The Cunning Man

by Robertson Davies | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0140245502 Global Overview for this book
Registered by gypsysmom of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on 12/31/2014
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by gypsysmom from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Wednesday, December 31, 2014
I am a fan of Robertson Davies and I haven't read this book so when I saw it at the Children's Hospital Book Sale I snapped it up.

Journal Entry 2 by gypsysmom at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Friday, October 5, 2018
This is the last book Robertson Davies completed. It was meant to be the second book of a trilogy that started with Murther and Walking Spirits but Davies died before he could complete the third book. I'm sure it would have been just as fascinating as Davies' other novels.

Dr. Jon Hullah practises an unusual form of medicine where he diagnoses what ails patients that have bewildered other doctors. The good doctor is referred to as The Cunning Man hence the title of this book. His office is in an old stable that was part of the Glebe House (what I would call a manse and others might call a rectory or a parsonage) for St. Aidan's Anglican church. St. Aidan's is very high Anglican and the pomp and ceremony of the services are what attracts Hullah. Also his close school friend, Charlie Ireland, is a priest of the church. Hullah served as a field doctor during World War II and there he met his aide/helpmeet/nurse/receptionist, Inge Christofferson. An accredited nurse Christofferson is also a skilled masseuse and Hullah's patients often benefit from her ministrations. The Glebe House is now owned by two English lesbians who left England precipitously when one was about to be married. Chips and Dear One (as they are most frequently called in the narrative) are artists and try, somewhat in vain, to raise the level of art in Toronto. These are the main characters in the book which is written as a sort of diary by Dr. Hullah.

There is quite a bit of humour but philosophy and religion are the main ruminations for Dr. Hullah. Having now read The Merry Heart which is a collection of Davies' essays and speeches from 1980 to 1995 I can see that there is a lot of autobiography in this character. There is a common thought game that asks people to choose a certain number of people to have dinner with and the guests can be alive or dead and fictional or real. I am sure the fictional character would have been fascinating to have to dinner but I would choose the creator to have at my dinner table.

Journal Entry 3 by gypsysmom at Sanford United Church in Sanford, Manitoba Canada on Saturday, January 12, 2019

Released 5 yrs ago (1/12/2019 UTC) at Sanford United Church in Sanford, Manitoba Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in a ziploc bag in the railing of the steps . This release is for the 2019 52 Towns in 52 weeks release challenge - Town # 1. I thought this was an appropriate place to leave this book as a church figures prominently in the story.

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.

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