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Available
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Publication
University of Chicago Press (2010), 244 pages
Description
A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME chronicles the lives of over three hundred characters, and is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England. It is unrivalled for its scope, its humour and the enormous pleasure it has given to generations. CASANOVA'S CHINESE RESTAURANT follows Nicholas Jenkins, Kenneth Widmerpool and others, as they negotiate the intellectual, cultural and social hurdles which stand between them and the 'Acceptance World'.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
In this fifth volume of his epic roman fleuve Powell introduces us to the chaotic musical community in pre-war London, and in particular to the troubled genius of a composer, Hugh Moreland (apparently closely based upon Constant Lambert). As always with Powell, the humour is sharp and effective,
Widmerpool is absent for most of the novel, making just a brief appearance in which he expressed his expectation of a great social career to come owing to his acquaintance with the Prince of Wales (soon, briefly, to be Edward VIII) and Mrs Simpson.
Yet again we seem to learn little about the narrator, Nick Jenkins, though we learn more in this volume about his in-laws, the unorthodox Tolland family.
The Dance to the Music of Time sequence is a marvellous social history, and this is one of the most entertaining volumes. Definitely worth reading.
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though constantly laced with an undercurrent of melancholia.Widmerpool is absent for most of the novel, making just a brief appearance in which he expressed his expectation of a great social career to come owing to his acquaintance with the Prince of Wales (soon, briefly, to be Edward VIII) and Mrs Simpson.
Yet again we seem to learn little about the narrator, Nick Jenkins, though we learn more in this volume about his in-laws, the unorthodox Tolland family.
The Dance to the Music of Time sequence is a marvellous social history, and this is one of the most entertaining volumes. Definitely worth reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I find it very difficult to explain the charm of Anthony Powell's autobiographical roman fleuve, A Dance to the Music of Time, though the attraction is undeniable. As with the previous volumes, very little actually happens, and we continue to next to nothing about Nick Jenkins, the narrator and
This particular instalment immerses us in the chaotic classical music community of pre-war London, and introduces the troubled genius of composer Hugh Moreland (apparently closely based upon English composer Constant Lambert, whose son Kit, incidentally, would later discover The Who in the early 1960s). Moreland will emerge as one of Jenkins's closest friends, though the initial impression of him is less positive. In addition to Moreland we also meet Moreland's wife Matilda, an aspiring actress and former mistress of business magnate Sir Magnus Donners (who has at various times been a patron of Moreland himself), the querulous critic Maclintick and his shrewish wife Audrey.
We are also treated to the return of some old friends, with cameo appearances by Mark Members and J G Quiggin (still locked in their rivalry, each vying for literary supremacy over the other) and a very humorous tour de force from Charles Stringham, now a mere shadow of his former resplendent self. The egregious Widmerpool is back, too, though in this volume he is more peripheral than in the preceding books, and his presence is restricted to a chance encounter in a hospital where he is being treated for "a slight nuisance with boils" followed by a luncheon engagement in which he treats Jenkins to an unintentionally humorous account of his recent encounter with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, shortly before his all-too-brief succession as Edward VIII, and Mrs Simpson.
I have recently been reading a lot of P G Wodehouse whose marvellously entertaining novels similarly evoke a now distant world in which all the principal characters live in a small sector of London bounded by Oxford Street to the north and The Mall to the south. Wodehouse's humour is direct - pure farce delivered in beautiful prose. Powell's humour is more subtle, and inextricably interlaced with a surging melancholy, but no less powerful or engaging.
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clear avatar for Powell himself.This particular instalment immerses us in the chaotic classical music community of pre-war London, and introduces the troubled genius of composer Hugh Moreland (apparently closely based upon English composer Constant Lambert, whose son Kit, incidentally, would later discover The Who in the early 1960s). Moreland will emerge as one of Jenkins's closest friends, though the initial impression of him is less positive. In addition to Moreland we also meet Moreland's wife Matilda, an aspiring actress and former mistress of business magnate Sir Magnus Donners (who has at various times been a patron of Moreland himself), the querulous critic Maclintick and his shrewish wife Audrey.
We are also treated to the return of some old friends, with cameo appearances by Mark Members and J G Quiggin (still locked in their rivalry, each vying for literary supremacy over the other) and a very humorous tour de force from Charles Stringham, now a mere shadow of his former resplendent self. The egregious Widmerpool is back, too, though in this volume he is more peripheral than in the preceding books, and his presence is restricted to a chance encounter in a hospital where he is being treated for "a slight nuisance with boils" followed by a luncheon engagement in which he treats Jenkins to an unintentionally humorous account of his recent encounter with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, shortly before his all-too-brief succession as Edward VIII, and Mrs Simpson.
