I went to the Millennium Library sale and mostly bought books for wild releasing. But I had never seen this book of Robertson Davies before and I decided I couldn't pass it up. So I brought it home in my bag of books.

It would have been worth doing a Ph. D. at the University of Toronto in the 1960s and 70s to have been invited to the Christmas Party at Massey College. Massey College was newly built with a generous donation from the Massey Foundation when Robertson Davies was brought in as the first Master in 1963. It is one of only three residential graduate colleges in Canada. It seems like a very convivial place to study having special dinners a couple of times a month, a Christmas dance, the aforesaid Christmas party and other opportunities to eat, drink and discuss. Yes, it is haunted, as Davies was to discover, but the ghosts are the very best kind of spirit. Several royal personages, a couple of Canadian Prime Ministers, notable scientists and dramatists--that's the calibre of haunting in Massey College. Fortunately Robertson Davies was there to chronicle every manifestation and he would entertain the gathering at the annual Christmas party with the news. Since Davies is the amanuensis there are witticisms and puns in every story. I probably didn't catch everything because I suspect some remarks were meant to be understood only by those in attendance. One I certainly did understand is contained in the story "The Pit Whence Ye Are Digged". In it all the attendees at a special dinner are thrust back in time to the year 1774 where they become their own ancestor. One person was wearing a black band on his left arm and he told his neighbour that it was in morning for the Scots poet Robert Fergusson who had died recently. He declared "The name of Fergusson will never die." which was met by a murmured comment "No, never so long as it is linked with the name of Massey." As a farm girl I was very familiar with the line of farm equipment made by the firm Massey-Fergusson!

I left this book by the foot of the Elk Statue in a BookCrossing baggie . This release is for the 2018 Canada Days release challenge and for the 2018 52 Towns in 52 weeks release challenge - Town #17 and for the Allergic to A release challenge.

When you find a BookCrossing book it is yours to do with what you like. You can read it and keep it or pass it on or if you don't think it is your kind of book pass it on to someone who might like it or release it in a spot for someone else to find like you just did. Whatever you choose it would be great if you could write a short note letting us know what new adventures the book is on.