Comments on: The sincerest form of flattery, perhaps

By: Leigh Boland

Leigh Boland — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:25:16 +0000

I read Fifth Business and just by random chance read Owen Meany immediately following (beginning the next day). I thought someone was playing a joke on me–the similarities were staggering. I kept saying to people, “Can you please read these two books and tell me I’m not imagining this? How can this be?” That I ended up reading them back-to-back like that was uncanny. I assumed that Owen Meany must have been written in homage, as Irving seems too well known to risk getting caught for plagiarism…but maybe a note or dedication in the beginning of the novel would have been warranted. It seems almost comical; maybe that was the point? A private joke with Davies???

By: flo

flo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:27:30 +0000

Fifth Business is taught by some high school teachers; there’s a list they can choose from and some get bored and don’t teach the same one every semester. Gatsby is probably more widely promulgated and that’s as American as freedom pies so I don’t know what that says about Canada.

I’ve never heard of Manticore or World of Wonders being taught probably because you’d need the prologue that is Fifth Business.

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:49:20 +0000

Les, I remember that dispute! I don’t see how anyone could view the Stoppard as a “rip-off.” I saw it performed at Stratford once, along with Hamlet, and they had the same actors playing the same roles and wearing the same costumes in both productions. It was SO cool. And I love what Laura said.

Elswhere — “I just put it down to being on a John Irving kick” — ha ha! Actually, that would be an interesting topic for a blog post, or maybe a meme: authors that, when you’ve read one, you’ve read ‘em all. And congrats on the upcoming move!

By: elswhere

elswhere — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:19:13 +0000

It’s been many years since I read either book, but I did read Fifth Business first (in high school) and now that I think about it there was a lot about Owen Meany that felt vaguely familiar at the time. But I just put it down to being on a John Irving kick; I never connected the two! Now it’s all so clear…

p.s. speaking of Canada– we’re moving for real!

p.p.s. I am in awe of your table-making skillz.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:43:27 +0000

Alright, after reading all of this I can't resist participating in at least a small degree. I noticed a similarity between the books right away; but didn't realize the large extent until reading your table (I read 5th business a couple of times -- but it's been a lot of years. It's time to go back to Davies I think.)

I remember a dispute of sorts that I had with a friend over the Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. I saw it as a tribute to Hamlet; where my friend saw it as a total rip-off. When I mentioned the dispute to my poet friend Laura, she stated 'art is supposed to be a conversation!!'

With Stoppard, he took an element from Hamlet and ran with it. This is what a conversation should be I think -- elaborating on each others ideas, that is. Irving seems to have simply regurgitated Davies. What a boring conversation. So Julie, I think you're right that he did his homage intentionally, but badly. Perhaps he should have taken 'Can.Lit'. :-)

I must confess to enjoying Owen Meaney -- I think it's because I'm a megalomaniacal fatalist myself...