A Dance to the Music of Time

Anthony Powell

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1951

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Book Brief

Anthony Powell

A Dance to the Music of Time

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1951

Book Details

Pages

734

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

London • 20th century

Publication Year

1951

Audience

Adult

Super Short Summary

Beginning in 1914 and ending in 1971, Anthony Powell’s twelve-volume epic A Dance to the Music of Time follows Nicholas Jenkins and a group of English acquaintances whose relationships evolve over decades, from school days to adulthood, through love affairs, war, and shifting social landscapes, capturing the nuances of 20th-century British life. The series features themes of war, loss, and mental health struggles.

Contemplative

Melancholic

Nostalgic

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time is celebrated for its acute social observations and rich character development, drawing readers into its lengthy exploration of 20th-century British life. Critics applaud its wit and intricately woven narrative but note its slow pace and dense prose as potential drawbacks. Fans of literary fiction and intricate storytelling may find it exceptionally rewarding.

Who Should Read A Dance to the Music of Time?

A reader who enjoys intricate social commentary and detailed character studies will find A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell compelling. Fans of Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time or Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited would appreciate Powell's exploration of British society across the 20th century.

Fun Facts

A Dance to the Music of Time was inspired by the painting "A Dance to the Music of Time" by Nicolas Poussin, which is housed in the Wallace Collection in London.

The 12-part series took Anthony Powell over 25 years to complete, with the first book published in 1951 and the final installment in 1975.

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The series is known for its extensive cast of characters, with over 400 named individuals, making it one of the most populous fictional worlds in literature.