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Re: archives in Robertson Davies novels



Just a clarification: the multiple references to archives and stealing from them do indeed occur in "The Lyre of Orpheus."  "What's Bred in the Bone" is a fantastic book which I re-read at least once a year, but it has very little in the way of archival references (fun for those of you with an interest in art history).  Though almost all of Davies' books have archival/records content, at least 4 have a clear connection: The Lyre of Orpheus, Murther and Walking Spirits, The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks, and The Rebel Angels.  That last one is probably the strongest in terms of archives in fiction and also provides one of my favorite quotes about archives and acquisition of manuscripts: "Judge a man by what he publishes, not by what he hides in a bottom drawer." 
 
Apologies to all Mss people on the listserv: I just said I loved the quote, I didn't say I agreed with it.  I'll go back to lurking now.
 
Arlene Schmuland