The Deptford Trilogy

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"Who killed Boy Staunton?"

This is the question that lies at the heart of Robertson Davies's elegant trilogy comprising Fifth Business, The Manticore, and World of Wonders. Indeed, Staunton's death is the central event of each of the three novels, and Rashomon-style, each circles round to view it from a different perspective. In the first book, Fifth Business, Davies introduces us to Dunstan Ramsey and his "lifelong friend and enemy, Percy Boyd Staunton," both aged 10. It is a winter evening in the small Canadian village of Deptford, and Ramsey and Boy have quarreled. In a rage, Boy throws a snowball with a stone in it, misses his friend and hits the Baptist minister's pregnant wife by mistake. She becomes hysterical and later that night delivers her child prematurely, a baby with birth defects. Even worse, she loses her mind. The snowball, the stone, the deformed baby christened Paul Dempster--this is the secret guilt that will bind Ramsey and Staunton together through their long lives:

I was perfectly sure, you see, that the birth of Paul Dempster, so small, so feeble, and troublesome, was my fault. If I had not been so clever, so sly, so spiteful in hopping in front of the Dempsters just as Percy Boyd Staunton threw that snowball at me from behind, Mrs. Dempster would not have been struck. Did I never think that Percy was guilty? Indeed I did.

Boy, however, "would fight, lie, do anything rather than admit" he feels guilty, too, and so the subject remains unresolved between them right up until the night Boy's body is found in his car, in a lake, with a stone in his mouth. The second novel, The Manticore, follows Staunton's son, David, through a course of Jungian therapy in Switzerland, while World of Wonders concentrates on Magnus Eisengrim, a renowned magician and hypnotist with ties to both Ramsey and Boy Staunton.

When it came to writing, three was Davies's favorite number. Before the Deptford books, he wrote The Salterton Trilogy (Tempest-Tost, Leaven of Malice, A Mixture of Frailties), and after it came The Cornish Trilogy (The Rebel Angels, What's Bred in the Bone, The Lyre of Orpheus). Excellent as these and Davies's other novels are, The Deptford Trilogy is arguably the masterpiece for which he'll best be remembered, as the combination of magic, archetype, and good, old-fashioned human frailty at work in these novels is a world of wonders unto itself, and guarantees these three books a permanent place among the great books of our time. --Alix Wilber

Customer Reviews:

Great Book .......2007-08-10

I enjoyed the book The Fifth Business very much. It is what I would call magical realism. Ramsay the main character of the book is not the most likable man in fiction but, he is very human. Davies characters are mythical while retaining their humanity. The study of saints that Ramsay involves himself in was my favorite part of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Incomparable Robertson Davies .......2007-08-09

I think that is a tragedy beyond measure that Robertson Davies was not chosen as one of the 100 Best Writers of the 20thC.

His writings are sui generis. And we will not see his like again.

Read the Fifth Bussiness, but skip the rest.......2006-05-22

If you ask me to rank each part of this trilogy seperately, i would give the Fifth Business a 5 Star, The Manticore a 2 star and World of Wonders simply one star. Davies' obsession with Jung makes Manticore rather pretencious and unbearably monotonous to read. For the case of World of Wonders, its creation and value, in my opinion, might only rest on the romantic idea of the completion of a triology, which is a thing that Davies loves to do but failes to do well.

Starts well, ends badly.......2006-03-27

This was a dissapointing book. The first part of the trilogy went well enough, Davies has a skill at making dowdy characters interesting enough to sustain his plot.Other reviewers found fault with the second part, the Jungian analysis. The conceit of advancing the story through the conversation of doctor and patient is handled a little amateurishly, but it is done well enough to sustain the flow, and all in all it seemed the best of the trilogy to me. It would have been a better book to end after two. The final part is so forced that the plot and characters are reduced to a thin skeleton for hanging some tired and simplistic pseudo-speculations on the nature of religion and myth. The setup of a "scandanavian" film maker and his camera man is a pathetic little device if you've read the Bergman its nipped from. So it was that two-thirds of the way through the final part, I gave up and closed the thing. It reminded me of the Frankenstein monster, cobbled together out of stolen members. But unlike that great work of fantasy, there is no mad genius behind it.

To dree one's weird.......2005-10-07

The above title of this review is the gnomic answer of a sort given to the question asked by many of the characters in this trilogy, "Who killed Boy Staunton?" at the end by Ramsay. But to find out what this means, you'll have to look up the history of the word "weird" when it was still a noun, before the "three weird sisters" of Macbeth launched the word into its long trek to the adjective we know today.-So it is with much of this work, lots of interesting, fascinating tangents to follow, if one is so inclined.

