about the Mrs Dempst...more My lifelong involvement with the Fifth Business began at 5:58 o’clock pm on 1 March 2010. I still remember the strong feelings and expressions on my face as I eagerly scanned your letter, and I must say Mr Dunstan, your letter was beyond crafty and colourful – it was ingenious. It revealed the truths, the lies, and those burning thoughts you held within your mind for all these years. You took me through a truly marvellous journey.
You had me confused at first when you talked about the Mrs Dempster incident that scarred the life of yourself as well as others. You were erratic in the letter, jumping from different events and times in your life, providing small pieces that were important but would not tell the entire story. Perhaps the most skilfully thing was your ability to arouse my interest in your life as the burning question arose, what is considered “lifelong involvement with Mrs Dempster” and why is this event so crucial in the first place? The design of the entire letter was flawless; with the first few enticing pages you provided the background of a pivotal event along with the hidden meaning of the “fifth business”. Following up with our recent farewell dinner – which I remember so dearly and I must say, you were a great teacher – and finally to the story of your entire life starting from the very beginning. And it is this emotional hook, as I travelled though your life in your eyes, in your thoughts, and in your memories, that allowed me to understand you, the great history teacher, as though our lives have entwined.
The events, thoughts, and choices throughout your life gave you the role as the “fifth business” and I feel compassion and empathy for you. If you were not sledding with Percy, if you had not ducked from the snowball, and it had not hit Mrs Dempster, your life as well as the life of many others would have a completely different fate. Mrs Dempster would not be “simple”, Paul Dempster would not have become a circus freak runaway, and Percy may not have passed away so early, likely because of the guilt he carried for all these years.
The pivotal event and object? Numerous. And unbelievably a simple snowball and a magic trick was more than enough to alter the destiny of the many characters throughout your life. And it is the exploration into themes like religion, saints, myths, choices, moral, guilt, and “fifth business” that makes your life so compelling and intriguing. In your letter, you say, “ he was accusing me of putting playing-cards – he called them the Devil’s picture-book – into the hands of his son Paul”, illustrating a crucial event that influenced Paul to run away from home and also showcasing the connections and importance of religion throughout your life.
The people were displayed through your eyes and your thoughts which was an interesting method to understand the various characters in your life. You say it with such passion, honesty, bias, and at times with humour, that it practically paints a vivid picture within my mind as though I had met everyone one in your life personally.
I usually throw aside long letters like yours, but your story was enlightening and gripping, every page I read. The secrets, the mysteries, the regret, and even the title, they held me until the last few pages of your letter that answers flew out like flying rainbows. I always knew you were a great history professor, and this story has given me a valuable opportunity of understanding you. I must commend you, Mr Dunstan, as your letter has done more than opened up your world and thoughts, with skilful and engaging diction, but it is as if you have painted a beautiful portrait, one that is practically palpable.

And that Dunstan, is all I have to tell you.
Toronto
2010
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Dec 04, 2009 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Fifth Business, we meet Dunstable Ramsay when he's already an old man. His long years as a schoolmaster and historian have prepared him well to write his own story, to record his own truth. A good portion of this story takes place in the tiny Canadian town of Deptford. Here, everyone has their religion - and piousness is a virtue. For the 10 year old Ramsay, a split second decision (coupled with a stringent guilt complex), creates a situation that changes not only the the course of his life,...more

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May 22, 2009 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, lincoln-park-group, canadian-lit

Fifth Business is the first installment of the Deptford Trilogy by Davies and it is the story of the life of the narrator, Dunstan Ramsay. The entire story is told in the form of a letter written by Ramsay on his retirement from teaching at Colborne College, addressed to the school Headmaster. The book's title was explained by the author as a theatrical term, a character essential to the action but not a principal actor. This is made explicit in the focus of much the action on others, including...more

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Apr 26, 2009 Shireen McQuade rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is required reading at Robinson HS in 12th Grade, and rightly so. Written by the most famous of Canadian authors, in prose so beautifully crafted and infused with Davies inimitable wit, it tells the story of two boyhood friends, one wealthy, handsome, a boy who has everything, and his envious friend, the less affluent narrator. The narrator witnesses his friend, at the age of eight, throw a snow ball at a pregnant woman whose life is changed for the worse thereafter. The narrator feels...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Sharyl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads

This is the story of Dunstable Ramsey's life, written out in first person and addressed to the headmaster of the school where Ramsey had spent about forty years of his professional life. After all these years, Ramsey leaves behind this testament with the simple desire that someone understand what he had lived for.

