Hailed as a literary masterpiece, Robertson Davies's Cornish Trilogy comes to a brilliant conclusion in The Lyre of Orpheus, now part of the new Modern Classics series. There is an important decision to be made. The Cornish Foundation, set up with money left by the late Francis Cornish, connoisseur, collector, and notable eccentric, must decide which undertaking will receive a portion of its considerable funds. The Foundation decides to support the doctoral work of Hulda Schnakenbury, a thoroughly unpleasant young genius of a music student. Her task is to complete the score of an unfinished opera by E. T.A. Hoffmann, and as plans take shape, Hoffmann's dictum, "The lyre of Orpheus opens the door of the underworld," proves prophetic for many a participant. Baroque and deliciously funny, this third book in the Cornish Trilogy shows Robertson Davies at his very considerable best. | The Lyre Of Orpheus by Robertson Davies, Paperback | Indigo Chapters