The Cunning Man

A very interesting story with psychological creativity as well as unexpected humour. Characters are likeable and plot lines interesting and believable. Led me to reading more of his books.

This was recommended by a friend. Very good book about a "quirky" doctor.

Robertson Davies writes densely crafted prose that is very satisfying to the careful reader. His protagonist in this gem of a novel is loosely based on the eminent Dr William Osler, who was one of the great medical educators and diagnosticians in the late 19th and early 20th century. As an Osler fan myself, that helped me to enjoy it more.

Another wonderful story from a great story teller and writer. I love to live in his fascinating stories.

One of the very best books I've ever read...and have several times. Highly recommended.

the main character was a little too in love with himself. maybe that was the point. about 80% of the way through, i got bored and put the book away.

After I got over feeling that the author was pompous, I disregarded all his unknown (to Me) references and finished the book. Enjoyed the last 25% the most.

Robertson Davies was a fine writer. He also was very well educated in a wide variety of subjects, including music (especially opera), literature, theater, religion, psychology, medicine, philosophy and history. His novels tend to paint keen psychological portraits of a range of characters, often with a mystery involved, interspersed with commentary drawing from his many interests. His sense of humor also permeates his work, poking fun at his characters' foibles and observing the absurdity of the game of life.I'd read the Salterton and Cornish trilogies and some of the Deptford trilogy before The Cunning Man, and enjoyed them all (particularly the first two volumes of the Cornish trilogy). The Cunning Man recounts events through most of the narrator's lifetime like a memoir, and I imagine there's more than a little in it that originated in Davies' own life experiences. For example, the narrator attended the same Canadian boarding school that Davies attended, and much of the story involves a particular Toronto church that I believe Davies was familiar with. I also suspect that while the narrator is a physician while Davies was not, the attitudes of the two had a lot in common.Although the novel certainly has a plot, I found it of secondary interest. There are mysteries involved, but Davies telegraphs the solutions far in advance, and finding out what happens is incidental to simply listening to Davies muse about the narrator's (and presumably, Davies') philosophy of life and what he'd learned as the end of his own life approached. As with all of his novels, everything is said engagingly, cleverly, and articulately--he's never really boring.So in summary, it's not a gripping story, but a long, leisurely stroll through the garden with a master novelist passing on his wisdom in the best way he knows how. I would recommend it either as an introduction to Davies or to someone who has enjoyed his previous work.