I have recently been reading a lot of P G Wodehouse whose marvellously entertaining novels similarly evoke a now distant world in which all the principal characters live in a small sector of London bounded by Oxford Street to the north and The Mall to the south. Wodehouse's humour is direct - pure farce delivered in beautiful prose. Powell's humour is more subtle, and inextricably interlaced with a surging melancholy, but no less powerful or engaging.
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LibraryThing member Bjace
Fifth book in the Dance to the Music of Time finds Nick Jenkins involved in London's world of art and music.
LibraryThing member devenish
The continuing story of Nick Jenkins and the many,many people that he interacts with along the way.
What can one say that has not been stated before about this fascinating and sometimes annoying saga. As Powell writes at the end of the present volume - ".... we had been on a Ghost Railway together
A brilliant description of the progression of this gigantic work.
What can one say that has not been stated before about this fascinating and sometimes annoying saga. As Powell writes at the end of the present volume - ".... we had been on a Ghost Railway together
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at some fun fair or on a seaside pier;slowly climbing sheer gradients,sweeping with frenzied speed into inky depths,turning blind corners from which black,gibbering bogeys leapt to attack,rushing headlong towards iron-studded doors,threatened by imminent collision,fingered by spectral hands,moving at last with dreadful,ever increasing momentum towards a shape that lay across the line."A brilliant description of the progression of this gigantic work.
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LibraryThing member mlbelize
I'm still enjoying this 12 book saga of Nicholas and his friends as they mature, marry, some divorce, and some die. Although Jenkins friends come into and go out of his life for periods of time, we are brought up to date with their lives, accomplishments and disappointments in each book as they are
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interwoven with that of Jenkins. Very good! Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I find it very difficult to explain the charm of Anthony Powell's autobiographical roman fleuve, A Dance to the Music of Time, though the attraction is undeniable. As with the previous volumes, very little actually happens, and we continue to next to nothing about Nick Jenkins, the narrator and
This particular instalment immerses us in the chaotic classical music community of pre-war London, and introduces the troubled genius of composer Hugh Moreland (apparently closely based upon English composer Constant Lambert, whose son Kit, incidentally, would later discover The Who in the early 1960s). Moreland will emerge as one of Jenkins's closest friends, though the initial impression of him is less positive. In addition to Moreland we also meet Mreland's wife Matilda, an aspiring actress and former mistress of business magnate Sir Magnus Donners (who has at various times been a patron of Moreland himself), the querulous critic Maclintick and his shrewish wife Audrey.
We are also treated to the return of some old friends, with cameo appearances by Mark Members and J G Quiggin (still locked in their rivalry, each vying for literary supremacy over the other) and a very humorous tour de force from Charles Stringham, now a mere shadow of his former resplendent self. The egregious Widmerpool is back, too, though in this volume he is more peripheral than in the preceding books, and his presence is restricted to a chance encounter in a hospital where he is being treated for "a slight nuisance with boils" followed by a luncheon engagement in which he treats Jenkins to an unintentionally humorous account of his recent encounter with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, shortly before his all-too-brief succession as Edward VIII, and Mrs Simpson.
I have recently been reading a lot of P G Wodehouse whose marvellously entertaining novels similarly evoke a now distant world in which all the principal characters live in a small sector of London bounded by Oxford Street to the north and The Mall to the south. Wodehouse's humour is direct - pure farce delivered in beautiful prose. Powell's humour is more subtle, and inextricably interlaced with a surging melancholy, but no less powerful or engaging.
Show More
clear avatar for Powell himself.This particular instalment immerses us in the chaotic classical music community of pre-war London, and introduces the troubled genius of composer Hugh Moreland (apparently closely based upon English composer Constant Lambert, whose son Kit, incidentally, would later discover The Who in the early 1960s). Moreland will emerge as one of Jenkins's closest friends, though the initial impression of him is less positive. In addition to Moreland we also meet Mreland's wife Matilda, an aspiring actress and former mistress of business magnate Sir Magnus Donners (who has at various times been a patron of Moreland himself), the querulous critic Maclintick and his shrewish wife Audrey.
We are also treated to the return of some old friends, with cameo appearances by Mark Members and J G Quiggin (still locked in their rivalry, each vying for literary supremacy over the other) and a very humorous tour de force from Charles Stringham, now a mere shadow of his former resplendent self. The egregious Widmerpool is back, too, though in this volume he is more peripheral than in the preceding books, and his presence is restricted to a chance encounter in a hospital where he is being treated for "a slight nuisance with boils" followed by a luncheon engagement in which he treats Jenkins to an unintentionally humorous account of his recent encounter with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, shortly before his all-too-brief succession as Edward VIII, and Mrs Simpson.
