Infants of the Spring: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell

To Keep the Ball Rolling: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell #1

by Anthony Powell

Many photos.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography

214 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

People best know British writer Anthony Dymoke Powell for A Dance to the Music of Time , a cycle of 12 satirical novels from 1951 to 1975.

This Englishman published his volumes of work. Television and radio dramatizations subjected major work of Powell in print continuously. In 2008, The Times newspaper named Powell among their list of "the fifty greatest British writers since 1945."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony...

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A master-class in style--I can't imagine anyone wanting to read this who hasn't read Dance to the Music of Time, unless they for some odd reason really want to read about Maurice Bowra. The book is small, the topic is small, and Powell obviously isn't trying very hard. But that makes it perfectly readable and entertaining, particularly when he sketches the characters of his famous/not so famous friends (Orwell, Henry Greene, the aforementioned Bowra) and digresses to talk about his own work or other aesthetic issues. And Powell's ability to with-hold judgment but remain interesting and objective is extraordinary. Looking forward to the next volume!

[Sherwood Smith]

I got this mainly to read about Powell's Oxford years, to compare with others of his remarkable generation. I soon became absorbed in his leisurely, reflective style, transitioning anecdotes with such grace the whole is entirely absorbing.

[David]

Like most of Powell's books, I find his memoirs increasingly comfortable upon re-reading. In a first read, the genealogy of the opening chapters I found tedious, and I had no connection to the Oxford & upper-class world that forms so much of AP's early experience. The older I get, the more interesting I find even the parts I don't easily relate to. Now, as an old career-teacher, I find his Eton and Oxford academic memories hilarious.

[Lisa Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Off the cuff tone, disinterested analysis of friends and fellow artists. Good as a companion to Dance. Certainly gives one up in a game of who's who in Dance. It's been about 15 years since I read this.
(Own 1st Am edition HB)