"An uninspiring figure, to say the least." So wrote Anthony Powell (1905–2000) in his journals about his future first biographer, after Barber (The Captain: The Life of Simon Raven
) interviewed him in 1983. It's a tribute to the genial Barber that he can quote this dismissal with bemusement in his sprightly, anecdote-filled biography of the sometimes prickly author best known for that 12-volume chronicle of the human comedy, A Dance to the Music of Time
. Drawing on his several interviews with Powell, Powell's four volumes of memoirs, published journals, unpublished letters and more, Barber charts the high points of his subject's career, from his days at Eton and Oxford, through his brief stint in Hollywood, service as a staff officer in WWII and the composition of his masterpiece (published between 1951 and 1975), to his retirement as a book reviewer for the British Telegraph
in 1990, after being savaged in its pages by Auberon Waugh. That Dance
has always been more a critical than a popular success Barber persuasively attributes at least in part to Powell's personal reticence. As Barber admits in his preface, he was not Powell's choice for official biographer, but until a full, authorized account comes along, this entertaining life serves as a satisfying appetizer for Powell fans.
23 b&w photos. (Sept. 24)
Forecast:
The relatively small but extremely loyal Powell following in the U.S. should guarantee sales success.