I think this trilogy succeeds so well primarily because of the writing.-What the character David Staunton calls "plain language"-The baroque is indeed, "not for everybody", but more significantly, hard to pull off. One has to be a Proust or Faulkner to accomplish such a feat.--Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet, though fine in many respects, is an example of an author who reached above himself in this regard.

The "plain language" is so well done that the reader can go through the whole of the middle book, The Manticore, the entirety of which involves the analysis of David Staunton by a Jungian psychiatrist, and finish knowing only a smattering more about Jung and his therapy than he did at the beginning-No "race-consciousness", "archetypes" or "synchronicity". -Again, the reader must delve into this aspect if he or she feels so inclined, after reading the work.-The Manticore also, to me, was the finest of the trilogy, the most deft and interesting, for it forces the reader (or, at least, this reader) to imagine himself in David's position, and I managed to dredge up several (not insignificant) moments from my past that I'd completely forgotten.

So, if you enjoy finely penned, not overly ornate prose, and long nights turning pages, I might add.-Then read and...dree your weird.

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Overview of "World of Wonders"
a satisfying end to the trilogy
Davies' Deptford Trilogy - A must-read
The greatest novel of the twentieth century
A Magician's Biography Unravels a Mystery

World of Wonders (Deptford Trilogy)
Robertson Davies
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0670788120

Book Description

Hailed by the Washington Post Book World as “a modern classic,” Robertson Davies's acclaimed Deptford Trilogy is a glittering, fantastical, cunningly contrived series of novels, around which a mysterious death is woven. World of Wonders—the third book in the series after The Manticore—follows the story of Magnus Eisengrim—the most illustrious magician of his age—who is spirited away from his home by a member of a traveling sideshow, the Wanless World of Wonders. After honing his skills and becoming better known, Magnus unfurls his life's courageous and adventurous tale in this third and final volume of a spectacular, soaring work.

“Robertson Davies is one of the great modern novelists.”
—Malcolm Bradbury, The Sunday Times (London)
“Robertson Davies is a novelist whose books are thick and rich with humor, character and incident. They are plotted with skill and much flamboyance.” —The Observer (London)

Customer Reviews:

Overview of "World of Wonders".......2003-12-16

The theme of the novel "World of Wonders" by Robertson Davies, is "search for self"(Warlton 4) Through ought the novel, there is a constant search for who the main character, Mangus Eisengrim, truly is. The majority of the novel is Mangus telling his life story. During this story, Mangus lives "four different lives"(Warlton 5) First he was born with the given name Paul Dempster, a Reverend's. At the age of ten he ran away with the carnival and became Cass Fletcher and controlled a mechanical card-playing machine as a carnival act. Later he named himself Fastus LeGrand and worked as a stunt double in a travelling play. He finally became Mangus Eisengrim, a world famous illusionist. Countless times during his story he asks the question, "Who was I?"(61).

At the beginning of Paul Dempster's life there was no trouble with who he was. He was born prematurely and so, right from the start, he was a survivor. He also was a Reverend's son, and his mother was known to others as a "hoor"(24). He knew exactly who he was, but anted to be someone else. After running away with the carnival, or as he said "The carnival ran away with me.", he recalls that he was "prepared to do anything rather than go home." At the carnival he became known as Cass Fletcher. This initial change in who he was was the first sign that there was a conflict with who he was.

His time spent as Cass Fletcher, roughly eight years, was the most conflicting time of his life. In the carnival Cass operated a card-playing machine called "Abdullah"(49). He would sit inside the machine spy on his opponent's cards and slip better ones into Abdullah's hand. At point in his life Cass spent most of his time inside this contraption, perfecting his spying and card slipping and when he ate, and that was seldom, he would do it inside Abdullah as well. He was almost never seen or spoken too. This neglect and abuse led him to believe that he was nobody. He mentions "I was Nobody... I did not exist.". At this time his "search for self" came to the most obscure solution possible. He believed himself to be Nobody. However, when he was seen and acknowledged, it was mostly when he was on stage as "Abdullah, the undefeatable card-playing machine". This caused him to think that when he was not Nobody, he was Abdullah. His answer to "Who [am] I?" was either Abdullah, an inanimate object and a machine to trick an audience, or nobody at all. It wasn't until he was about eighteen, when the carnival he was working for went out of business, that he escaped being trapped in Abdullah. He moved to France and became a street performer. His fake passport had "Fastus LeGrand" as his name. So finally he was no longer, and would never again be, Nobody.

