Product Description

Robertson Davies, one of the twentieth century's most distinguished authors, brought his characteristic great sense of style to everything he wrote. Whether it was a letter to his daughter or a formal letter to the editor disemboweling a hostile review, he wrote with care, zest, and in a distinctive voice. Penned during the height of his fame-between the years 1976 and 1995-these letters were sent to a wide range of recipients, from Sir John Gielgud to Margaret Atwood, from publishers to fans and critics of his writings. The letters are frequently testy, tart, and not always "politically correct"; but whether they are funny, moving, or thought provoking, they provide a rare glimpse of the private Davies, as r evealed in his own words.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1223275 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In amassing the first collection of the late Canadian novelist's letters, Davies's biographer Grant (Robertson Davies: Man of Myth) discovered many had actually been framed, which says something about not only Davies's status as grand old man of Canuck letters, but also their sheer entertainment value. This volume covers the years from 1976, when he was 63, to his death in 1995; during this period, he was at last a successful public figure, as the master of Massey College at the University of Toronto and the successful novelist of the Deptford Trilogy. His status is elevated enough that he not only helpfully blurbs aspiring novelists' works, but also burlesques literary critics and book reviewers (though he warns one lucky recipient, "PS: Of course this letter is for your eye alone"). In the world of letters, his correspondents include fellow novelists John Irving, Mordecai Richler and Margaret Atwood, his editors and translators, and, of course, his readers, from schoolgirls to college professors. He deals with them all with equanimity and good humor, whether answering questions about his Jungian symbolism or explicating the Canada-Quebec culture wars and the propinquitous influence of the United States. As a public figure, he occasionally writes open letters to newspaper editors; in private his sentiments range from cheerfully curmudgeonly to plain irascible. His sporadic reminiscences about his early years in the theater in England and in provincial journalism might leave the reader wishing for letters from that younger Davies, but as these show, the great writer mastered the art of growing old gracefully and entertainingly. (Jan. 15) Forecast: Thanks to Davies's sterling reputation, this will be widely reviewed. Davies has legions of fans south of the Canadian border, and they will delight in this opportunity to meet the novelist in his own words.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
One of the best Canadian novelists of the 20th century, Davies (1913-95) is known for his "Deptford" and "Salterton" trilogies, among other works. This collection of letters, dating from 1976 to 1995, is intended as the first published volume of the author's correspondence. Editor Grant is the author of the massive 1994 biography Robertson Davies: Man of Myth, and some of the letters are addressed to her. Although a number are written to well-known individuals, such as actor John Gielgud and novelist John Irving, most are addressed to friends, colleagues, editors, and family members and reflect Davies's humor, prejudices, strong opinions, and great warmth and feeling. The topics are varied, but many of the letters are concerned with the arts, Canadian literature, the place of Canada as seen by the rest of the world, and the processes by which Davies produced some of his greatest novels. The explanatory notes are informative, while the facsimiles of some of the author's letters give an added pictorial value to the collection. Strongly recommended to all devotees of the writer; for larger public and academic library collections.DMorris Hounion, New York City Technical Coll. Lib., Brooklyn
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Taken from the last two decades of Davies' octogenarian life, which ended in 1995, these missives partake of the author's personal and literary style. By turns theatrical and moral, his novels, comprising the Deptford Trilogy and the Cornish Trilogy, were above all imaginative, a quality he dilates on to many of his correspondents, which here range from ordinary fans to harsh critics such as novelist Joyce Carol Oates. A bemused soul when he thought the complaining writer or professional tastemaker simply missed the point, Davies' replies always cushioned his technical retort with irony and even merriment. Edited by his biographer, who with Davies' cooperation wrote Robertson Davies: Man of Myth (1994), the correspondence projects Davies' personality, outwardly that of a kindly curmudgeon--a "Tory crank" in one self-description--but inwardly that of a commiserative commentator, albeit stoically so, about others' inner lives. A devotee of Jung, and sensible of a shadowy psychological and spiritual world that he incorporated into his novels, Davies leaves his characteristic mark in these letters, which should lure once again his loyal readership. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Gems galore
It's startling how thoughtful, evocative and just plain funny a man can be in writing his regular correspondance. Makes you want to be a prolific letter-writer yourself. Makes you wish he were still alive so that you could respond to some of the more inflammatory things he says.

I don't think I'd realized quite how much Davies was concerned about the "place" of Canadian Literature in the world literature canon; it comes out so plainly here.

Judith Skelton Grant, who edited the letters, is mentioned repeatedly in them -- Davies apparently was amused, worried and sometimes just ticked off about the biography she was writing of him.

An Opportunity For More Insight
I enjoyed this book's organization, which was established by the various books Davies had written over the last part of his career. While not Canadian, and thereby somewhat in the dark regarding some of the letters' recipients, I found the editor's annotations brief but helpful. The main draw here is the author's distinctive voice, which emerges within the various letters.

I am not usually interested in reading compilations of letters. Here, however, I find a volume that constitutes a diversion from my other reading, a book which I can pick up from time to time and garner ideas for those brighter days when I re-read a Davies' novel. For this end, I found the collection worthwhile!

For Your Eyes Alone by Robertson Davies
Robertson Davies was 82 years old when he died on 12-2-1995 from
a leaky heart and terminal pneumonia. He is one of Canada's most
famous writers of belles lettres literature having multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize.

Some of his best works are Dr. Canon's Cure, What's Bred in the Bone, Jezebel and The Merry Heart. He had 26 honorary degrees. Memorable quotations from his letters are as follows:

- " Writers are an extremely contentious group and old age
does not make them any more peaceful."

- "Sampson should have stayed away from the Barber Shop. "

- "The great leap for writers is in their 40s. They either
gain new energy or go to pot. "

- "Ye have the poor always with you. " Jesus Christ

A strength of this work is that it shows the deeply personal
side of Robertson Davies. He wrote many letters and discussed
small talk and consequential issues in most of them. The book
is well worth the price for the huge value of the letters
contained . The letters are written with considerable wit
and satire. The humor is not unlike British journalistic satire. When you've finished reading this book, it will become apparent why the author is so sorely missed.