A Dance to the Music of Time 3 Novels in one Volume inc: A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World.

First UK collected edition, first impression. Some edge wear, rubbing, chipping and short closed tears to top and bottom of jacket and spine, corners rubbed with tiny loss, spine and top strip of back jacket very slightly faded, some scratches to top front jacket, some spotting to page fore edges and prelims, not price clipped (42/-), no inscriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a vg+ copy for its age. 158pp. The first three books of Anthony Powell's (1905-2000), magisterial novel cycle 'A Dance to the Music of Time', first published to great critical acclaim between 1951 and 1975. Inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin, the cycle is one of the longest works of fiction in literature. The story is an often comic examination of movements and manners, power and passivity in English political, cultural and military life in the mid 20th century. The sequence is narrated by Nick Jenkins in the form of his reminiscences. Beginning with Nick's schooldays in 'A Question of Upbringing', over the course of the following volumes, he recalls the people he met over the previous half a century. Little is told of Jenkins's personal life beyond his encounters with the great and the bad. Events, such as his wife's miscarriage, are only related in conversation with the principal characters. 'Time' magazine rated the cycle one of the best English language works of literature of the twentieth century. A heavy, very scarce book, extra postage may be required.…