Early in Fastus LeGrand's career as a street performer he was offered a job as an actor in a play called "Scaramouche"(162). He was hired as a stunt double for a man named Sir John. All Fastus had to do was walk a tightrope and juggle some plates, but he had quite a problem imitating Sir John. A fellow actor said that he couldn't "get Sir John's rhythm."(167). As he began to get the idea, he realized that he was again hiding from the audience as he had done with Abdullah.

Was this to be another Abdullah? It was, but in a way I could not have foreseen. Experience never repeats itself in quite the same way. I was beginning another servitude, much more dangerous and potentially ruinous, but far removed from the squalor of my experience with [Abdullah]. I had entered upon a ling apprenticeship to an [egotism].

Fastus had to become Sir John. Eventually he succeeded, so much so that he was later accused of eating Sir John. "You ate Sir John... You ate the poor old ham."(224). Another crisis in his identity. Fastus learned to walk, act, speak, move, stand and probably even blink exactly the same as Sir John himself. During Fastus's time with the play he was known to most as Mungo Fetch. The name was decided on by other actors who thought it sounded appropriate for a man whose job it was to copy someone else. Fastus LeGrand, the only name he picked for himself, was thought to be far too noticeable, and a stunt double was to be kept secret. Again he needed to be hidden from the world. But when Sir John retired, Fastus was no longer Mungo Fetch, nor Sir John. He was beginning to win himself back. Once again, he was known only by a single name. But "Fastus LeGrand was still not who [he] truly was, or who he was meant to be."(Pierce 318)

Soon after Fastus stopped acting in Scaramouche, he was hired to fix toys for an old rich man. It took months just to fix a single toy because of the minute tinkering took to perfect the movement. But there were hundreds of toys that needed to be fixed. So Fastus spent almost every waking hour of his time working on them. Thus, he had virtually no contact with the outside world. He was even given residence with his employer, so he didn't even have to leave the old mans mansion. Now, instead of hiding behind Abdullah or Sir John, he was hiding behind his work. It was during his time fixing toys that Fastus changed once again. As he continued fixing toys for the old man, Fastus met the old mans niece, Lisel, whom he fell in love with. Since Fastus LeGrand was not his real name and he didn't care for it much they decided to change it again. Fastus would by no means return to being Paul Dempster, and even less so did he want to go back to Cass Fletcher. So Lisel named him Mangus Eisengrim. Becoming Mangus was the "final conflict with who he was."(Pierce 553) Mangus was finally rid of his former lives and had come to the end of his search for self. He had answered the question "Who [am] I?". He lived life as Mangus and became a world famous illusionist and eventually returned to acting, since he had such a skill with imitating people. He was, from then on, Mangus Eisengrim.

a satisfying end to the trilogy.......2001-04-19

I've just finished a Davies marathon: the whole Deptford trilogy in 3 days. I think it a testament to Davies' great storytelling ability that I could not put down any of the three books. I suggest reading them in close succession because the second book (The Manticore) sheds a lot of light on the other two books. It's interesting that in this book (the 2nd), we get 250 pages or so written from the point of view of a minor character: Boy Staunton's son. If you stop to think about it, the whole trilogy is structured around the question "Who killed Boy Staunton," so it shouldn't be surprising to read an account by his drunken son, the famous lawyer of his counseling sessions in Zurich. Rarely does one find such well-drawn characters these days in novels -- by the end, you'll feel like you've known Paul Demster for years, along with the simian Liesl, level-headed Ramsey and of course Demster's character, Eisengrim.

This book is a bit "deeper" than the first two as we find ourselves transported to an almost magic-realism portrait of myth and fantastical events in the World of Wonders. I actually enjoyed the first two books more although I still think this last book is a master work. Occassionaly Eisengrim's recounting of his life gets a bit tedious, but only because we are dying to resolve the mystery which finally gets solved in the closing pages. All in all, a memorable trilogy and a gripping read by one of the great 20th century writers.

Davies' Deptford Trilogy - A must-read.......1999-07-15

The only bad thing about Robertson Davies' Deptford Trilogy (FIFTH BUSINESS, THE MANTICORE, WORLD OF WONDERS) is that it had to end! Sparklingly clever, bawdy, poignant, erudite, and laugh-out-loud funny, Davies entertains in a wonderfully rich, old-world style.

