World of Wonders (Penguin Classics)
by Robertson DaviesSign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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Read in June, 2008
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Read in August, 2007
Who killed Boy Staunton? That's the question finally answered in this final installment of Davies' Deptford Trilogy. The first book "Fifth Business" is the best of the bunch and worth reading on its own. The second ,"The MAnticore" is a bit dull and this one is somewhat better. It's certainly an interesting bunch of characters but I am not sure it was worth reading the entire trilogy just to tie up the loose ends from the first book.
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Everyone
World of Wonders is the least captivating of the Deptford Trilogy, but the work as a whole -- starting with Fifth Business -- is certainly one of the best I've ever read. The books examine the lives and thoughts of three men who are all linked to one another; Davies' structure and storytelling are extraordinarily polished and fine.
I can't recommend anything more heartily than the Deptford Trilogy, but if you have any doubts about committing to the entire trilogy, I can say this...more
I can't recommend anything more heartily than the Deptford Trilogy, but if you have any doubts about committing to the entire trilogy, I can say this...more
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Read in November, 2007
Much as it pains me to say it about one of my favorite writers, this is not my favorite Davies book. Lots of people love this trilogy, but I prefer his later Cornish trilogy.
To be fair: it's still a Robertson Davies book, so it's still beautifully written, and full of oddments of history and philosophy that can leave you breathless. I'm giving it three stars as judged against the very high standards of the Davies oeuvre, not against fiction in general.
To be fair: it's still a Robertson Davies book, so it's still beautifully written, and full of oddments of history and philosophy that can leave you breathless. I'm giving it three stars as judged against the very high standards of the Davies oeuvre, not against fiction in general.
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Read in May, 2007
This book was recommended in liew of The Illusionist by Steven Millhauser. It is the last in the Deptford Trilogy, written in the 1970s by Canadian author Robertson Davies. I enjoyed the first book in the trilogy - Fifth Business - very much, but the last two are too embroiled in 1970s psychology b.s. for my taste.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2008
Third in the Deptford Trilogy - I loved all three, though I think the first one (fifth Business) is the best. This one rounds them out nicely though - without it, you don't get the FULL story.
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When Davies is telling the story, it is fascinating. However, the framework he places the story in (a series of conversations), does not really work for me. I find these portions tedious.
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