First published 1987
Samuel Marchbanks sits at his desk, recording his daily observations and philosophical reflections in a diary that captures his peculiar view of the world. His friend Robertson Davies has gathered these personal writings along with Marchbanks' dinner table conversations and various other papers. Davies adds his own biographical notes to help modern readers understand Marchbanks' references and appreciate his eccentric wisdom. The collection reveals Marchbanks as a man whose whimsical thoughts mask deeper insights about human nature. Davies presents himself as the long-suffering friend who must explain Marchbanks' idiosyncrasies to a world that might not otherwise grasp his meaning. Through diary entries and recorded conversations, readers encounter a character whose apparent oddities contain unexpected truths about life and society.
Genres: essays, humor, 20th-century, contemporary, canadian-literature, biography-memoir, comedy, academic
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-Century
540 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins Canada