A friend of mine (who recommended the books, and to whom I will be forever grateful) put it this way: "Reading Robertson Davies is like sitting in a plush, wood-paneled library--in a large leather chair with a glass of excellent brandy and a crackling fire--and being captivated with a fabulous tale spun by a wonderful raconteur."

The greatest novel of the twentieth century.......1998-12-27

This is the best novel of the century's best English language novelist. The plot is sure-fire (kid runs away with the carnival), the characters memorable (sideshow freaks, revealed to be--human beings! theater people, great and small, revealed to be--human beings!), the sins enormous (pederasty, pride, perhaps even murder), the virtues marvelous (love, devotion to love). The theme of this book, as with the other books in the trilogy, is search for self--the main character of this book lives four different lives during his life. This book works on every level; it reads well as a story, gives you something to think about, and stands up to any number of readings you'd care to give it. (I've given it at least five.)

A Magician's Biography Unravels a Mystery.......1997-06-04

Davies uses the 'accidental' revelation of a great magician's life--by the magician himself--to complete the Deptford Trilogy and answer the mystery: "Who killed...?" Davies is at his storytelling best here, spinning out a strange, fascinating life story that begins when a young boy is captivated by a carnival magic show. By far the best book of the trilogy, this novel stands brilliantly on its own and is head and shoulders above the two recent novels that use almost the same plot: Mr. Vertigo, by Paul Auster, and Millroy the Magician, by Paul Theroux

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The Deptford Trilogy
Robertson Davies
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0670817902

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The Deptford Trilogy
Robertson Davies
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J6BYOQ

The Dark Portal: Book One of the Deptford Mice Trilogy (Jarvis, Robin, Deptford Mice, Bk. 1.) (Jarvis, Robin, Deptford Mice, Bk. 1.)

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dark portal summarized by C.G.
Dark Portal Review
The Dark Portal Minh's Review
Aweful!
for all readers

The Dark Portal: Book One of the Deptford Mice Trilogy (Jarvis, Robin, Deptford Mice, Bk. 1.) (Jarvis, Robin, Deptford Mice, Bk. 1.)
Robin Jarvis
Manufacturer: Seastar Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1587170213

Product Description

"Hardcover: 240 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.97 x 9.37 x 6.33 Publisher: Seastar Pub Co; ISBN: 1587170213; (August 2000) In the time when the earth was green and blessed by the lord of the mice- the green mouse, a young mouse called audrey is shocked at the dissapearence of her father. On what supposed to be the most important day for a mouse, turned into a quest to find her father- and the truth. In her way stands the thing all mice fear most- the Grail and the lord of rats, a half god, half demon that is held within it"

Customer Reviews:

dark portal summarized by C.G........2007-02-27

Robin Jarvis's Dark portal is an exiting, action filled thriller.Some might say it is a weird and an odd topic,but the characters being mice and rats gives the story an extra push, rather than cats and dogs.Everybody reads about cats and dogs.I like this book mainly for 2 reasons:1.there is lots of violence and action. & 2.when you read certain parts where she refers to other events it kind of makes you reread the event she is talking about so you can completly get understand what is going on.
Children 10 and younger probably shouldn't read this book because of the major violence and gore(fighting and blood).

Dark Portal Review.......2005-04-29

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it nearly immposible to put it down and I would think about it during the time I wasn't reading it. I don't generally enjoy books about animals, but this one was fantastic. The society of mice and bats and rats were fantasticily conciveed by Jarvis, who clearly delivered all aspects of the story. I plan to purchase the second one as soon as possible!

The Dark Portal Minh's Review.......2005-01-20

The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis is 5 stars for excitement and survival.
Albert's life is on the line and his daughter Audrey would risk her life to save him. Albert is very kind hearted and is near death in the scariest place that any mouse would want to go! Will Audrey be able to save her father or will they be eaten by those horrific rats?
I life this book because it shows us that mice have a life that is just like ours.
This book is recommended for all kids that love excitement and really dark places.

Aweful!.......2004-12-24

I just don't like rats. They are vile and digusting creatures. I don't like planet Jupiter either. It is a dumb name.

for all readers.......2004-04-08

it is the first book in the trilogy and is a great book. the end leaves you thinking that there isn't anymore, but just wait till you read the Crystal Prison. anyway, this is one of the best book having talking mice and other animals. way better than what i have read of the Red Wall series.

