The Soldier’s Art is the eighth volume of the chef d’oeuvre A Dance to The Music of Time which is one of The Modern Library’s Best 100 Novels, included on The All -TIME 100 novels web page, also on the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list, and you have it at 432nd on The Greatest books of All Time site, alas, it is descending on the latter, nevertheless, it is one of my Top 50 Favorites – you find thousands of reviews of magnum opera from the aforementioned and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html and YouTube channel, where you can also see my macaws

 

The Soldier’s Art is the eighth volume of the chef d’oeuvre A Dance to The Music of Time which is one of The Modern Library’s Best 100 Novels, included on The All -TIME 100 novels web page, also on the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list, and you have it at 432nd on The Greatest books of All Time site, alas, it is descending on the latter, nevertheless, it is one of my Top 50 Favorites – you find thousands of reviews of magnum opera from the aforementioned and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html and YouTube channel, where you can also see my macaws

 

10 out of 10

 

I was mesmerized https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-soldiers-art-by-anthony-powell.html by The Soldier’s Art the first time I have read it, and now, when I was so thrilled for the second time, last night, just before finishing it, I was hoping something bad will happen to Widmerpool, the villain

 

Kenneth Widmerpool is just one of the more than three hundred personages that appear in the more than one thousand pages long magnum opus A Dance to The Music of Time, and he is so complex, albeit basically he is evil, his efficiency, tendency to care only about work – and himself, career, advancement – helps others

I had anticipated in previous reviews of this roman fleuve that Stringham will be affected, it has not happened yet in a terminal tragic way – a spoiler alert would not be needed if I am just speculating – but I am expecting it for The Military Philosophers or the other three volumes left, the first step was taken in here

 

https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-kindly-ones-by-anthony-powell-is.html Widmerpool does not stand anything in his path to ‘greatness’, and sees Stringham as an obstacle, has him moved to Mobile Laundry unit, knowing it will be dispatched abroad, probably the Far East, where I think tragedy will occur

meanwhile, people have been killed in a raid, Chips Lovell, his wife, Priscilla, Lady Molly – notwithstanding those and other personages that die – another one is Barnby, I think I remember – we also have humor: ‘He talked about Trollope – and Balzac…The authors? I was tempted to reply, “No – the generals,” but discretion prevailed.’

 

Dead Souls https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/01/dead-souls-by-nikolai-gogol-9-out-of-10.html by Nikolai Gogol is mentioned, just as Balzac – which is the name of one of my macaws, the other is called Puccini – Descartes, Pennistone wanted to write a book about Descartes, while Major Finn had not heard about him

Kenneth Widmerpool has brought the narrator, Nicholas Jenkins, as his assistant, but when he moves into higher spheres, he does not care what happens to others – indeed, he always has this attitude – he had some schemes and maneuvered to get his way, apparently getting into trouble, and I was hoping he is finished

 

Alas, he got away with it, and I am just seeing him again in Military Philosophers – a note will be posted on this one in the upcoming days – instead of suffering the consequences, he is just meeting with a minister, and I actually know he will get near the top towards the end, just like that orange oaf that rules America https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-valley-of-bones-by-anthony-powell.html The Valley of Bones is another chef d’oeuvre by Anthony Powell, one of the favorites of Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis

 

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