Customer Reviews

The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks

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Samuel Marchbanks is a grouchy old newspaperman who struggles with his coal furnace, garden, and neighbours in an attempt to live life as he feels is proper. He is witty, open-minded, well-read, and likes to shock his acquaintances.

The Diary is a record of his day-to-day life over a year, with several amusing plot-lines running through it. The Table Talk is just that--a collection of Marchbanks' favourite prandial conversations (or monologues as the case may be). The Miscellanea are letters and various papers, as well as an interview of Marchbanks by Davies.

This is an extremely funny collection of fiction. Although knowledge of early twentieth-century Canadian life helps, it's not necessary.

Humor has moved to tv/movies. There are very few really funny writers around. Robertson Davies is a gem, all the rarer for being in such sparse company. This book has at least two or three laughs per page. It is a compendium of miscelleanous writing by one Samuel Marchbanks (Davies' alter ego) who keeps diaries and writes columns. I find myself giggling on my way to work on the subway as I race through these short aphoristic pieces. Highly recommend for any scrooges who refer to babies in terms appropriate for judging a ham and can stand dogs only in newspaper reports about their valorous deeds.