The Deptford Trilogy

I first read my mom's tattered copy of this triology in college. 10 years later, I couldn't recall the plot, but knew I was spellbound by it, so dove back in. It's great. Davies managed what seems to be a tricky feat in trilogies - weaving together three novels (novellas?) with different narrators (one narrator appears twice, at different phases in life) and distinctly different feels that shed light on the same captivating plot. Picking a favorite feels impossible, although on the one hand, “The Manticore” introduces the belligerent narrator to a formidable (and formidably compassionate) opponent in the form of a female psychoanalyst, so of course I love that, and on the other, “World of Wonders” links past and present in a way that feels satisfying, but not too pat. But “Fifth Business”! Ahhh! Just read them. Also, notably given my own personal preferences, the female characters are as multidimensional as the males, and Davies has some interesting and subtle thoughts on the cultural phenomenon of masculinity.