Anthony Powell: Dancing to the Music of Time

Spurling, author of well-received biographies of artists and writers such as Henri Matisse and novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett, offers the definitive account of Anthony Powell (1905{amp}ndash;2000), one of the most prominent and respected 20th-century writers, whose 12-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time reflects British life and events. Though there have been previous critical studies of Powell, Spurling's benefits from her having known him from 1969 (as an editor of the weekly The Spectator) till his death. She sets out to detail his life and achievements, which includes a biography of John Aubrey's Brief Lives and Powell's own four-volume memoirs. Spurling is especially good at delineating Powell's many relationships with not only his family but also leading literary figures such as George Orwell, Malcolm Muggeridge, Constant Lambert, the Sitwells, Evelyn Waugh, and Graham Greene. Another fascinating aspect throughout is the emerging portrait of British publishing, combined with the many illustrations that add interest. Includes bibliographic references but no bibliography, as of this review.