• Paperback
• 256
• The Soldier's Art
• Anthony Powell
• English
• 06 March 2018
• 9780099472476

Anthony Powell ✓ 1 REVIEW

REVIEW Ý The Soldier's Art To his old friend the rapidly rising Major Widmerpool Having to work alongside the rather obnoxious Captain Biggs Nick is pleased when his old school pal Charles String. The Soldier s Art is the eighth book in the series set in 1941 during the war Nick Jenkins is serving in the British military under Kenneth Widmerpool his old school acuaintance in the Divisional Headuarters Nick hopes to transfer to a better situation suited to his talents Widmerpool is self centered playing politics to hurt others and hoping for a promotion Widmerpool showed up in all the previous books of the series the character we love to hateWhen Nick goes to London on leave he meets up with some old friends Bombs fall in London injuring or killing people known to Nick Fate determines who is a victim of the blitzAuthor Anthony Powell has fun as he depicts army life stacks of forms endless regulations rivalries petty arguments and terrible food At the close of the book Nick learns that Germany has just invaded Russia A friend reads verses from Robert Browning s Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came which gave this book its titleI shut my eyes and turned them on my heartAs a man calls for wine before he fightsI asked one draught of earlier happier sightsEre fitly I could hope to play my partThink first fight afterwards the soldier s art One taste of the old time sets all to rights uirkyalone A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics just invaded Russia A friend reads verses from Robert Browning s Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came which gave this book its titleI shut my eyes and turned them on my heartAs a man calls for wine before he fightsI asked one draught of earlier happier sightsEre fitly I could hope to play my partThink first fight afterwards the soldier s art One taste of the old time sets all to rights

