Robertson Davies Reading Order

9 books (1979–2015)

Robertson Davies's Collections series spans nine volumes of literary and non-fiction works published between 1979 and 2015. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies. This collection of essays, stories, and selected writings showcases Davies's versatility across literary fiction and non-fiction, offering readers curated selections from his broader body of work along with his personal reflections on writing and reading.

Start with The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies, the first of 9 books in the Collections series.

#	Title
1	The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	High Spirits 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	At My Heart's CoreOverlaid 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Fortune, My Foe and Eros at Breakfast 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Hunting Stuart and The Voice of the People 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	A Gathering of Ghost Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Modern Classics Selected Works On the Art of Writing 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Selected Works on the Pleasures of Reading 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	A Celtic Temperament: Robertson Davies as Diarist 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

9 books (1960–2002)

Robertson Davies' non-fiction collection spans nine books published between 1960 and 2002, presenting essays, letters, and critical writings that showcase the acclaimed author's wit and erudition. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with A Voice from the Attic and concluding with Robertson Davies Discoveries: Early Letters 1938-1975. This complete series offers insights into Davies' literary perspectives, philosophical reflections, and personal correspondence across four decades.

Start with A Voice from the Attic, the first of 9 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	A Voice from the Attic 1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	One Half of Robertson Davies 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Well-Tempered Critic 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Mirror of Nature 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Merry Heart 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	For Your Eye Alone 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Happy Alchemy 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Robertson Davies Discoveries: Early Letters 1938-1975 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1963–1970)

Robertson Davies' two standalone novels should be read in publication order, beginning with A Masque of Mr. Punch from 1963, followed by Stephen Leacock in 1970. This complete series showcases Davies' work in literary fiction across the 1960s, with each novel standing independently rather than forming a connected narrative.

Start with A Masque of Mr. Punch and read in order.

#	Title
1	A Masque of Mr. Punch 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Stephen Leacock 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1981–1988)

Robertson Davies' Cornish Trilogy is a complete three-book literary fiction series published between 1981 and 1988. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Rebel Angels, followed by What's Bred in the Bone, and concluding with The Lyre of Orpheus. This interconnected series explores interconnected narratives that span generations and weave together mysteries of art, identity, and human nature.

Start with The Rebel Angels and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Rebel Angels 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	What's Bred in the Bone 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Lyre of Orpheus 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1970–1975)

Robertson Davies's Deptford Trilogy consists of three literary fiction novels published between 1970 and 1975, beginning with Fifth Business, followed by The Manticore, and concluding with World of Wonders. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, as each book builds upon the revelations and perspectives of the previous installments. Together these volumes form an interconnected narrative that explores the same events from multiple viewpoints, creating a rich, complex examination of fate, identity, and human connection.

Start with Fifth Business and read in order.

#	Title
1	Fifth Business 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Manticore 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	World of Wonders 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1951–1958)

Robertson Davies's Salterton Trilogy consists of three complete literary novels published between 1951 and 1958, following the fictional Canadian city of Salterton through interconnected stories. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Tempest-Tost, followed by Leaven of Malice, and concluding with A Mixture of Frailties. Each novel stands on its own while contributing to a broader portrait of the community and its colorful inhabitants.

Start with Tempest-Tost and read in order.

#	Title
1	Tempest-Tost 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Leaven of Malice 1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Mixture of Frailties 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1991–1994)

Robertson Davies' Toronto Trilogy is a two-book literary fiction series published between 1991 and 1994. The complete works should be read in publication order, beginning with Murther and Walking Spirits followed by The Cunning Man. Though only two books were released, they form a finished exploration of Toronto's cultural and spiritual landscape through Davies' distinctive narrative voice.

Start with Murther and Walking Spirits and read in order.

#	Title
1	Murther and Walking Spirits 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Cunning Man 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible