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Robertson Davies

The first book in the acclaimed Cornish Trilogy. “[A] darkly funny scuttle through academe’s more covert passageway . . . saucy stuff indeed.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
 Davies weaves together the destinies of this remarkable cast of characters, creating a wise and witty portrait of love, murder, and scholarship at a modern university in this first book of The Cornish Trilogy.

 A goodhearted priest and scholar, a professor with a passion for the darker side of medieval psychology, a defrocked monk, and a rich young businessman who inherits some troublesome paintings are all helplessly beguiled by the same coed.
 The story is set in motion by the death of eccentric art patron and collector Francis Cornish. Hollier, McVarish, and Darcourt are the executors of Cornish’s complicated will, which includes material that Hollier wants for his studies. The deceased’s nephew, Arthur Cornish, stands to inherit the fortune.
 
Rebel Angels “is an enlarging and engaging marvel . . . one does not read this book to be surprised but rather to ponder the ideas its characters encounter in their lives and their readings. It ends like all good comedies end; it proceeds in a manner both picaresque and poignant” (AllReaders.com).

 “A compelling performance.”—Library Journal

RosettaBooks

Cornish Trilogy

The Rebel Angels

Available in one volume, all three books of the darkly witty Cornish Trilogy: The Rebel Angels, What’s Bred in the Bone, and The Lyre of Orpheus.

The fate of the Cornish family unfolds in this trio of novels by acclaimed Canadian writer Robertson Davies …

The Rebel Angels. Set in motion by the death of eccentric art patron and collector Francis Cornish, a goodhearted priest and scholar, a professor with a passion for the darker side of medieval psychology, a defrocked monk, and a rich young businessman who inherits some troublesome paintings are all helplessly beguiled by the same coed.

What’s Bred in the Bone. This worthy follow-up goes back to Cornish’s humble beginnings in a spellbinding tale of artistic triumph and heroic deceit. It is a tale told in stylish, elegant prose, endowed with lavish portions of Davies’ wit and wisdom.

The Lyre of Orpheus. The Cornish Foundation is thriving under the directorship of Arthur Cornish when Arthur and his beguiling wife decide to undertake a project worthy of Francis Cornish. Hulda Schnakenburg is commissioned to complete E. T. A. Hoffmann’s unfinished opera Arthur of Britain, or The Magnanimous Cuckold; and the scholarly priest Simon Darcourt finds himself charged with writing the libretto.

“Invention has always been Robertson Davies’s strength. He tells terrific stories that twist around and double back on themselves in surprising ways and, characteristically, combines them with intriguing, arcane information. ”—The New York Times

“Davies’ fiction is animated by his scorn for the ironclad systems that claim to explain the whole of life. Messy, magical, high-spirited life bubbles up between the cracks. ”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Cornish Trilogy Omnibus

Second in the Cornish Trilogy following The Rebel Angels. “An altogether remarkable creation, [Davies’] most accomplished novel to date. ”—The New York Times

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

Francis Cornish was always good at keeping secrets. From the well-hidden family secret of his childhood to his mysterious encounters with a small-town embalmer, an expert art restorer, a Bavarian countess, and various masters of espionage, the events in Francis’ life were not always what they seemed.

Rounding out the story started by the death of eccentric art patron and collector Francis Cornish in The Rebel Angels, this worthy follow-up, What’s Bred in the Bone, takes you back to Cornish’s humble beginnings in a spellbinding tale of artistic triumph and heroic deceit. It is a tale told in stylish, elegant prose, endowed with lavish portions of Davies’ wit and wisdom.

“Davies’ novel is absorbing, and the understated humor radiates with good sense about the way of the world. ”—Los Angeles Times

“Davies’ fiction is animated by his scorn for the ironclad systems that claim to explain the whole of life. Messy, magical, high-spirited life bubbles up between the cracks. ”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel

What's Bred in the Bone

“The final Cornish Trilogy novel from an author who “tells terrific stories that twist around and double back on themselves in surprising ways” (The New York Times).

There is an important decision to be made. The Cornish Foundation is thriving under the directorship of Arthur Cornish when Arthur and his beguiling wife, Maria Theotoky, decide to undertake a project worthy of Francis Cornish—connoisseur, collector, and notable eccentric—whose vast fortune endows the Foundation. The grumpy, grimy, extraordinarily talented music student Hulda Schnakenburg is commissioned to complete E. T. A. Hoffmann’s unfinished opera Arthur of Britain, or The Magnanimous Cuckold; and the scholarly priest Simon Darcourt finds himself charged with writing the libretto.

Complications both practical and emotional arise: the passion in Maria’s blood rises with a vengeance; Darcourt stoops to petty crime; and various others indulge in perjury, blackmail, and other unsavory pursuits. Hoffmann’s dictum, “the lyre of Orpheus opens the door of the underworld, ” seems to be all too true—especially when the long-hidden secrets of Francis Cornish himself are finally revealed.

“Davies once again delivers the goods—with this solidly entertaining finale … Blending a characteristic knack for wit, esoterica, and snobbery, Davies charges ahead with a buoyant tale of upper-class grantsmanship and modern-day cuckoldry … A spry jaunt from an old master—once again in full command of the form. ”—Kirkus Reviews

“Packed with interesting details of opera history and production … intelligent observations and playful allusions. ”—Publishers Weekly

“With his wonderfully complex yet controlled plot, deft portrayal of eccentric characters, and great wit, Davies effectively satirizes the world of universities and foundations. ”—Library Journal