If you are nervous of reading challenges I suggest you look away now. For many years I have been dimly aware of a book called Dance to the Music of Time – it was only relatively recently I realised it was actually twelve books published over a twenty four year period. This year my friend Liz has been re-reading it – and Karen from kaggsysbookishramblings has also been reading it. Their reviews of it have inspired me to do the same. Of course the entire work is divided up into twelve handy sized bites which make it perfect for a yearlong reading challenge.
Dance to the Music of Time which takes its name from Nicolas Poussin’s fifteenth century painting – is one of the longest works of fiction in the world. The sequence is narrated by Nick Jenkins – and the entire sequence I believe take the form of his reminiscences of fifty years. 
“Anthony Powell’s brilliant twelve-novel sequence chronicles the lives of over three hundred characters, and it is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England. It is unrivalled for its scope, its humour and the enormous pleasure it has given to generations.”
(from the fly leaf to my edition)
The books are available in single editions (all only around 200 pages) – but more often found in four larger omnibus editions, spring, summer, autumn and winter – each containing three novels. I have discovered that there are plenty of copies of either the omnibus editions or the single books on second hand book sites. So twelve months, twelve books – one extraordinary work of literature.
• A Question of Upbringing – (1951)
• A Buyer’s Market – (1952) 
• The Acceptance World – (1955)
• At Lady Molly’s – (1957)
• Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant – (1960)
• The Kindly Ones – (1962)
• The Valley of Bones – (1964)
• The Soldier’s Art – (1966)
• The Military Philosophers – (1968)
• Books Do Furnish a Room – (1971)
• Temporary Kings – (1973)
• Hearing Secret Harmonies – (1975)
If you fancy whetting your appetite – I can recommend reading the following blog posts :
A Question of Upbringing Book 1 from kaggsysbookishrambling.
Dance to the Music of time -Vol 1 Spring from Liz.
So anyone up for joining me? What with this and The Great War theme read – I’m going to be busy!
heavenali 
Ooh you are in for a TREAT! I read them all between August and October, but doing it month by month would be great. Matthew did them too, on audiobook, which worked very well, and in fact he got ahead of me with them and finished about 3 weeks before I did. I look forward to reading how you get on with them. Now gobble down that TBR mountain this month to make reading room (hope you don’t add to the TBR over Christmas) (Oh).
lol – some hope of gobbling up the tbr – I’m out three evenings next week – so no reading time hardly at all 😦
I want to do this! I have had Vol 1 sitting on my shelf for several years. I don’t blog, but I’d be happy to comment on yours.
That would be fab – no blog necessary – I would love it if you kept me company 🙂
Enjoy, Ali! It’s a great reading experience! I have the omnibus editions and I found it helpful to mark the start and end of each particular book I was reading – psychologically it didn’t look so overwhelming!
🙂 great tip – I think I will do that too.
I have been meaning to read this for years and I have to say that I am very tempted. But I need to look at what else I’ve committed myself to before I definitely jump on board. I’ll get back to you, if I may.
🙂 of course that’s fine – 🙂 would love to have you aboard.
Ive read first two books before I blogged I have vol 2 and 4 second hand and will read when I get vol 1 and 4 of the four vol collection
Sounds like a plan, did you enjoy the bit you read?
Oh my goodness! I am certainly willing to try!
Excellent, I appreciate it’s a pretty big commitment – I hope I can keep to it myself.
I definitely intent to join you Ali. I have had Spring on my shelves for ever so long and to celebrate my ThingAversary I ordered Summer, Autumn & Winter. I am all set to go when you say the word. And like Laura I don’t blog (can’t figure it out), so I will just comment here if that is okay. Thank you for putting the word out.
That will be fine Belva so glad to have you a long. I’ll be doing one a month so will start the first book of the first volume in early January.
intend, not intent……..sorry
I also have been wanting to do this for a few years. I have some edition up in the attic but I don’t know which one. I’ll have to look for it. I have so much I want to read next year but I’ll see if I can fit it in. I just ordered William – An Englishman for the first part of WW1.
Excellent it will be lovely to have your company too if you can mamage it.
William an Englishman is a wonderful book. Though I’ll be reading one of the alternatives for the first month of The Great War theme read.
I found it and lucky for me it’s the volume with the first three books so I will be joining you.
Great news – looking forward to starting now.
I’d simply fail if I tried!!! This is one of those times when I think ‘challenge’ as a word doesn’t seem to m to do justice to the scale of the task! I’ll look forward to following it from a distance and might dip in and out but I know my limitations alas!!! Good luck and enjoy!
🙂 thank you it will be a task and a half.
I’ve been meaning to do this for so long. I’m in.
🙂 excellent – it looks like there will be a few of us now. Always nice to have company.
I’m tempted to a re-read, I do love them. I’ve got the TV adaptation to watch too, it was last year’s Christmas present.
Ooh I may have to get that to watch after I have read them.
Matthew had it for his birthday this year, so you can always borrow our copy! Not sure how they will have managed it though …
Thanks – maybe I’ll watch in 2015 🙂
I bought and read the Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter omnibuses shortly after watching the BBC series in the later 1990s, although I had read one or two of them before that, as my parents had copies. I don’t think I have read them in the years since, so I will join in your re-read. It shouldn’t be too hard to fit in reading one per month, even though I have other reading challenges going on. Looking forward to it!
Excellent. So glad to hear from so many people that they are so good they want to re-read them 🙂
What a great challenge and it looks like you’re in excellent company, I’ll be cheering and reading your reviews from the sidelines and for now I’m off to read those reviews since I have never even heard of these books!
Thanks. Yes it seems like I will have good company.
Oooh, I might have to sign up for this — it’s been on my to-read list forever. I’m sure I could manage one volume in three months, that’s not impossible. I’m not absolutely committing yet but I am definitely intrigued!
There’s no need to absolutely commit at any stage. If you’re able to join in for any part of the sequence at any stage I would be glad to hear your thoughts.
This is a great challenge, since I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who has read the books – somehow it makes me feel less quirky knowing there are a bunch of us.
Ha, ha 🙂 the quirky bunch – I like that.
Hello, I’m new to your blog and like it very much. Your reviews are lovely and very thoughtful!
I am very tempted by this, I have the four omnibus volumes which, like one of your other commentators, I bought after watching the television series, but I only ever read the first two books. I think this might be just the push I need, although I am a bit of a loser when it comes to actually sticking with challenges.
Thank you : )
You would be very welcome to join is. Don’t worry about sticking with it, there’s no pressure.
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I’m looking forward to joining this read. I read the first three or maybe four a few years ago, but I don’t remember much about them. Thanks for putting this together, Ali!
Good to have you joining us.
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