Reviews

The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies

lcesta's review

 Will return to this book

ipreferquiet's review

2.0

Read for book club. Cannot recommend. A pretty boring string of flashbacks which don't really get us anywhere. I thought that the death in the beginning of the book would lead to an interesting plot but the book didn't really deliver. Maybe the book club discussion can redeem it somewhat.

jeffkevlar's review against another edition

3.0

This was a fun and engaging read but, I'm sure that Robertson Davies could write a shopping list and it would be a fun and engaging read.

I wouldn't say that this is my favorite book by him (that would be The Rebel Angels) but it kept my interest. More than a lot of his books I think this one was a kind of love letter to Toronto, and I enjoyed seeing my adopted city through his vaguely mystical eyes.

I would suggest anyone read this book but to go further into his writing to get a true measure of Robertson Davies genius.

littlebookjockey's review against another edition

1.0

This is quite possibly the most pompous book I have ever read. I lost interest around p. 200. This was one of those books in which I show my dislike by annotating with bright sticky notes, expressing my displeasure and providing commentary.

clmckinney's review against another edition

4.0

This is the story of a doctor living in Toronto. He is retelling his life. This had echoes of What's Bred In The Bone. Davies is quite effective at revisiting peoples' lives. I preferred this book to the previous book in the series. His dry wit and warm characters make his books wonderful. I will try and conquer the Deptford Trilogy later on this year. I would give this novel a 3.9/5.

habeasopus's review against another edition

3.0

I’ve not read many Canadians, but this one was quite good. Davies’ wordplay and erudition, combined with a very plain spoken style, was quite effective. I’ve always had a fondness for first-person narration. My one quibble is that the wrapping of the story within the frame of the newspaper interview, or interspersed with a series of letters seemed a bit too much in this case. I enjoy non-linear narrative and digressions, but they seemed unnecessary here. Solid read though.

alice_horoshev's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It is really cunning how in 1994 book I found the great description of what bloggers do on YouTube and bookstagram. All historical times are equidistant from eternity❤️

misshonky's review against another edition

3.0

El último libro que escribió Robertson Davies y el primero suyo que leo. Me ha recordado mucho, muchísimo a John Irving, en la forma de escribir, mezclando historias, saltos en el tiempo, personajes... Me ha interesado la historia, y aunque no es el libro de mi vida, me han quedado ganas de leer más cosas de este hombre.

kim_hoag's review

4.0

I have been curious about Davies for a long while and I thought it was time. No heroes slashing at giants here; no poundng themes; just a life being lived as intelligently as can be done. This is a story of nearly the entire life of a man, Dr. Jonathan Hullah, from when he was saved from death by a shaman to the becoming of an elder doctor working on what and who he is through his memoirs. There are friends and acquaintances and we see the emotions that bind or repel them. Jonathan, has a great breadth of knowledge that Davies breathed into him and which is used to both view the world and to assess the imbroglios he found himself in. He evolved, both personally and professionally, into a wary listner, a cunning man. I greatly enjoyed the intellectual roam of the book as well as the wit. It truly was refreshing. Davies' use of language and clear descriptions of so many characters was fun! As there is in anyone's life, there are themes: of religion, its place and its pressures, of the many aspects and requirements of healing, of literature (which was tied to healing), ethics, and humility to just name a few. Jonathan's intelligence was greater than mine but I felt a warm affinity for him because of his age, his use of literature, and some of his experiences. For instance, he began a quest to explain characters in literature via medical cause and effect. That, is a book I would read.

aniennis's review

5.0

Genuinely one of my favorite books ever. Robertson Davies dazzles me every time with his worldbuilding.