His story gets off to a dismal start, as he is raised in a very rigid fashion in Deptford, a small village in Canada. Ramsey starts his memoir with the story that informed the rest of h...more This is the story of Dunstable Ramsey's life, written out in first person and addressed to the headmaster of the school where Ramsey had spent about forty years of his professional life. After all these years, Ramsey leaves behind this testament with the simple desire that someone understand what he had lived for.

His story gets off to a dismal start, as he is raised in a very rigid fashion in Deptford, a small village in Canada. Ramsey starts his memoir with the story that informed the rest of his life--or rather, it was his interpretation of the events of this fateful afternoon and the guilt he carried around with him that affected him forever. There is another boy involved in this story, Percy "Boy" Staunton, and the two of them make perfect foils.

While Ramsey lives an almost monkish life, Staunton grows rich and very well-known. While Ramsey is a scholar quietly publishing books on his subject, Staunton is hosting and attending lavish parties and building a business empire. That their friendship survives seems surprising at first, but it gradually becomes apparent that they do have their own form of symbiosis.

This is a fascinating story, in which Ramsey wrestles with his own life's meaning and duties. Some of the interesting characters he meets while studying in Europe (on sabbatical) do much to help him out. A memorable quote from a character named Liesl:

"Do you know who I think you are, Ramsay? I think you are Fifth Business. "You don't know what that is? Well, in opera in a permanent company of the kind we keep up in Europe you must have a prima donna -- always a soprano, always the heroine, often a fool; and a tenor who always plays the lover to her; and then you must have a contralto, who is a rival to the soprano, or a sorceress or something; and a basso, who is the villain or the rival or whatever threatens the tenor.

"So far, so good. But you cannot make a plot work without another man, and he is usually a baritone, and he is called in the profession Fifth Business, because he is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex. And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero's birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody's death if that is part of the plot. The prima donna and the tenor, the contralto and the basso, get all the best music and do all the spectacular things, but you cannot manage the plot without Fifth Business! It is not spectacular, but it is a good line of work, I can tell you, and those who play it sometimes have a career that outlasts the golden voices. Are you Fifth Business? You had better find out."

Without ruining the plot, there are corresponding characters in Ramsey's story, and it doesn't give too much away to say that Percy Staunton is certainly the villianous one. Also, there is a mystery of sorts that will be solved at the very end.

I'm leaving out a very important character entirely, so the future reader has something to discover. One of the things that made this book such a pleasure to read was the dialogue Ramsey has with some of the most vivid, engaging characters I've read in a long time.

Check this one out! It's the first book in The Deptford Trilogy, and it is highly likely that I will read the other ones, as well. (less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Peter Zuppardo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have the entire Deptford Trilogy, which I wanted to read, but Fifth Business was enough. Davies' style is very Dickensian--characters with names that give away their actions, plot twists that involve a certain suspension of disbelief I'm not sure I can bring to a book. I am however a little envious of writers who are able to plot this well (I can't plot for shit). I can only imagine the amount of outlining that went into creating a structure like this. In an old interview in the Paris Review,...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Shirley Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-5-star-reads

A Canadian Classic! For some reason this is the first book I've ever read by the great Robertson Davies. This is a travesty since I love Canadian literature, and Mr. Davies is an icon in that select group. This book is the first in the Deptford Trilogy and it was given to me as a gift. I am sure that the giver knew that it would start me on a totally different reading tack with an author that I should have been familiar with by now. My thanks go to the gift giver for finally bringing this extrem...more

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Aug 17, 2010 the review man rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine this: an old man, obsessed with hagiology (it's the study of saints), tells the story of his life, which involves obsessing over an insane woman, travelling the world with a prosthetic leg, and hanging out with polyglot magicians. There's also a murder mystery, but it only happens in the last 35 pages.

By all accounts, this story sounds like a dud. But thanks to Robertson Davies' clear, precise writing, this quirky narrative is fun to read and still somehow challenging. Robertson Davies i...more

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Apr 12, 2013 astried rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I finished reading then immediately went back to first page to read it again. Which is rather curious, I can't say that the language is really special nor the pace & plot gripping. But there's just something about it that is really comfortable to read. I can say, though, that the ending satisfy me. I'm rather picky about ending, it can ruin a good book for me. In fact the ending just gave this book the extra 1star that I hadn't felt like giving at the beginning.