The Final Reckoning: The Deptford Mice Trilogy: Book Three (Deptford Mice, Book 3)

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An Amazing (yet confusing) Story

The Final Reckoning: The Deptford Mice Trilogy: Book Three (Deptford Mice, Book 3)
Robin Jarvis
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1587171929

Book Description

Robin Jarvis's thrilling finale to the Deptford Mice Trilogy unfolds in this page-turning volume. Back from the dead, the spirit of Jupiter-the evil cat who was once Lord of the sewer rats-wreaks more destruction than ever. The Deptford Mice feel his chilling grasp everywhere they turn-their allies are murdered and the Starglass, their source of knowledge and power, has been stolen. The mice know they face the most desperate struggle of their lives. Will anyone survive?

Customer Reviews:

An Amazing (yet confusing) Story.......2004-12-28

The third book in the Depford Mice series is amazingly well-written, and a definate page-turner. There is action, adventure, fantasy, and even some romance in it. I dropped a star because of the constant character-to-character jumps, and the slightly hard-to-follow plotline. Otherwise, thsi is a must-read series that rivals the Redwall and Warriors series.

The Crystal Prison: Book Two of the Deptford Mice Trilogy

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Totally fabulous book!!
A Clone of the Redwall Saga?! What Do You Think?

The Crystal Prison: Book Two of the Deptford Mice Trilogy
Robin Jarvis
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1587171074

Book Description

When the Deptford Mice flee to the countryside, they never expect to find themselves embroiled in a series of murders. The country mice suspect that headstrong city mouse, Audrey, is the culprit. But the truth is far more sinister-for Jupiter now reaches vengefully from the dead.

Customer Reviews:

Totally fabulous book!!.......2005-08-18

This book is just great. It's stunning and crystal clear and I loved it. I can't wait to read Book 3 next! Make a mental note to yourself...Tell yourself to read this book immediatedly!

A Clone of the Redwall Saga?! What Do You Think?.......2002-03-26

The Crystal Prison is a far more enhanced versoin of the Redwall Saga with it's talking maice and animals. Even though it lack's Redwall's stunning fantasies, the Debtford Mice Trilogy sets a pretty fine point for a new author.It's simply wonderful with its great details and great plotline. I'd give it five stars if it wasn't for its confusing characters.
I started reading The Crystal Prison just like any other person would start: I would handpick it from the library or buy it. Usually, I'd check the cover art, as the phrase " never judge a book by it's cover" felt like the words of a dull critic. Nevertheless, I read this book and found it was pretty interesting, given its bizarre lines of characters.
The beginning is fairly simple, it starts off with the ending of Robin Jarvis' (the author) first novel. The Debtford mice have escaped the chamber of Jupiter and the rat infested sewers of the city. Forced by an evil witch named Starwife, they must move to the countryside. But despite an owl who hunts in the night, the countrymice that live in the plains have nought to do but to point their fingers at a young, outspoken female mouse named Audrey. What's left is a wilder conclusion you'd never believe!

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Great stuff if read as part of the trilogy
Intelligent and beautifully written
It's just filler
Complex & interesting!
A Jungian perspective

The Manticore (Deptford Trilogy)
Robertson Davies
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0140167935

Book Description

Hailed by the Washington Post Book World as "a modern classic," Robertson Davies's acclaimed Deptford Trilogy is a glittering, fantastical, cunningly contrived series of novels, around which a mysterious death is woven. The Manticore—the second book in the series after Fifth Business—follows David Staunton, a man pleased with his success but haunted by his relationship with his larger-than-life father. As he seeks help through therapy, he encounters a wonderful cast of characters who help connect him to his past and the death of his father.

Customer Reviews:

Great stuff if read as part of the trilogy.......2006-04-07

This is the second installment in the Deptford Trilogy, and my first bit of advice is that you read it in conjunction with Fifth Business, the first installment. I read Fifth Business years ago, and loved it, and struggled to remember the details of it as I began The Manticore. It isn't absolutely necessary to remember every word of the first in order to enjoy the second, but each one does help to accentuate the other.

The Manticore is great writing from a great writer. Davies prose is so fluid that they seem to absord into your mind with very little effort. He expresses complex thoughts in ways that are so graceful and elegant. And he's not afraid to deal with difficult themes; indeed, that seems to be his main purpose in writing. Yes, he tells a fascinating story, but his real aim is to get at the core of his characters, find out what motivates them and what makes them human. David Staunton is just the character to use for such an experiment. As an eminent lawyer, now undergoing psychoanalysis to determine where his life went astray, he puts himself on trial as if he were in a court of law and demands not just honest self-assessment but also evidence to support his conclusions about his own persona. It makes for a fascinating character sketch, and great reading.

