This is the fifth instalment in my 2024 resolution to read a book per month from Anthony Powell’s A Dance to the Music of Time sequence. Published between 1951 and 1975, and set from the early 1920s to the early 1970s, the sequence is narrated by Nicholas Jenkins, a man born into privilege and based on Powell himself.
The fifth volume, Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant, was published in 1960 and begins by considering a bombed-out pub from World War Two, which triggers memories of the past and events of the 1920s and 1930s. It expands on relationships from the previous novels and portrays various marriages.
This shifting back and forth through time means characters who have died are resurrected, and minor ones expanded upon. Although perhaps they would rather not be, finding themselves the subject of Powell’s razor-sharp observations:
“The sight of Mr Deacon always made me think of the Middle Ages because of his resemblance to a pilgrim, a mildly sinister pilgrim, with more than a streak of madness in him, but then in every epoch a proportion of pilgrims must have been sinister, some mad as well.”
“[St John Clarke’s] name was rarely seen except in alphabetical order among a score of nonentities signing the foot of some letter to the press.”
The gathering alongside Mr Deacon at the pub leads to two of the main characters in this volume: Moreland the composer whom Nick befriends, and his acquaintance, the really quite disturbing music critic Maclintick.
“Under his splenetic exterior Maclintick harboured all kind of violent, imperfectly integrated sentiments. Moreland, for example, impressed him, perhaps rightly, as a young man of matchless talent, ill equipped to face a materialistic world.”
Marriage is the major theme of this volume, and the scenes of Maclintick’s domestic life are truly horrible. Only marginally more disturbing are the descriptions of Nick’s schoolfriend Stringham battling with his alcoholism, and his childhood secretary Miss Weedon opportunistically using it to control him.
There are of course lighter sides to the tale too. Powell takes his satirical eye to relationships between the sexes, both in dating:
“Barnby always dismissed the idea of intelligence in a woman as no more than a characteristic to be endured.”
And later in marriage, as Moreland laments: “I shall be glad when this baby is born. Matilda has not been at all easy to deal with since it started. Of course, I know that is in the best possible tradition.”
Powell doesn’t dwell on Nick’s marriage to Isobel in great detail, but in the brief glimpses we have they seem happy together, despite sadnesses to contend with. Nick also seems to enjoy his extended, eccentric in-laws. Erridge has gone to fight in the Spanish Civil War, without success:
“His time in Spain seems to have been a total flop. He didn’t get up to the front and he never met Hemingway.”
There’s also Nick’s description of his mother-in-law Lady Warminster, more affectionate than biting: “She looked as usual like a very patrician Sibyl about to announce a calamitous disaster of which she had personally given due and disregarded warning.”
By far my favourite scene was at Lady Warminster’s party, where the reader gets to know St John Clarke further, his having made only brief appearances in previous volumes:
“He came hurriedly into the room, a hand held out in front of him as if to grasp the handle of a railway carriage door before the already moving train gathered speed and left the platform.
‘Lady Warminster, I am indeed ashamed of myself,’ he said in a high, rich, breathless, mincing voice, like that of an experienced actor trying to get the best out of a minor part in Restoration comedy. ‘I must crave the forgiveness of you and your guests.’
He gave a rapid glance round the room to discover whom he had been asked to meet, at the same time diffusing about him a considerable air of social discomfort.”
Nick’s touchstone of Widmerpool only makes brief appearances: “I should never have gone out of my way to seek him, knowing, as one does with certain people, that the rhythm of life would sooner or later be bound to bring us together again.” but he manages to seem an entirely menacing background presence regardless.
I’m enjoying A Dance to the Music of Time more and more. Powell’s satire is never bitter or leaves me feeling uncomfortable, as satire can sometimes do. He’s clear-sighted and affectionate without being sentimental. Returning to the sequence is starting to feel like catching up with your wisest, wittiest friend. An absolute delight.
“Marriage, partaking of such – and thousand more – dual antagonisms and participations, finally defies definition.”
To end, if either of The Proclaimers are married, then I hope they wore nicer suits at their actual weddings:
madame bibi lophile recommends 
Not for me but I’m so glad you’re enjoying it and still lots to look forward to!
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Yes, just under halfway now!
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LOL “His time in Spain seems to have been a total flop. He didn’t get up to the front and he never met Hemingway.”
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It made me laugh too Lisa!
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He’s deft at blending LOL humour with biting social satire. It’s interesting how little we learn throughout the novel sequence about Nick, his wife, or their relationship, when he analyses everyone else, and their relationships, minutely.
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Yes, I completely agree. He mixes his humorous approach so well. It is striking how in the background Nick remains. I thought that in the first volume too.
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You’re making me edge closer to wanting to read this whole series sometime after you!
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Ooh, I’ll look forward to hearing how you get on if you give it a try Jeanne!
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You’re really reaping the rewards of your perseverance and getting into these now, I can tell! I am enjoying being reminded of the different books too. I thin a book a month is proving a good way to approach the series.
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Yes you’re absolutely right! I feel I got into my stride after the first two volumes and now I’m rocketing along 😊
I’m glad you think a book a month is a good approach. Jacqui said the same on another post and I do find it reassuring!
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You’re doing a great job of selling these books to me – another couple of volumes and I think my resistance will be completely worn down! Some of those quotes are wonderfully funny! Were suits like that ever fashionable? If so, my subconscious has clearly blanked out the memory…
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Just remember I warned you about the total lack of plots FF 🤣 I’d love to hear how you find them if you do give them a go.
If I’ve noticed how bad the suits are, they must be terrible! So I can’t believe they were ever a thing. Maybe it’s an anti-fashion statement from The Proclaimers??
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His humour is so good, isn’t it Madame B? And as you point out, he has such a sharp eye for character, really pinning people down in all their awfulness!!!
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It is so good Kaggsy! I’m very relieved not to be on the receiving end of his observations 😁
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I’m glad you’re still enjoying these. Your quotes highlight how good Powell is at describing his characters so the reader becomes familiar with them quickly and is able to see them in their mind’s eye.
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Yes, he’s brilliant at quick, snappy portraits isn’t he? It’s such a talent.
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Another entry where he seems to have balanced the satirical and grave with the lighter moments well. Must really get to these as soon as I can.
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Yes, this was definitely my experience of his writing here. I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts when you get to these!
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You make it sound very enticing. I’ve long been contemplating a dive into this series…
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I’d be really interested to know how you find these Marina!
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I love seeing people enjoy these books and one a month is a great way to go. I tried to do that last time, reading along with my husband doing the audiobooks, but he loved them so much he got overexcited and rushed ahead so I had to, too, so we could discuss them!
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That’s brilliant Liz! I love that you both got carried along! Sometimes after I’ve finished one it is really tempting to immediately start the next but I’m finding one a month is a nice pace for me.
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I bet The Proclaimers thought they were the #beesknees in those suits though! 😆
This volume made me take a harder look at the titles. Titling is always a challenge; I wonder if Powell was able to select the titles for every single volume, or sometimes had to accept a publisher’s direction, and whether he had any favourite titles among them or found some of them as forgettable/confuse-able as some seem to be.
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Haha! They probably did!
Yes, I’m not sure about the titles, I guess I’ll have a better idea once I’ve read them all. This one seems to follow on from At Lady Molly’s in that it refers to a meeting place, but they’re not all in that vein. Certainly some of the titles seem odd choices!
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