A Dance to the Music of Time GR 2013 - September: The Military Philosophers

Our discussion thread for the September volume of A Dance to the Music of Time: The Military Philosophers



Main thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147074

Finished it late last night. Mixed feelings, but can't yet say why - it would all be spoilers. But I liked it better than the last one, especially the 1st chapter with the description of "military life underground" and the 4th for the "spring" (you'll know when you get there) and Proust.

One spoiler
Sad losses, I would have liked to see a little more mourning!

SPOILERS GALORE
Oh my…this volume has left me feeling totally bereft. After being with these characters, on and off since the first volume, i.e. January! it’s hard to let go. And so many are gone by the end of this volume: Killed in action, victims of the Blitz, or just come to the end of their life, whatever—they’re gone and I’m wondering how engaging the last three volumes will be without these characters.

This volume opens in 1942 and Nick’s role in the military is as a liaison officer for the Free Poles. Powell demonstrates the mind-numbing red tape of the military in typically ironic and humorous prose. But the main theme of this book is the continual degradation of Widerpool’s character. He has risen through the ranks and by war’s end is a full colonel. But along the way lay the bodies of those he has put in harm’s way and those he’s stepped over to reach his goals. Nick, as usual, doesn’t say much, but I think he’s realizing what a despicable man Widmerpool has become. At the Victory ceremony after the war Widmerpool tells Nick he has found that he likes “power” and would enjoy governing “black men.” I have no idea what this means but hopefully someone along the way trips Widmerpool up so that his sense of satisfaction with himself is crushed. What a testament to Powell’s skill at characterization that he can make me feel such a visceral detestation of this character.

One of the most complex characters of the whole series is introduced here. The enigmatic Pamela Flitton keeps everyone guessing but her final scene in the book, where she gets into a brutal argument with her fiancé is one for the books. I will be sad to see the end of this series.

Probably spoilers ahead

I've just finished and have got to agree that it was a highlight!

I really enjoyed the final chapter, it felt like the first time that Jenkins (i.e. Powell) explicitly took stock of how far we have come in this series. I find myself continuously putting the current events in the context of the cycle as a whole and find it completely awe inspiring, so for Powell to do this himself as the "Autumn" volume comes to a close was pretty special.

I really got the sense of a long sigh before Jenkins enters the dwindling winter years of his life. Both physically and metaphorically the days of his youth are dead. Aside from the obvious fates of Templer and Stringham this was brought home incredibly effectively with the highly unexpected encounter with Jean.

Marvelous.

While so far I rated all of the separate books with sth between 3 and 4.5 stars, I think the complete work will be a 5star collection for me.

I finished Book #9 today. My review is for the Third Movement and fairly broad in scope. I'll add a few highlights from The Military Philosophers at the end.

Book No. 91: A Dance to the Music of Time: 3rd Movement by Anthony Powell. 4 stars.

This is my favorite volume so far of the three that I've read. Finally, there was some action as Nick joined the armed forces to fight in WWII. In the last part, The Military Philosophers, he is transferred to the Intelligence Corps and linked first with Poland and then with Belgium. Nick spends much of the war in London. Although he doesn't have combat duty, he has to do plenty of ducking and covering as bombs fall around him, some killing friends and acquaintances we have gotten to know through his narration. As he walks to the Victory Day Service, he notes the "weather seemed designed to emphasize complexities and low temperatures of Alied relationships. Summer, like one of the new regimes abroad, offered no warmth, but chilly, droughty, unwelcoming perspectives, under a grey and threatening sky. The London streets by this time were, in any case, far from cheerful: windows broken: paint peeling: jagged, ruined brickwork enclosing the shells of roofless houses. Acres of desolated building, the burnt and battered City, lay about St. Paul's on all sides." (214)

As difficult as it is to lose characters I've come to know, I prefer the war stories to the English society stories that comprise the first two volumes. However, even in war time, Nick manages to attend several parties and nights at the Opera. One of the characters that kept popping up in the least likely places was the notorious Pamela Flitton who should keep things lively in the next installment if Powell chooses to retain her as a suitable companion to the unlikeable Colonel Widmerpool. Characters come and go in this book. We've lost some of the main ones...or at least they are missing in action and presumed dead...but Nick shows little emotion at the losses. I wish Powell would let him cry or have a tantrum once in awhile! At least there is humor in his writing, even in the midst of war.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

In brief, here are some of my favorite parts in Book 9:

Ch. 1 ~ A superior asks Nick if he has heard of Widmerpool. Well, hasn't everyone?
~ The encounter with Mr. Blackhead, the ultimate bureaucrat.

Ch. 2 ~ Nick is still able to retire with a book (often Proust) after his long days.
~ Widmerpool inquires about Pamela; one just knows they are made for each other.

Ch. 3 ~ Widmerpool 'goes red' - becomes a full Colonel. No surprise there.
~ Nick becomes Major Jenkins.

Ch. 4 ~ The hilarious argument about who gets the bathroom. Major Prasad wins it away from a general with the religion angle which is never explained.

Ch. 5 ~ Widmerpool engaged to Pamela. He may have met his match!
~ Pamela throws a hissy fit and reveals that W. left Peter to die; she is unreliable to the nth degree, but it does sound like something Widmerpool would do.
~ Sonny Farebrother and "Tuffy" get married.

These are just a few things I noted while I was reading.

I know it's foolish at this stage to expect anything approaching sentiment or emotion from Mr Jenkins but is anyone else getting slightly frustrated that we haven't heard ANYTHING about his chilld?

Jenkins and Isobel have acted so much "the cool couple" in the few scenes they had together that I'm sure the child isn't even much mentioned when they are together. I hope he(?) has a nice nanny. Maybe Isobel is an affectionate mother when Nick's not around? Powell really excludes everything that could be seen as sentimental. A little more mourning for the lost friends here wouldn't have caused any damage. Strange that Nick can go on and on about "Proustian" scenery and then the death of an old friend is just mentioned casually.

Looking forward to the next book which has the most wonderful title: Books do furnish a Room! Opening the thread right now...

Here it is: http://www.librarything.com/topic/159509

Just chiming in to say that I finished this one at the eleventh hour and enjoyed it as usual. I confess that the Proustian scenery was one of the things I especially remembered from my other reading. I grew tired of all the philosophy during the Victory Celebration. But what I was really waiting for was the entrance of Pamela, and here she comes!

Finished and reviewed at last (though somewhat late....)

http://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/recent-reads-the-militar...

I've found the whole war trilogy quite an emotional experience and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens on demob!