There are no simple answers here to life's great questions, and that can be frustrating for those who want to be able to wrap a nice, neat bow around this book. Equally frustrating is the rather contrived ending, which includes the introduction of a new character whose purpose in the novel seems to be nothing more than to impart a valuable piece of wisdom to our main character. It also includes a journey into a deep cave, reminiscent of Plato's Republic, which is meant to reveal some profound life lesson but may just confuse and bewilder some readers. And, being the middle installment in a trilogy, this book doesn't have a proper beginning or ending. But that doesn't make it not worth reading. It just means that you should read parts one and three as well.

Intelligent and beautifully written.......2006-02-23

This is my first Davies novel and I suspect I started with the wrong one in the series; however, MANTICORE was a fascinating read. In this, David Staunton comes to Zurich for psychoanalysis with a Jungian therapist after his father dies in a very strange accident. (Boy Staunton, his father, died in an auto accident with an egg sized stone of pink Canadian granite in his mouth) You think we're going to get a payoff on the mystery, which we eventually do, but we first have to go through Davey's life and get his personality integrated. The descriptions are very rich, which is a good thing because the book is mostly narrative. Despite sounding tiresome, the book for the most part is interesting and an enjoyable and challenging read. If you are a first time reader of Davies like me, I would suggest you start with the first book of this series, FIFTH BUSINESS before you read MANTICORE.

It's just filler.......2005-07-09

I think the problem with this book is that Davies wrote the trilogy so that each book could stand by its own and that they need not be read in a particular order. While that sounded like a great idea initially, it seems to only work in theory. At least a half of this book is a blatant recap of Fifth Business, and most of the rest of it is an extrapolation into the very mundane. Everything that is unique to this book (because all three books have some exclusive content) is very non-consequential, and can be inferred or predicted by reading Fifth Business. The book is basically a very poor remake of Fifth Business, lacking an original story (also keeping in mind that Fifth Business has at least twice as many events), depth (F.B. is engrossed in psychology, philosophy and religion- in this book, it's all almost an afterthought, despite it revolving around a man seeking psychological help), and a good character- Davy is so one dimensional compared to Dunny, and even to Boy! The only reason you should read this is to get the "extended ending" that isn't included in F.B.- it reveals who killed Boy. But I'm sure that will also be discussed in World of Wonders.

While Fifth Business is one of my all-time favorite books, I wouldn't recommend this book, even if you like the other books in the trilogy.

Complex & interesting!.......2002-06-20

The life of the protagonist--whom we previously knew just an appendage to his father's colossal persona in Fifth Business--is analyzed. The story has many sockets within sockets and abundant psychological theory. Robertson Davies is so artful sn author that the information on archetypes never feels as though it came out of an encyclopedia. Rather, it is essential to the character's trajectory. Highly recommended. Makes me proud to be a Canadian!

A Jungian perspective.......2001-05-07

The story is everything with Davies books. He captured me with the tale of David Staunton, who is only a minor character in Fifth Business.

As with Dunstan Ramsay, the narrator of the first book of the Deptford Trilogy, David Staunton is very much a character who needs to be brought back into balance from an extreme psyche. The book explores his eccentric character through Jungian psychology. Since Davies daugther is a Jungian psychologist, he no doubt used her as a resource in compiling the profile of Staunton.

Product Description

The saga of the Deptford Mice continues in this sequel to The Dark Portal. The evil rat Jupiter has been defeated, and the young Deptford mice emerge from the sewers to start a new life in the country. But the albino mouse Oswald is seized by an illness and lies near death. His friend Audrey enlists the help of the ancient squirrel mystic Starwife, who agrees to heal him on one condition. She reintroduces Audrey to the once villainous rat Madam Akkikuyu, whose mind is now broken, and decrees that Madam Akkikuyu must stay with Audrey until she dies.

In the country, the mice find a bucolic existence, until they find themselves embroiled in a series of murders. The country mice suspect that headstrong city mouse, Audrey, is the culprit. But the truth is far more sinister, as Audrey witnesses the return of the supernatural evil she thought had been destroyed.

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The Crystal Prison Book Two of the Deptford Mice Trilogy
Robin Jarvis
Manufacturer: SeaStar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NBF880

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