Summaries of Anthony Powell's
Early Novels

Mike Jay of the Anthony Powell Society has kindly provided these summaries of Anthony Powell's five pre-war novels which were first published in the Anthony Powell Society Newsletter. Afternoon Men  (1931) Venusberg  (1932) From a View to a Death  (1933) Agents and Patients  (1936) -- coming soon What's Become of Waring  (1939) -- coming soon

Afternoon Men (1931) It is difficult to read Powell's first novel (published in 1931 when the author was 26) without thinking continually of Dance. The author's style although nascent is already clearly stated. There is the blitz of characters, mainly from the art world and its milieu. There is the circularity of life; as this novel starts and ends with preparations for yet another party. There is the slender plot, Atwater's less than heroic philandering through a summer. There are the frequent sporting references reminiscent of the early Dance volumes. There are the occasional well-turned phrases, eg. "the aura of journalism's lower slopes hung round him [Fotheringham] like a vapour". However, there is much too much clipped and seemingly inane conversation from the giddy-headed protagonists. Most importantly however, there is the rippling comedy and there is always a taxi when required. We are given the first sighting of the Powell set pieces. We have the drunken London parties, Mrs Race's dinner party complete with bad Balkan liqueur, a country house holiday, and an interesting visit to a boxing evening. We see the contrast between the drifting, purposeless, promiscuous young bohemians and the sadness beneath the surface of their apparently privileged lives. We see Fotheringham and Nunnery desperate for friendship and company while most others appear unfeeling. In the boldest scene, the artist Pringle half-heartedly attempts suicide while his 'mistress' of the moment has casual sex with Atwater. But while Powell considers the male psychology through several aspects he does not yet attempt a similar feat with his female characters. Too many of the players lack solidity and remain sketches. There are frequent slightly disturbing references to Jews. Considering this was published in 1931 I assume it was within common speech to refer to Jews even in Britain as a matter of course. Susan, the object of Atwater's desire, runs off to America with Verelst, a Jewish art collector. Susan's father says, "I don't dislike him because he's a Jew, one can't dismiss whole races at a time". The other politically incorrect moment concerns Powell's handling of the maid at the rented country house. Her prudish family are concerned at the morals exhibited by the artist's friends, but they are brutally bought off by a small salary increase. I enjoyed the occasional arcane word such as "banting" (slimming) or "we might go to a talkie" Nosworth suggests to Atwater. This is a comic, not satirical novel, no matter how deceptively slight, with a serious aim of portraying human behaviour without comment. As such it succeeds and serves to propel Powell and us in a direction we all know was to develop considerably. It must also have been somewhat racy for the period. [First published in Anthony Powell Society Newsletter, 17 (Winter 2004)]

Venusberg (1932) Venusberg is the second of Powell's five pre-Dance novels and was published in 1932, one year after his debut novel, Afternoon Men. Again the protagonists are dizzy young things but this time the world is a mixture of a small diplomatic society and journalism. The main action is set within "The capital of a Baltic country" with shorter scenes set in London and on board a steamer to the Baltic. Powell sets Venusberg in that historical blink of the eye when the Baltic States enjoyed freedom between 1920 and 1940, before both the German army and then the Soviet tanks rolled over their tiny neighbours. Despite Powell's now distinctive yet deceptive lightness of style we savour a definite menace only just beneath the surface with local political tensions, riots, bombings, revolutions and assassinations around every corner. The hero is the diligent English journalist Lushington, who faithfully compiles his reports back to London and through his diplomatic and amorous contacts somehow manages to remain abreast of the situations as they develop. Interesting to reflect that this novel was published six years before Evelyn Waugh's more famous Scoop which has similarities of theme, although Waugh's 'Boot' is a more overtly comic character. At the outset, Lushington is in competition with Da Costa, the budding diplomat, for the heart of Lucy, with Da Costa the likely victor. However, on the voyage to the "Little new country in the Baltic" Lushington meets the shady Count Bobel and the fragrant Ortrud with whom he commences an affair which extends during his tenure in the Baltic. While there we see the diplomatic parties with Counts and Princesses, the seedier nightclubs and the set piece is the skiing trip to the hinterland. Powell attempts farce when Bobel imposes himself and two of the nightclub girls into Lushington's rooms at the wrong moment. The dialogue remains crisp, short and snappy but there is far more substance than in the earlier novel. The chapters remain short. The characters are more developed and there is more attempt at striking and pithy description. Everyone is a character with a story to tell and seemingly aware of his role in the plot. Powell's appreciation of people's frailties is transformed as sharp humour. Just before Lushington's scheduled departure, a ball is held at the 'House of the Knights'. Ortrud is in a bad mood and fatefully leaves, not with Lushington but with Da Costa. There is yet another attempted assassination of General Kuno, the head of police. Kuno, typically, inadvertently avoids the bullets which find and kill both Da Costa and Ortrud. Lushington returns to London and Lucy. As the boat slips from the Baltic quay Lushington notices three drunken night watchmen dancing hand in hand around a fire - strong shades of the opening sequence of the Dance or Poussin's painting. Despite the passing of seventy years this short novel remains both consuming and amusing throughout. There is also considerable development from the first offering. [First published in Anthony Powell Society Newsletter, 18 (Spring 2005)]