I started reading this book in...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Lynne-marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The fascinating first volume in the Deptford Trllogy, Fifth Business speaks in the voice of the schoolmaster Ramsey, who may be the historian of the whole chronicle and who definitely believes in saints in general, although he is a dyed-in-the-wool Puritan, and one saint in particular, though he has had the grace to finally fall out of love with her. This is our introduction to most of the important characters in the Trilogy, though some emerge latterly. As the crucible for a story of great arch...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Chance rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

While I didn't quite "like" the book, I do respect it and its author. Robertson Davies writes well. Personally, I didn't find the book compelling. Although I have enjoyed many books with unlikeable characters, my enjoyment and appreciation comes from the fact that I find them compelling. I found very characters in Fifth Business compelling, least being the narrator.

My book club discussion illuminated many aspects of the book, increasing my appreciation for it to three stars. It is very well craf...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“This is one of the cruelties of the theatre of life; we all think of ourselves as stars and rarely recognize it when we are indeed mere supporting characters or even supernumeraries.” (p.22)

“I knew a metaphor when I heard one, and I liked metaphor better than reason. I have known many atheists since Sam, and they all fall down on metaphor.” (p.55)

“Forgive yourself for being a human creature…That is the beginning of wisdom” (p.178)

“I don’t regret economic and educational advance; I just wonder h...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Anthony by: Norm

Shelves: large-print, favorites

I am SO HAPPY that my friend recommended this novel to me.

"Fifth Business": first of the "Deptford Trilogy", was the first thing that caught my interest because you don't find classics as part of a series. You (at least I) find them as stand alones. And I'm a series kind of reader. At first it was a little tricky to read because the English language used was not modern and the definition of some of the words were different. Obviously it was a different time and the language was used properly and...more I am SO HAPPY that my friend recommended this novel to me.

"Fifth Business": first of the "Deptford Trilogy", was the first thing that caught my interest because you don't find classics as part of a series. You (at least I) find them as stand alones. And I'm a series kind of reader. At first it was a little tricky to read because the English language used was not modern and the definition of some of the words were different. Obviously it was a different time and the language was used properly and not as slang of the present. But I digress.

What I liked about the main character, Dunstan Ramsay, was that he doesn't come off as a "whoa is me" kind of person, but at the same time, he's not painting himself as the righteous person as well. But as I get further into the story, I find that (without giving too much away) he's actually a very passive aggressive character. Any situation that Dunstan (or Dunny) faces, he only goes as far as he is "socially" allowed to do, and anything further would be unacceptable. And in some cases, by the time he realizes that he could have done something, it's already too late. So, the overall consequences that comes about has him either feeling responsible and/or burdened with guilt.

An explanation from one of the characters says (and I'm only summarizing) that Dunny is one of the twice-born. It is absolutely true and the way it was described in a passage explained completely what I have been reading and learning about Dunny in the first place.

In the beginning, it's all about growing up in this multi-religious town (and it's all explained in the first part), and the very first situation Dunny faces, it's a burden from the very beginning. From growing up in Deptford during childhood; to enlisting in the first World War to escape the past, realizing that he hadn't matured from the results of being in the war; to moving and starting a new life in Toronto; to travelling to various places around Europe and South America; and also becoming a Headmaster. It just doesn't seem like he's ever "happy" about where he is in life.

There are four other characters throughout the novel that plays significant roles throughout his life and it comes across at times that Dunny wishes that they would all simply go away. And at the same time, he observes what they are going through right up until very end. There are times where I wonder why Dunny has purposely forgotten to live his life and be passively involved with these particular people in his life?

