The Anthony Powell Reading Group discussion

Content in brief:
The remnants of the party the group attended in Chapter 2 / Scheigan woken from a drunken slumber and bundled into a taxi / Lola keen to return to Atwater's place with him / Atwater and Lola proceed to Atwater's flat / after brief conversation, Lola announces she feels sick, and is sent home by Atwater.

I love this exchange:
“Ought we to do anything about Scheigan? ...”
“He’s quite happy on the floor. He needs sleep, I expect.”
“He ought to be moved a bit ..... People are tripping over his head. He’s becoming a nuisance.”
“Nonsense. I like seeing him there. He gives the room a lived-in feeling.”
“He lets down the tone of the party.”
“Not so much as when he’s awake.”

The all-night parties, ending with a protagonist groping his way home at dawn, continue, especially in A Buyer’s Market.

David wrote: "The all-night parties, ending with a protagonist groping his way home at dawn, continue, especially in A Buyer’s Market."

Funny that you say this - I can see a lot of A Buyer's Market in this book!

I gave a paper at the 2005 Powell Centenary conference, called “Dance Steps.” My thesis was that the whole of the 1930s oeuvre was a rehearsal for Dance, trying out various themes, styles, plots, and techniques.