Cover of Fifth Business

Book · 1970 · Fiction

Fifth Business

by Robertson Davies · Recommended by 2 people on 2 podcasts

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- "The Deptford Trilogy," "Fifth Business," "The Manticore," "World of Wonders," and he got a really nice beard.
Lex Fridman · Lex Fridman Podcast · Sep 2024 Listen at 3:22:22

The best things said about it

1 of 2 · every mention
Discussed
And so when I was 15, I read a couple of books, The Lord of Light and Siddhartha, Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, and it really blew me open.
John Vervaeke The Tim Ferriss Show · Feb 2023

Why people recommend it

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies is a celebrated novel that forms the first installment of the author's acclaimed Deptford Trilogy. The book has garnered notable mentions across different podcast platforms by prominent public figures reflecting on its formative impact and literary significance. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, Lex Fridman listed Fifth Business while discussing the broader architectural structure of The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies, humorously noting that the author sported a really nice beard. Similarly, John Vervaeke appeared on The Tim Ferriss Show to discuss how the novel deeply influenced him during his youth. Vervaeke shared that when he was fifteen years old, he read a select group of books that included Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, and Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, emphasizing that reading Davies's work at such a tender age truly blew him open and catalyzed his intellectual and spiritual development. These discussions collectively highlight the enduring resonance of Davies's narrative art, demonstrating how a novel centered on the intricate secrets and hidden guilt of a small-town Canadian upbringing can profoundly touch readers during their formative years and remain a touchstone for thinkers later in life.

Every mention

2 counted mentions
John Vervaeke And so when I was 15, I read a couple of books, The Lord of Light and Siddhartha, Lord of Light by Roger Ze… 1
Discussed
“And so when I was 15, I read a couple of books, The Lord of Light and Siddhartha, Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, and it really blew me open.”
Lex Fridman - "The Deptford Trilogy," "Fifth Business," "The Manticore," "World of Wonders," and he got a really nice b… 1
Discussed
“- "The Deptford Trilogy," "Fifth Business," "The Manticore," "World of Wonders," and he got a really nice beard.”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Lex Fridman, lexfridman / Wikimedia Commons (CC0).