by Anthony Powell
This is the first volume of the four part version of Powell's story of 20th century England, consisting of three of the twelve novels in the series. I found myself drifting from wrapt enjoyment to wishing he would just get on with it throughout the story. Some of the characters are really enjoyable. The alcoholic Stringham, the arrogant Widmerpool and the crazy left winger Gypsy Jones spring to mind among others. The narrator, Nicholas Jenkins I found tedious in the way he was so detatched from the story he was intimately involved in.
We move from his schooldays-just after the Great War-to the 1930's, and it is a well drawn picture of a very narrow section of British society during this period. It is comical in places but overall it left me with a feeling of melancholy. Will I read the rest of the series? I think I probably will, but need a break first. 6/10
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