I have recently been reading a lot of P G Wodehouse whose marvellously entertaining novels similarly evoke a now distant world in which all the principal characters live in a small sector of London bounded by Oxford Street to the north and The Mall to the south. Wodehouse's humour is direct - pure farce delivered in beautiful prose. Powell's humour is more subtle, and inextricably interlaced with a surging melancholy, but no less powerful or engaging.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jeffome
Well, another volume in this epic 12-book work gets finished....and like the others, i find it very difficult to put into words what the experience is like reading this series. In a nutshell, very little happens.....the narrator is there for most of it, but plays a merely spectator role......we get
This was more or less about the vulnerability of marriage and all of the pitfalls that lurk just under the surface, especially if the process of choosing a mate is done without the appropriate due diligence. The time period is 1920's through the aftermath of the abdication of the King Edward VIII in late 1936.
My biggest complaint with these books is definitely the unbelievable volume of characters to remember that continually get referenced from previous volumes along with all the new players.....much like what happens in our own lives, i know, but still, going back several years in my mind since i read the first few and being expected to have it all come back effortlessly is my struggle. But apparently well worth it, or i would not be continuing on. I will prevail with the entire series, I know i will!
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the low-down nitty-gritty details of some relatively unhappy marriages, yet barely touch on the fact that the narrator casually mentions that he, himself has gotten married.......we hear more than necessary about a friend's wife's pregnancy, then barely hear mention that the narrator's own wife has just miscarried. Yet, after a slightly slow beginning, i desperately wanted to continue to find out what was happening next, again, not much! This was more or less about the vulnerability of marriage and all of the pitfalls that lurk just under the surface, especially if the process of choosing a mate is done without the appropriate due diligence. The time period is 1920's through the aftermath of the abdication of the King Edward VIII in late 1936.
My biggest complaint with these books is definitely the unbelievable volume of characters to remember that continually get referenced from previous volumes along with all the new players.....much like what happens in our own lives, i know, but still, going back several years in my mind since i read the first few and being expected to have it all come back effortlessly is my struggle. But apparently well worth it, or i would not be continuing on. I will prevail with the entire series, I know i will!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
5th of 12 books in the Dance to the Music of Time. This book finds the men entering into relationships with wives and then falling out of those relationships. There is mention of the Spanish Civil War and Franco, the build up to WWII, socialism and communism.
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I enjoy Anthony Powell's long (12 volumes) novel, "a Dance to the Music of time". This is a worthy Volume Five , still dealing with the pre-WWII period. Powell does keep us up to date on the foibles of upper-middle class Brits, and lands a few insightful nuggets of the human condition. Not
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sensational, but a warm read among friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member robfwalter
I enjoyed this, but the charm of the series started to wear off by this point. I found some of the characters less engaging and a bit ridiculous.
LibraryThing member therebelprince
Set amidst the heady 1930s of the abdication of Edward VIII, the Spanish Civil War, and the unsettling feeling of a war brewing across Europe, the fifth volume in Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time shifts away from the old in favour of the new. Jean and Peter are nowhere to be seen; Widmerpool
Powell has by now settled into an easy rhythm with these novels. Whether it is his skills maturing with age or simply his connection to the characters becoming more natural as he moves from youth to adulthood, the author here captures an easy, convivial, ever-shifting world. Having both read the book and listened to an audiobook version, I perhaps recommend the latter, since it allows 21st century people into the speech patterns and hidden meanings of a generation of people now lost to us. The cultural shifts make some of the dialogue read quite plainly on the page, where it would have had layers of intent and inflection for people reading at the time.
The novel feels somewhat softer than the previous volumes, lighter, despite that shadow of war creeping ever so slowly along the horizon. What lies ahead remains unknown, but the old generation is dying out - literally, in this volume - and Nick's peers are coming to the fore. Truth Unveiled by Time is the name of a piece of art recurrent throughout the book. Is there a more apt allegory?
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makes but a cameo; Stringham has a single memorable appearance as his life continues its downward spiral. Instead, the recently-married Nick (he and his wife remaining ciphers, as is Powell's wont) is thrust into the world of musicians and artists, and of his wife's aristocratic family, for another series of social engagements, dinners, parties, and reflections on marriage and relationships in general.Powell has by now settled into an easy rhythm with these novels. Whether it is his skills maturing with age or simply his connection to the characters becoming more natural as he moves from youth to adulthood, the author here captures an easy, convivial, ever-shifting world. Having both read the book and listened to an audiobook version, I perhaps recommend the latter, since it allows 21st century people into the speech patterns and hidden meanings of a generation of people now lost to us. The cultural shifts make some of the dialogue read quite plainly on the page, where it would have had layers of intent and inflection for people reading at the time.
The novel feels somewhat softer than the previous volumes, lighter, despite that shadow of war creeping ever so slowly along the horizon. What lies ahead remains unknown, but the old generation is dying out - literally, in this volume - and Nick's peers are coming to the fore. Truth Unveiled by Time is the name of a piece of art recurrent throughout the book. Is there a more apt allegory?
Show Less
Language
Original publication date
1960
ISBN
9780226677385
Local notes
READ, kindle
series: #05 dance
series: #05 dance
Other editions
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