REVIEW Ý The Soldier's Art The eighth novel in Anthony Powell's brilliant twelve novel seuence 'A Dance to the Music of Time'Nick Jenkins has been posted to Divisional Headuarters as the assistant. It should come as no surprise for the readers who follow the movements of the Dance that Anthony Powell likes to start each episode with an allegorical scene a trigger for the memories of the past and a sort of preview of events to come For the number eight novel the simple act of Nick Jenkins buying a greatcoat at the start of 1941 is loaded with hidden messages and premonitions of danger The first scene is a London tailor shop that specializes in costumes for the theatre One of these effigies wore Harleuin s diagonally spangled tights the other scarlet full dress uniform of some infantry regiment allegorical figures so it seemed symbolising dualism of the antithetical stock in trade surrounding them Civil and Military Work and Play Detachment and Involvment Tragedy and Comedy War and Peace Life and Death Such careful coreography of the story makes the reviewer s job easier but conveys little of the emotional turmoil brought by the war into the lives of the Dancers And at least for me The Soldier s Art proved to be the most heartwrenching and disturbing episode so far in the chronicles of Nicholas Jenkins and friends I have remarked before on the elegance of style and sharp critical eye that first attracted me to Powell s work I have also remarked often on the apparent disconnect between the narrator a passive observer and the tumultous live surging around him Well this time around the blitz is striking painfully close to the heart taking away some of the most loved characters in the series bringing down the fortunes of some raising the stock of others Suddenly everything is up in the air and the thread of life can be cut down in an instant I am not giving names here who survives who doesn t The year 1941 should be enough indication of the random and merciless nature of the Hand of Fate that comes down from the sky in a rain of fire on the pure of heart and on the cheaters alikeThe musical arhitecture that defined earlier novels is reflected once again in a three part split of the story a lengthy opening movement detailing regimental life a middle seuence of a brief respite during a leave in London a dramatic finale that brings out into the open long held secrets and rivalries then scatters the players to the four windsTo continue with the musical concerto analogy the major theme is sung at first by a raid on the division s headuarters in Ireland a night spectacle of searchlights criss crossing the sky looking for Luftwafe planes punctuated by the heavy bass of explosions nearby Nick is in a sour mood completely disillusioned with the army lifestyle since his first honorable instinct to volunteer Since then I had served a million years at these Headuarters come to possess no life but the army no master but Widmerpool no table companions but Biggs and Soper His uncouth companions are even making fun of his education and bookworm inclinations I no longer attempted to conceal the habit with all its undesirable implications At least admitting to it put one in a recognisably odd category of persons from whom less need be expected than the normal men In the course of performing his sub lieutenant duties Jenkins has to deal with bullies with drunkards with laziness malice arrogance a full panoply of human weakness exacerbated by the confined uarters and by the lack of any entertainment or feminine presence By far the most aggravating presence turns out to be our old acuaintance Widmerpool a perennial guest star in each of the previous novels infamous for his unexpected and often hilarious appearances in the least likely locations His character until now has been kept ambiguous as if Nick Jenkins was undecided between laughter pity and grudging admiration for Widmerpool all encompassing ambitions Daily interactions now from a subordinate position have finally lifted the veil of ambivalence from my eyes and put me firmly in the camp of Widmerpool detractors I simply loathe the patronizing tone he takes with Nick Don t worry my boy I ll keep you in the picture the machinations he resorts to in order to climb the military ladder the malicious digging in the mud in order to discover ways to bring down his adversaries even the fake industrious image he projects of working too hard by inventing useless unnecessary tasks view spoiler Not to mention the final betrayal of Nick abandoned without a ualm when a better position was offered to Kenneth hide spoiler A New Leash on Love job easier but conveys little of the emotional turmoil brought by the war into the lives of the Dancers And at least for me The Soldier s Art proved to be the most heartwrenching and disturbing episode so far in the chronicles of Nicholas Jenkins and friends I have remarked before on the elegance of style and sharp critical eye that first attracted me to Powell s work I have also remarked often on the apparent disconnect between the narrator a passive observer and the tumultous live surging around him Well this time around the blitz is striking painfully close to the heart taking away some of the most loved characters in the series bringing down the fortunes of some raising the stock of others Suddenly everything is up in the air and the thread of life can be cut down in an instant I am not giving names here who survives who doesn t The year 1941 should be enough indication of the random and merciless nature of the Hand of Fate that comes down from the sky in a rain of fire on the pure of heart and on the cheaters alikeThe musical arhitecture that defined earlier novels is reflected once again in a three part split of the story a lengthy opening movement detailing regimental life a middle seuence of a brief respite during a leave in London a dramatic finale that brings out into the open long held secrets and rivalries then scatters the players to the four windsTo continue with the musical concerto analogy the major theme is sung at first by a raid on the division s headuarters in Ireland a night spectacle of searchlights criss crossing the sky looking for Luftwafe planes punctuated by the heavy bass of explosions nearby Nick is in a sour mood completely disillusioned with the army lifestyle since his first honorable instinct to volunteer Since then I had served a million years at these Headuarters come to possess no life but the army no master but Widmerpool no table companions but Biggs and Soper His uncouth companions are even making fun of his education and bookworm inclinations I no longer attempted to conceal the habit with all its undesirable implications At least admitting to it put one in a recognisably odd category of persons from whom less need be expected than the normal men In the course of performing his sub lieutenant duties Jenkins has to deal with bullies with drunkards with laziness malice arrogance a full panoply of human weakness exacerbated by the confined uarters and by the lack of any entertainment or feminine presence By far the most aggravating presence turns out to be our old acuaintance Widmerpool a perennial guest star in each of the previous novels infamous for his unexpected and often hilarious appearances in the least likely locations His character until now has been kept ambiguous as if Nick Jenkins was undecided between laughter pity and grudging admiration for Widmerpool all encompassing ambitions Daily interactions now from a subordinate position have finally lifted the veil of ambivalence from my eyes and put me firmly in the camp of Widmerpool detractors I simply loathe the patronizing tone he takes with Nick Don t worry my boy I ll keep you in the picture the machinations he resorts to in order to climb the military ladder the malicious digging in the mud in order to discover ways to bring down his adversaries even the fake industrious image he projects of working too hard by inventing useless unnecessary tasks view spoiler Not to mention the final betrayal of Nick abandoned without a ualm when a better position was offered to Kenneth hide spoiler

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REVIEW Ý The Soldier's Art Ham becomes the latest recruit to the armed forces However the cruelties of war are not far behind As the Blitz intensifies tragedy and despair befall Nick and his frien. Despite the tedious first part describing the boredom and inanity of military life this eight installment of The Dance is brilliant in bringing us further news of Nick s family and friends some of whom get blitzed and killed And the infamous Widmerpool continues his narcissistic rise