The Lyre of Orpheus [Paperback]

Robertson Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 1997

A magnificent, new novel from a masterful writer--the conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Rebel Angels and continued in the bestselling What's Bred in the Bone.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third volume of the Cornish trilogy has less mystery and suspense than The Rebel Angels and What's Bred in the Bone , but there are still rewards for the reader. This is a deeper, more thoughtful and old-fashioned book, somewhat padded with leisurely asides, snippets of poetry and observations on the subject of artistic creativity. The plot revolves around a production of an unfinished opera by the 19th century composer E.T.A. Hoffmann, whose entreaty "Let the lyre of Orpheus open the door of the underworld of feeling" is borne out on many levels. The completion of Hoffmann's Arthur of Britain, or The Magnanimous Cuckold , is sponsored by the Cornish Foundation, presided over by the late benefactor's nephew, Arthur; the duplication of names is not accidental, for in the course of the narrative the modern-day Arthur is cuckolded by his wife, gypsy Maria Theotoky. Packed with interesting details of opera history and production, boasting some new, eccentric characters, and pulling together Robertson's various themes in a harmonic resolution, the novel should satisfy those who will settle for intelligent observations and playful allusions rather than dramatic momentum this time around. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; BOMC and QPBC alternates.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Old fans will be delighted, and new readers intrigued, as characters from Davies's The Rebel Angels ( LJ 1/1/82) and What's Bred in the Bone ( LJ 11/15/85) reappear in this demanding but worthwhile third volume of "The Deptford Trilogy." With his wonderfully complex yet controlled plot, deft portrayal of eccentric characters, and great wit, Davies effectively satirizes the world of universities and foundations. Members of the Cornish Foundation are forced by Francis Cornish's nephew Arthur into funding the doctoral project of abrasive prodigy Hulda Schnackenburgthe completion and production of E.T.A. Hoffman's opera Arthur of Britain , or, The Magnificent Cuckold. Soon the characters' lives begin to resemble the opera's plot, and the spirit of Hoffman in Limbo, who observes "Let the lyre of Orpheus open the door of the underworld of feeling," complicates the actionall to the reader's delight. Elizabeth Guiney Sandvick, North Hennepin Community Coll., Minneapolis
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (September 25, 1997)
• ISBN-10: 0140264337
• ISBN-13: 978-0140264333
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,418,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, But The Weakest of the Trilogy, September 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lyre of Orpheus (Cornish Trilogy) (Paperback)

The Lyre of Orpheus continues the story of the characters introduced in The Rebel Angels -- Maria and Arthur Cornish, Simon Darcourt, Clement Hollier, etc. I read the Cornish Trilogy straight through, and while I very much enjoyed it, I thought Davies ran out of gas somewhere in the Lyre of Orpheus. What I liked so much about the first two books was Davies' delving into the personalities of the characters; What's Bred in the Bone deals more with Francis Cornish, but goes very deeply into the forces that shaped his life. Davies has great insight into human nature. In The Lyre of Orpheus, the characters' motivations are not well explored. For example, we learn that a character's wife has an affair that results in pregnancy, and that the man, with apparently little ado, not only forgives his wife and treats her with undiminished devotion, but also continues to regard her lover as the dear friend he had been. Well, that's great, but uncommon, and Davies makes no attempt to explain this astounding level of generosity other than to analogize it to the Arthurian legend (but that was a legend). Similarly, we learn that Simon Darcourt has taken something of a new path in his life, but for motivation we are told little more than that, after taking a walk in woods, he has decided to view his life differently. Instead of helping us to relate to these characters, Davies spends a great deal of time educating us about how to produce an opera, evidently a great love of his. Opera fans will find this great fun, but it doesn't make for a great story. Finally, the analogizing to Arthurian legend of the characters' lives that permeates the entire work as a leitmotif becomes increasingly heavyhanded as time wears on, almost to the point of self-parody. In short, it's an entertaining read, but not up to the level of the first two parts of the trilogy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Mixture of Frailties Remixed, November 1, 1999

By 

Mark Salter - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lyre of Orpheus (Cornish Trilogy) (Paperback)

Treats the same subject as the much earlier A Mixture of Frailties, from a different approach (and in a more modern manner). Philosophical, farcical, thoughtful, touching, and even -- gasp - educational. The plot drives ahead almost unnoticed, as usual, until you realize, quite by accident, that you really need to find out how this is all going to come out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, witty story of artistic academics, October 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lyre of Orpheus (Cornish Trilogy) (Paperback)

The final part of the Cornish Trilogy. This is the story of an opera. Boring? Never. An unfinished opera by E.T.A. Hoffman is to be completed by an unlovable music student as a part of a bequest from a charitable foundation. From the beginning Davies' coruscating prose enchants and, as the twin plots begin to unfold, the richly eccentric characters begin to draw the reader in. Davies has a way of tying the most obscure facts together and making his huge knowledge accessible through humour and his immensely gifted, exhilarating, writing. If you have never read Robertson Davies you should start now. Start with The Lyre of Orpheus if you like, it is a superb book in it's own right, but it is a part of the outstanding "Cornish Trilogy" so you may prefer to begin with The Rebel Angels, the first in the trilogy. Personally, though, I would buy the trilogy right now.