Fifth BusinessThe first book in Robertson Davies's acclaimed The Deptford Trilogy, with a new foreword by Kelly Link 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. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Amasa Dempster asked Athelstan audience beautiful Faustina became began Blazon Bollandist Boy Staunton Boy's Brazen Head called Canada Canadian Candaules certainly child church course Denyse Deptford Deptford Trilogy Diana Dunny Dunstan Ramsay eyes face father feel fellow Fifth Business fool fool-saint friends gave girl hands hated Headmaster heard honour Jim Warren keep kind kissed knew laugh Le Solitaire Leola Liesl little Madonna lived looked Magnus Eisengrim Marfleet Mary Dempster McCausland meant Milo mind miracles Miss Shanklin mother never night nurse once Orph Papple parents Passchendaele person polymath poor preacher's wife pretty Ramezay remember Robertson Davies saints seemed seen sense snowball suppose sure talk tell terrible things thought tion told took tramp village wanted weeks wife Willie woman women wonder young