Leaven Of Malice

Winner of the Lealock Award for Humor "His writing is full of zest, wit, and urbanity. The soundness of his moral is apparent. The leaven of malice grows, and swells, and sooner or later touches all of us." - The New York Times Book Review "The reader will find it a riot--engrossing from opening prank to final curtain." - The Toronto Star The following announcement appeared in the Salterton Evening Bellman: "Professor and Mrs. Walter Vambrace are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Pearl Veronica, to Solomon Bridgetower, Esq., son of..." Although the malice that prompted the insertion of this false engagement notice was aimed at three people only - Solly Bridgetower, a junior instructor in English at Waverly University; Pearl Vambrace, the subdued daughter of a domineering profess∨ and Gloster Ridley, the anxiety-ridden editor of the Evening Bellman - before the leaven of malice had ceased to work it had changed permanently, for good or ill, the lives of many of the citizens of Salterton. Robertson Davies jumps at the opportunity this situation provides to create memorable characters and lasting impression.

In Leaven of malice, the university corridors and newspaper offices of small-town Ontario provide an ideal backdrop for Robertson Davies to exercise his genius for creating memorable characters and comical situations. Winner of the 1954 Leacock Award, the novel combines sustained humour with a more sinister undercurrent, in Davies' seductively elegant prose.

The debut novel that launched Robertson Davies’ literary career, Tempest-Tost is a magnificent display of his legendary wit. The first novel in The Salterton Trilogy is now available as an eBook for the first time. An amateur production of The Tempest provides a colourful backdrop for a hilarious look at unrequited love. Mathematics teacher Hector Mackilwraith, stirred and troubled by Shakespeare’s plays, falls in love with the beautiful Griselda Webster. When Griselda shows she has plans of her own, Hector despairs and tries to commit suicide on the play’s opening night.