The full set of Anthony Powell’s A Dance to the Music of Time (mostly 1st editions) found at a thrift sale (2010).
I’ve written about the Dance before, and probably will again. It’s a life changer of a read. Don’t take my word for it, ask Christopher Hitchens or Tariq Ali.
It’s not the plot that grabs you, it’s the characters. You follow them through their lives from the 20s to the 70’s in this intersection of upper middle class, crumbling aristocracy, and artists.
The Dance refers to the way people move in and out of your life in unusual and unexpected ways. Likewise, a minor character in one book dominates the next, then disappears.
Plus, until you have met Widmerpool you… well I don’t want to spoil it.
