The Cunning Man [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Robertson Davies (Author), Frederick Davidson (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

When Father Hobbes mysteriously dies at the high altar on Good Friday, Dr Jonathan Hullah - whose holistic ideas have earned him the soubriquet 'cunning man' - wants to know why. But it is only through looking back at his own long life that answers are forthcoming. He recalls the dazzling intellectual high jinks of his circle of friends, from the High Church homosexual Darcy Dwyer (an expert on the theory of sin) to the curious occurrence of the Coburg Social Parlour's Seventh Annual Bad Breath Contest. Compelling and hilarious, "The Cunning Man" is a profound exploration of what it means to be an actor in the divine comedy of life.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Admirers of Davies who may have felt somewhat of a falling off in his last two books can be reassured: The Cunning Man is a superb return to the high form of the Deptford trilogy and What's Bred in the Bone. It's a novel in which Davies' clear-sighted humanism, irony and grasp of character are on vivid display. The hero, Dr. Jonathan Hullah, is a Toronto doctor of decidedly unorthodox opinions and practice who regales the reader with an account of his family and educational history, and his relationships with a group that includes a noble priest who dies mysteriously at the altar, a far-from-noble one who quite justifiably declines into drink and despair, an untidy Scottish journalist who is a splendid foil to Hullah, and a lesbian couple who offer the provincial Canadian city the equivalent of a Parisian salon on the basis of cucumber sandwiches and cream cakes. Everything revolves around a church much more Roman, in its rituals and music, than it should be; an apparent miracle; and a nosy woman reporter. Davies's command of both his material and his elegant first-person narration is absolute. He achieves a remarkable sense of uncloying elegy in his vision of a group of people who are far more complicated than they appear, yet always utterly believable. To call a book the work of an infinitely civilized mind might seem starchy; to add that it is also wonderfully funny, poignant and never less than totally engrossing should redress the balance.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

It is always a pleasure to read works that manage to be both entertaining and intelligent. Throughout his long career, Canadian novelist Davies (e.g., What's Bred in the Bone, LJ 11/15/85) has successfully combined these two elements. His latest protagonist, Dr. Jonathan Hullah, is a holistic physician-a cunning diagnostician who is often able to get to the root of problems that have baffled others. A young reporter's query about the circumstances surrounding an Episcopalian priest's death at the high altar on Good Friday leads the doctor to reflect on his own life and career. While the issues addressed are those that have long preoccupied Davies-the nature of friendship, religion, faith, and artistic life-the approach is anything but pompous and dry. Davies's characterizations are rich (and just a bit quirky) and his commentary filled with humor (e.g., deconstructionism "comes from France, as so many brilliant and short lived notions do"). One of those rare novels that can be wholeheartedly recommended for libraries of every type and size, including high schools.
--David W. Henderson, Eckerd Coll. Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786110600
• ISBN-13: 978-0786110605
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,623,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Canada dry mock, June 4, 2001

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cunning Man (Paperback)

This is my first encounter with Robertson Davies. I had never heard of him, and would not have read him if he weren't noted in the reader's list of the Modern Library's top 100 novels. And how unfortunate it would have been had I not picked up this book!

The Cunning Man is an examination of the life of a doctor, told by himself. Asked to recall the story of the strange death of Father Ninian Hobbes which he witnessed, he recounts his past; his childhood, his schooling, the work of his profession, the influences that have made him who he is. In doing so, he shares with us his observations on the nature of life, love, art, illness, friendship, and many other things. Davies lets us have a picture of life, complete with accomplishments and disappointments, dreams and dreams undone, and makes it real and interesting and intelligent. I can understand the appeal he has for his fans and I will be reading more of Davies' books soon.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Elegantly crafted and narrated, June 27, 2003

By 

Matthew Krichman (Durango, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cunning Man (Paperback)

When I read Fifth Business I knew instantly that Robertson Davies would become one of my favorite authors. The Cunning Man has confirmed that opinion. Davies is the master of creating passive observer narrators, characters who are fascinating in and of themselves, but remain just aloof and removed enough so as not to feel like they are influencing the course of events in the story. Dr. Jonathan Hullah, the cunning man, is just that type. Observant, witty, charming, and opinionated (when an opinion is required), he narrates an engrossing tale that spans his entire lifetime. As he beautifully unfolds the mystery behind the death of Father Hobbes, as well as weaving several other elegant plot lines, he reveals throughout his thoughtful insights on humanity. This is a delightful book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment, June 30, 2004

By 

grapemanca (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cunning Man (Paperback)

As a long-time Robertson Davies fan, I was disappointed with his last novel. To be sure, his understanding of human nature remained exceptional to the end. However, the plot meandered and digressed far too often, and Mr. Davies seemed determined to pack in every pithy aphorism and witticism he could, even if it didn't seem necessary for the narrative. This would not be my first choice for an introduction to the warm and wise world of Robertson Davies.