- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (27 Aug 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 014027586X
- ISBN-13: 978-0140275865
- Product Dimensions: 13 x 2 x 19.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,272,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
From "one of the most learned, amusing...accomplished novelists of our time and century" (The New York Times Book Review) comes this posthumous gift pulsing with wit, wisdom, learning, and magic
Readers around the world continue to mourn the 1995 death of a beloved literary icon, but this rich and varied collection of Robertson Davies's writings on the world of books and the miracle of language captures his inimitable voice and sustains his presence among us. Coming almost entirely from Davies' own files of unpublished material, these twenty-four essays and lectures range over themes from "The Novelist and Magic" to "Literature and Technology", from "Painting, Fiction, and Faking", to "Can a Doctor Be a Humanist?" and "Creativity in Old Age". For devotees of Davies and all lovers of literature and language, here is the "urbanity, wit, and high seriousness mixed by a master chef" (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- vintage delights from an exquisite literary menu. Davies himself says merely: "Lucky writers...like wine, die rich in fruitiness and delicious aftertaste, so that their works survive them".
"A splendid gallimaufry of the eminent Canadian's talks and essays". -- The Washington Post Book World
"A rare, unvarnished look into one of the century's greatest literary minds as it ranges freely through topics great and small.... Every subject he treats turns to magic". -- The San Diego Union-Tribune
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Davies unmistakable mixture of wisdom, scholarship and wit shines through most of this book, which is a collectionof his lectures and essays.
The reader an insight into the man himself, rather than his writing. He comes across as thoughful, witty, rather self-regarding, and slightly old-fashioned man.
While many of the ideas and sentiments are as interesting and well-written as one might expect from this writer, I did wonder whether this book would have been edited in this way had the author still been alive. It becomes clear that Davies gave a great many public lectures, and had staple issues and pet themes he would return to on different occasions. This does lead to some repitition of his ideas, occasioanlly verbatim, which did become a little wearisome.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it, even if this is quite a different kind of book than his novels.
The reader an insight into the man himself, rather than his writing. He comes across as thoughful, witty, rather self-regarding, and slightly old-fashioned man.
While many of the ideas and sentiments are as interesting and well-written as one might expect from this writer, I did wonder whether this book would have been edited in this way had the author still been alive. It becomes clear that Davies gave a great many public lectures, and had staple issues and pet themes he would return to on different occasions. This does lead to some repitition of his ideas, occasioanlly verbatim, which did become a little wearisome.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it, even if this is quite a different kind of book than his novels.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is really one for the Robertson Davies fanatics; for those of you who do not know his work this is definitely not the place to start - for that I recommend the Cunning Man or the Cornish trilogy.
The Merry Heart is a collection of odd articles, lectures, addresses and other writings focussing mainly on reading, writing and the world of books. The subject matter is interesting but intellectual - a number are addresses made to academic institutions and like many lectures I have attended one's concentration does tend to wane.
Certain poignant thoughts have stuck with me from this - for example Davies advice on reading that reading should be for enjoyment and done at one's own pace rather than for the sake of having read a particular work, something perhaps some of the more voracious reviewers on this site should bear in mind!
A slight criticism that is not really anyone's fault as these essays etc were never designed to be put into a collection is that Davies does repeat his literary anecdotes and influences - for example Dickens and in particular the Christmas Carol is a common theme along with Ibsen, Thackery and Nabokov.
In summary for those who are very keen on Davies then this is an essential addition to the collection; for those interested in the intellectual topics of writing and reading then there is plenty for you here also; if you are none of the above then this could be something that is rather heavy going but as the work consists of 24 separate items density is not an huge issue.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
A welcome little addition to the Davies bibliography.
4 Oct 1997
Format:Hardcover
Two years after Robertson Davies' death, here is the unexpected gift of "The Merry Heart," a collection of essays, speeches and autobiographical reflections pulled together by his wife and daughter. They proceeded knowing Davies himself had considered such a project, and in doing so, they honor both his memory and his intentions.
Page after page, "The Merry Heart" offers delight and dissertation. From the charm of the opening essay, "A Rake at Reading," to the storytelling wit of the last piece, "A Ghost Story," Davies' distinctive voice covers as wide a range of topics as a sparkling dinner party. From the seriousness of Canada's continuing preoccupation with its sense of place and history in "Literature in a Country without a Mythology" and such timely discourses as "Literature and Technology" and "Literature and Moral Purpose" to the gems of "Christmas Books," "A View in Winter: Creativity in Old Age" and "An Unlikely Masterpiece," he is by turns critical, thoughtful, playful, reverent and above all, a proud bearer of the literary standard.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
The old man has done it again!!
10 April 1999
Format:Hardcover
When I read this collection it was as if the old friend was still alive. He is most certainly alive and kicking in this book. The book gives not only his honest view of books, authors and the literary world but also includes yet another ghostly tale of mythological origin. Not only was this an informative read, as most of Davies' work is, it was also a heartfelt pleasure, and continues to be so, again and again and again.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Reflections on reading, writing, and the world of books
15 May 2000
Format:Paperback
It is usually a pleasure to sit down to a Robertson Davies work whether it be a novel, a collection of speeches, ghost stories, essays, or newspaper articles. The Merry Heart is a felicitous adddition to the Davies canon, containing his usual eclectic selection of literary topics and sparkling ideas. Each chapter has a few introductory comments (often including excerpts from Davies' diary) by the book's editors that paint the background for each piece. Readers enjoy comparing notes about favorite books and biographical history, so for avid readers, The Merry Heart will be like reading a series of letters from a funny, witty, learned friend about some of those events and books that have shaped his life. This fine 385 page book of 24 chapters is easy to read in bits and pieces, either during a lunch break, before bed, or on a weekend next to the fire. (One note of caution: for those unfamiliar with Davies' worldview, do not be surprised to see elements of gnosticism popping up from time to time.) All in all, this book was a real pleasure to read.
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