Rating: 
Summary: This is a Book You'll Read More Than Once
Review: Robertson Davies is simply one of the best story-tellers who ever lived and this is, I think, his best story. Although the middle installment of the Cornish Trilogy (in between Rebel Angels and The Lyre of Orpheus), it stands by itself as a work of fiction. Davies does a ingenious job of weaving history with fable and the compassion he feels for his characters comes through on every page. This is one book you won't regret taking a chance on.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing exploration of the notion of Free Will
Review: Robertson Davies spins a marvelous tale about the fine connections between seemingly inconsequential choices. Through a dynamic character study of the protagonist, Francis Cornish, Davies draws thoughtful conclusions about the tension between nature and nurture. Davies employs the fanciful device of angels known as daimons who cast obstacles and options in young Francis' path. Francis' decisions plague and guide him through a fascinating life lived in Canada, Austria and England. With careful attention paid to the details of religion and art and their intersections in society, Davies produces a magnificent work of literary greatness.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing exploration of the notion of Free Will
Review: Robertson Davies spins a marvelous tale about the fine connections between seemingly inconsequential choices. Through a dynamic character study of the protagonist, Francis Cornish, Davies draws thoughtful conclusions about the tension between nature and nurture. Davies employs the fanciful device of angels known as daimons who cast obstacles and options in young Francis' path. Francis' decisions plague and guide him through a fascinating life lived in Canada, Austria and England. With careful attention paid to the details of religion and art and their intersections in society, Davies produces a magnificent work of literary greatness.
Rating:
Summary: Davies certainly isn't faking
Review: This is the first book by Davies I ever read, and it remains my favourite. As I found out later, it is the centrepiece of what came to be known as the Cornish trilogy. It is the story of Francis Cornish, a talented artist from provincial Canada who is recruited into the British secret service and participates in a major art forging operation intended to thwart the nazis. In the course of the process he finds and loses the love of his life, paints a medieval tryptich depicting the Marriage at Canaan that is also a representation of the major figures in his life (all of them very colourful), unmasks another forger after the war and ultimately has to give up his career as a "medieval painter" when his masterpiece is purchased by a Canadian museum on the assumption that it is genuine. Cornish's life is narrated by his daimon, a sort of "biographical angel", and has many more twists and turns than I can possibly describe here. The book is full of Davies' urbane wit and Jungian wisdom. It tails off a bit towards the end, but that is compensated in the "sequel" about his nephew Arthur and his patronage of the arts, "The Lyre of Orpheus". Highly recommended, but I suggest you start with the first part of this trilogy, "The Rebel Angels". Newcomers, beware: Davies' fiction is highly addictive.
Rating:
Summary: gets better with every reading
Review: what's bred in the bone is one of those books that you hope to forget as soon as you've finished reading it -- just so you can go back and rediscover it again. i read this book once every few years, and i'm always surprised at how much i like it. just finished it for the third time. i love his use of the daimon maimas and the recording angel to recount the secrets of francis cornish's life. i recommend this book to anyone that is a lover of great literature (along with any other davies novel you might find intriguing...)
Rating:
Summary: Forged Truth
Review: What's Bred in the Bone is the one true stand-alone novel in the Cornish Trilogy. This middle volume is a superb telling of the life of Francis Cornish, the hinge upon whom all of the trilogy is supported. Some elements of the story are clearly reminiscent (to readers of Davies) of his earlier book, Fifth Business. But this is no mere reworking of an old theme. There is a freshness to this novel that makes for a story well worth the read.This book takes the reader back into rural Ontario of the early 20th century, filling us with fictionalized visions of Davies's own childhood. Lest that be off-putting to some, however, it should be noted that this is a novel that also takes the main character to far away Europe, into the intrigues of war, and the mysteries of forged (and not-quite-forged) artworks. What this story misses, relative to the first and third books of the trilogy, is the spice given to us by Maria's mother and uncle, who are absent here. Theirs is the archetypal energy that finds no true parallel in this book. The reader is compensated for this absence, however, by the personage of the coachman/undertaker, a rich character indeed! I give this book my solid and hearty recommendation. It is suitable for anyone interested in reading a book by this master of the pen, whether or not they care to read the other volumes of the trilogy (though I sincerely hope that you will read the other books!). Superb.
Rating:
Summary: Forged Truth
Review: What's Bred in the Bone is the one true stand-alone novel in the Cornish Trilogy. This middle volume is a superb telling of the life of Francis Cornish, the hinge upon whom all of the trilogy is supported. Some elements of the story are clearly reminiscent (to readers of Davies) of his earlier book, Fifth Business. But this is no mere reworking of an old theme. There is a freshness to this novel that makes for a story well worth the read. This book takes the reader back into rural Ontario of the early 20th century, filling us with fictionalized visions of Davies's own childhood. Lest that be off-putting to some, however, it should be noted that this is a novel that also takes the main character to far away Europe, into the intrigues of war, and the mysteries of forged (and not-quite-forged) artworks. What this story misses, relative to the first and third books of the trilogy, is the spice given to us by Maria's mother and uncle, who are absent here. Theirs is the archetypal energy that finds no true parallel in this book. The reader is compensated for this absence, however, by the personage of the coachman/undertaker, a rich character indeed! I give this book my solid and hearty recommendation. It is suitable for anyone interested in reading a book by this master of the pen, whether or not they care to read the other volumes of the trilogy (though I sincerely hope that you will read the other books!). Superb.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greats
Review: What's bred in the bone will out in the flesh, the saying goes. Sheer genius must have composed the vast mass of Robertson Davies' bones. This wonderfully witty novel is typical of Davies' brilliant, erudite & gripping style. It left me aghast with wonder that one man can know so much, cover it so well and tie his references together and all the while remain hugely entertaining. This is the middle part of the Cornish Trilogy and as stunning as the other two. Two angels discuss the life of a deceased art collector and philanthropist and flashbacks show how the young man came to be widely respected from a life as an art forger. If you haven't already read "The Rebel Angels" do it, If you have, you have no need to read further, you will want to buy this book anyway. This is one of the best books I have ever read and Robertson Davies is one of the greats.
Rating: 
Summary: The book that bores everyones bones
Review: Whats bred in the Bone is one of the worst novels I have ever read in my life. The plot is boring -the main character (francis cornish) dies after an uneventful life. The book was made worse by the constant interruptions of two "angles" who make useless comments about Francis Cornish's life. This book should be rated R, for the constant referals to masterbastion and cross dressing.
Rating:
Summary: Zowie. What a book.
Review: Wow. I really liked this one. Picked it up after reading The Rebel Angels, not realizing it continued the same story (as much as Davies ever does). Actually it whipsaws back into the past and follows the growth of a truly unusual hero. Gently builds with inexorable force, avoids being too clever by playing it straight, and leaves a few questions unanswered for you to ponder over the next few years. Exhilarating would be a good word for this excellent novel.
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