A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement
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A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Anthony Powell
About this listen
Anthony Powell's universally acclaimed epic encompasses a four-volume panorama of twentieth century London. Hailed by Time as "brilliant literary comedy as well as a brilliant sketch of the times," A Dance to the Music of Time opens just after World War I. Amid the fever of the 1920s and the first chill of the 1930s, Nick Jenkins and his friends confront sex, society, business, and art.
In the second volume they move to London in a whirl of marriage and adulteries, fashions and frivolities, personal triumphs and failures. These books "provide an unsurpassed picture, at once gay and melancholy, of social and artistic life in Britain between the wars" (Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.).
The third volume follows Nick into army life and evokes London during the blitz. In the climactic final volume, England has won the war and must now count the losses. Four very different young men on the threshold of manhood dominate this opening volume of A Dance to the Music of Time. The narrator, Jenkinsa budding writer shares a room with Templer, already a passionate womanizer, and Stringham, aristocratic and reckless. Widermerpool, as hopelessly awkward as he is intensely ambitious, lurks on the periphery of their world. Amid the fever of the 1920s and the first chill of the 1930s, these four gain their initiations into sex, society, business, and art. Considered a masterpiece of modern fiction, Powell's epic creates a rich panorama of life in England between the wars. Includes these novels: A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World.
As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of Anthony Powell's book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview – where James Atlas interviews Charles McGrath about the life and work of Anthony Powell – begins as soon as the audiobook ends.
This production is part of our Audible Modern Vanguard line, a collection of important works from groundbreaking authors.©1951 Anthony Powell (P)2010 Audible, inc.Critic Reviews
What listeners say about A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna Chemin
- 15-08-2021
Correction needed
5 stars for Antony Powell's brilliant work, full of bittersweet humor and elegantly written. 5 stars also for Simon Vance's polished and vivid narration.
BUT - Negative stars and loud "Boo!" for the excruciating commentary by American "experts" following the conclusion, wherein academic Charles 'Chip' McGrath makes a completely erroneous reference to the affair between Nicholas Jenkins and the 'sister of *Charles Stringham* (sic).'
How could such a blatant mistake pass the editing or proofreading stage and be included in this otherwise excellent audiobook?
(* it was the sister of Peter Templer, of course).
If commentary were considered necessary, why not go to the acknowledged expert, Hilary Spurling?
I advise Audible (American and international sites) to correct this glaring error - or better yet, delete the commentary entirely!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 04-05-2016
As good as reading the book.
Love it, and I'm a long-term, yearly, reader of this 12 volume novel. Vance's reading of the characters voice's fitted with my existing expectations well
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Motco
- 30-04-2015
Complex and utterly compelling
Anthony Powell's evocation of a privileged slice of English society is utterly compelling. It's not a story as such but instead a rich tapestry of which distinct threads can be discerned. A panoply of characters move in and out of the narrative. Some are amusing, others loathsome and odious; a few are sad and lost. The language is rich and satisfying and brings to life locations, people and situations. I've read the novels twice and thought I'd like to see how the books come across when narrated. Simon Vance is terrific. His characterisations are excellent and adds a whole new and satisfying dimension to 'A Dance to the Music of Time'.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Malcolm Frazer
- 26-01-2019
Overall a commendably performed marathon
Simon Vance is excellent as the narrator Nicholas Jenkins, in Anthony Powell’s brilliant (and lengthy) Roman fleuve. Powell’s prose is complex, with long sentences filled with dependent clauses and double negatives. Vance negotiates these very well. Nor so successful is his attempts to emulate female voices which on occasions comes perilously close to a Monty Python sketch. His male characters by comparison come off very well and are nicely delineated. His reading of Stringham and Widmerpool are particularly effective. Extremely enjoyable to listen but it’s still worth reading the books as they are.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Sanders
- 27-06-2021
A very good sleepmaker
I've used this series for years to help me sleep. That sounds like a snide attack but it isn't. The series has the level in interest that stops you from being bored or irritated (and thus unable to get to sleep) but is not dramatic in a way that is over-stimulating.
Simon Vance's reading is beautifully modulated in a way that both draws you in but is also soothing. Occasionally one of his character voices is a bit odd but overall he conveys the mind and the character of the Nick Jenkins very well.
Undoubtedly, Powell has some period faults such as racism (especially a few African characters glimpsed from afar) but don't get hung up on them. His meditations on motivations and interactions, sometimes quite convoluted, have a quietly absorbing and sympathetic quality that I can happily listen to (and fall asleep to) time and time again.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- David Bloomsbury
- 04-07-2017
Alright performance, slow start to the saga.
clearly narrated, however the imitations made for the largely young cast of characters does not match the more elderly voice. I just hope that this comes to suit better as the main character grows older, along with, I assume, the general lot of other characters.
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