A Dance to the Music of Time

 A Pandemic Project For You

     Over the years before I retired, I would occasionally run across references to a series of novels by Anthony Powell which were produced over a long period of time. The title of the series is attractive, as it should be since it is taken from a painting with that name by Nicolas Poussin. I thought if the author could expend all that labour over a number of years to write the novels, I could at least exert a little in reading them. 

   I just ran across the few notes I made when I undertook the project. I was not up to the task, which is often the case, and abandoned the project, which I usually do.  I did read the first three, but I am sure you can do better.  I also am sure you will enjoy them since they are highly ranked by people far more discerning than I.

12 Novels to Get You Through Covid-19

   I do remember that the first problem I encountered was rounding up the titles which were not catalogued as a series in the library I used.  You may be able to find them packaged together as in the set pictured above, or you can shop title-by-title from the list provided below.

   You should know that there are around 400 named characters and one of them has one of the worst names I have ever encountered - Widmerpool. If you get bogged down, you can also read the guide written by one of his biographers, Hilary Spurling: Invitation to Dance - A Handbook to Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time. If the pandemic continues, or you need more help, you can read yet another guide - An Index to A Dance to the Music of Time, by B.J. Moule.  (It might be better before you begin all this reading to have a look at the Wikipedia entry for A Dance to the Music of Time.)

The Titles: 

A Question of Upbringing:Heinemann, 1951

A Buyer's Market; Heinemann, 1952

The Acceptance World; Heinemann, 1955

At Lady Molly's; Heinemann, 1957

Casanova's Chinese Restaurant; Heinemann, 1960

The Kindly Ones; Heinemann, 1962

The Valley of Bones; Heinemann, 1964

The Soldier's Art; Heinemann, 1966

The Military Philosophers; Heinemann, 1968

Books Do Furnish a Room; Heinemann, 1971

Temporary Kings; Heinemann, 1973

Hearing Secret Harmonies; Heinemann, 1975

The Bonus

   This should keep your book club going for months and you can further impress the members by letting them know that the author's last name is pronounced as "Pole". 

For that tidbit see: "Preposterously British: The Life of Anthony Powell," Christopher Taylor, Harper's Magazine, Nov. 2018.