Book: The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks by Robertson Davies

[Krishna]

** Originally posted on Jan 25 2012 elsewhere **

Robertson Davies is a Canadian author well known in Canada. But I do not know if he is known outside Canada, like for instance, Stephen Leacock, another Canadian author, is.  Is he?

or this one, you certainly need to be a fan of the English language. Being interested in Etymology (origin of words and phrases) I found that this book is a treat. It is the funniest books I have read of Robertson Davies but you probably need a dictionary by your side if you want to understand the full import of what he is saying.

It is indeed like an everyday diary from the life of this ‘Marchbanks’. Despite the weak attempt in the epilog to ‘prove’
that a Samuel Marchbanks really exists, it is very clear that the notings are too close to Davies’ own personality for it to be anything other than an autobiographical ‘fiction’. But the everyday life is the life and times when people still had a furnace in their basement that took tons of coal stocks to keep it fed, for instance.  And one in which everyone who was anyone grew a respectable beard (like Davies himself had).

If you approach it with the right frame of mind, it is an outstanding book. So, despite my warnings that it may not be for all
of you, I give it a resounding 7/10

— Krishna