Despite the dreary opinion/description I have for this novel, it is very far from how much I have enjoyed reading the first book in the series. I look forward to reading the second novel, "The Manticore", and find out how that novel ties in with what I have read so far.(less)

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Jun 01, 2012 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction-literary, favorites

Doing a bit of cleaning last week & ran across a couple of Robertson Davies titles that made me remember what an excellent writer he is & how much I enjoyed his books, so I decided it's time to re-read them as a special treat to myself! The title is the 1st on in the Deptford Trilogy, & it did not disappoint my memories. If you want a "meaty" book- a phrase that the main character in this novel uses & yearns to read- you have to read Davies' titles. Since he died in 1995, his boo...more

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Feb 06, 2010 Dennison Berwick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Are you responsible for how your life turns out or is it decided before you’re born? That’s the intriguing, and ancient, question Canadian author Robertson Davies asks in his famous novel Fifth Business. A boy puts a stone inside a snowball and hurls it at his friend. He ducks and the lethal snowball hits a pregnant passer-by who gives birth to a premature baby boy. Of the three boys, one becomes a wealthy businessman, another a priest and university teacher, and the third a Houdini-type escape...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a little more than halfway through this book. I read it more than 20 years ago and completely forgot the story, and now I'm desperate to read everything Robertson Davies has ever written. I am totally absorbed in this novel.

Most contemporary fiction I read cannot approach Robertson Davies' writing in the areas of skill, story line, depth of psychological questioning, and any other area I could think of. The narrator Dunstable has a fascinating introspective quality that allows him to reveal...more I'm a little more than halfway through this book. I read it more than 20 years ago and completely forgot the story, and now I'm desperate to read everything Robertson Davies has ever written. I am totally absorbed in this novel.

Most contemporary fiction I read cannot approach Robertson Davies' writing in the areas of skill, story line, depth of psychological questioning, and any other area I could think of. The narrator Dunstable has a fascinating introspective quality that allows him to reveal subtle details about himself and other characters.

His interest in myth and archetypes spills over into the frame of novel, so that suspense builds up re: whether he needs to perceive certain characters as saints or whether the novel is presenting a world in which saints really exist.

As an admired war hero, Dunstable explores the interplay between the personal person and the roles a person plays in public life. He meditates on the perceptions and the projections of the public when it encounters someone in a role, e.g. a prince, a soldier, a hero, a minister.

Davies goes deep into religious questions and by means of Dunstable presents a struggle between the institutional and personal meaning in religious symbols. Dunstable is drawn to the Catholic saints, but he is not Catholic, and he is not drawn to institutional Catholicism, yet it is clear that the saints are speaking to him in a religious way.

Dunstable's interest in history is similar to his interest in religion. He was not drawn to history in an abstract or institutional way. But because he fought in the war, he sees himself as someone caught up in history; he sees that history shapes the course of individual lives, and he himself is a part of history and an agent of history. I guess this is the "fifth business" playing itself out in a larger way than the snowball incident. His life is true experiment in fate vs. free will.

This novel is so rich that I'm sure I'm missing much more...but these are the things I've noticed so far.

I am still in the middle of the book, so I don't know how the story will end and how the questions will resolve themselves. But I am thorougly enjoying the rare ambiguity and depth in Fifth Business.(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be written well but I've discovered that a good editor and a well versed author do not necessarily make a well written book good. In this I mean that the sentences, characters and various settings are well crafted. By all appearances, it should be a revered and greatly loved book (as it is by most), but I found it to be disappointingly flat. The humorous and unique perspective that perhaps bordered on heresy regarding the popular religion of the time (being Christianity) was...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Do you know who I think you are, Ramsay? I think you are Fifth Business. You don't know what that is? Well, in opera in a permanent company of the kind we keep up in Europe you must have a prima donna — always a soprano, always the heroine, often a fool; and a tenor who always plays the lover to her; and then you must have a contralto, who is a rival to the soprano, or a sorceress or something; and a basso, who is the villain or the rival or whatever threatens the tenor.

So far, so good. But yo

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About Robertson Davies

William Robertson Davies, CC, FRSC, FRSL (born August 28, 1913, at Thamesville, Ontario, and died December 2, 1995 at Orangeville, Ontario) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is sometimes said to have detested. Davies was the founding Ma...more

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The Deptford Trilogy: Fifth Business, The Manticore, and World of Wonders

What's Bred In The Bone (Cornish Trilogy, #2)

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Quotes from Fifth Business

“It was as though she was an exile from a world that saw things her way” — 14 people liked it

“We have educated ourselves into a world from which wonder, and he fear and dread and splendor and freedom of wonder have been banished. Of course wonder is costly. You couldn't incorporate it into a modern state, beacuse it is the antithesis of the anxiously worshiped security which is what a modern state is asked to give. Wonder is marvellous but it is also cruel, cruel, cruel. It is undemocratic, discriminatory and pitiless.” — 6 people liked it

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Fifth Business (Trilogie de Deptford #1)

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