From a View to a Death (1933) The third of the Powell novels of the thirties transports us to a sleepy, peaceful, small English country town. It is supposed Powell used Salisbury as the model. Here we find an England now all too unfamiliar. An England where, for example, Mr Vernon Passenger can walk across the main road without getting promptly knocked down by a car. The London based artist, Arthur Zouch, a predatory "tuft hunter", arrives in this quaint environment, invited by Miss Mary Passenger, and proceeds to impose himself upon the quiet town. Quiet that is apart from a local petty feud between Mr Passenger and Major Fosdick over shooting rights. This dispute is wickedly concluded by Powell, who portrays Fosdick as a transvestite who through the novel becomes less and less careful so eventually gets caught wearing a dress by his adversary Passenger. Fosdick feels compelled to capitulate and hurriedly does a deal with Passenger over the shooting rights before getting himself committed. Zouch quickly claims the pliable Joanna Brandon as a conquest but in order to win the better bred Mary he has to gain the approval of her father, who proves to be the equal if not the better of Zouch. Mary suggests that Zouch could impress her and ingratiate himself to Mr Passenger by agreeing to hunt. Mr Passenger elegantly "kills" Zouch by mounting the inexperienced interloper on Creditor, a horse that "pulls a little". Creditor manages to throw Zouch to his death and peace can then resume. Nietzsche is credited with challenging the foundations of morality. He posited the Ubermensch concept which we translate perhaps clumsily as "Superman". Zouch insinuates himself as Powell's Superman who thinks himself above everyone and everything within the provincial milieu and with his savage freethinking is capable of willing himself to power (superseding Passenger). It is therefore much to Powell's credit that the real "Superman", Mr Passenger, is triumphant and Zouch easily and literally brought to ground. Powell continues to delight us with a fresh array of characters. Major Fosdick has a couple of wet sons, Jasper and Torquil (who is "rather odd"). The amenable Mary Passenger has an interesting, independent much older sister Betty who was once married to an Italian aristocrat with whom she had the precocious five year old Bianca (a budding Pamela Flitton?) who goads Zouch with her pointed retorts. Joanna's mother and Mrs Passenger are portrayed as virtually comatose. Mr Brandon's maid, Mr Dadds, is an irritable gossip. All these characters and others are quite closely examined and all are given the comic treatment. Powell finds no such thing as human equality. Everyone is treated at face value but all are subjected to the author's acid wit and sometimes bland cruelty. This novel was published in 1933, one year before Powell's own marriage, and one searches fruitlessly for clues or links between the author's own situation and that of Zouch. Another bright, fast romp of a read with some sex, violence and philosophy. What more could a reader require? [First published in Anthony Powell Society Newsletter, 20 (Autumn 2005)]

Agents and Patients (1936)

What's Become of Waring (1939)