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From: Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Robertson Davies. John Crowley.
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2025 08:54:59 -0000 (UTC)
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On Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:33:38 +1300, Titus G wrote:

> I asked Twitter's Grok3 for an author with a similar style to Robertson
> Davies. Here is the reply.
> 
> Finding an author who mirrors Robertson Davies’ writing style means
> homing in on what makes him tick—rich, layered prose, a blend of wit and
> gravitas, deep dives into psychology, and a knack for weaving myth,
> history, and small-town Canadiana into something grand yet intimate.
> Davies, born 1913 in Ontario, penned trilogies like The Deptford Trilogy
> and The Cornish Trilogy, marked by erudition, irony, and a theatrical
> flair (he was a playwright too). As of February 28, 2025, with my
> knowledge fresh, here’s the closest match.
> John Crowley stands out as the most similar. Born 1942 in Maine,
> Crowley’s novels—like Little, Big (1981) and the Ægypt quartet—echo
> Davies’ vibe. Both wield a lush, literate style that’s dense but never
> rushed, piling on ideas without losing the human thread. Crowley’s got
> that same mix of the mundane and the mystical—think faerie lore crashing
> into upstate New York, much like Davies’ Jungian archetypes haunt
> Deptford. They share a dry humor too: Davies smirks at provincial quirks
> (Fifth Business), while Crowley’s wry asides in Engine Summer (1979)
> feel kin. Neither shies from big themes—art, fate, identity—but they
> ground it in characters you’d meet over tea.
> Others come close. A.S. Byatt (Possession) matches Davies’ scholarly
> tangents and ornate language, but her British formalism lacks his
> warmth. Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose) nails the brainy sprawl,
> though his medieval bent feels chillier than Davies’ cozy Ontario.
> Margaret Atwood, a fellow Canuck, shares his cultural lens and satire
> (The Handmaid’s Tale), but her leaner prose and dystopian edge diverge.
> Crowley’s the sweet spot—less icy than Eco, less austere than Byatt, and
> closer to Davies’ quirky heart.
> Crowley’s Little, Big could sit beside The Salterton Trilogy—both spin
> quiet lives into cosmic tapestries with a wink. If you dig Davies’
> rhythm, Crowley’s your guy.

I wonder how many fan site and Wikipedia contributors will
recognize pieces of their writing chewed up and spit out
in this.