A Dance to the Music of Time Reading Order

Here's the correct A Dance to the Music of Time reading order: every book in the right order, where to start, and answers to common questions.

Anthony Powell's twelve-novel A Dance to the Music of Time follows narrator Nick Jenkins and a huge cast of friends, rivals and acquaintances through English upper-class and bohemian life from the 1920s to the 1970s. It's one of the longest and most admired novel sequences in English.

Our Recommendation: Read All 12 in Order Read the twelve novels in order, from A Question of Upbringing to Hearing Secret Harmonies. In the US the easiest way is the four "Movement" volumes, three novels each, from First Movement to Fourth Movement.

The Four Movements (12 Novels)

In the US the twelve novels are published as four three-book volumes ("movements"). The year shown is when each movement's last novel first appeared.

First Movement: A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance WorldBuy Now Audible1955
Second Movement: At Lady Molly's, Casanova's Chinese Restaurant, The Kindly OnesBuy Now Audible1962
Third Movement: The Valley of Bones, The Soldier's Art, The Military PhilosophersBuy Now Audible1968
Fourth Movement: Books Do Furnish a Room, Temporary Kings, Hearing Secret HarmoniesBuy Now Audible1975

Own the Complete Series Buying the whole series at once is usually cheaper than individual books, and box sets make a great gift. See A Dance to the Music of Time box set options on Amazon ›

All 12 Novels in Order

1. A Question of Upbringing (1951) · 2. A Buyer's Market (1952) · 3. The Acceptance World (1955) · 4. At Lady Molly's (1957) · 5. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant (1960) · 6. The Kindly Ones (1962) · 7. The Valley of Bones (1964) · 8. The Soldier's Art (1966) · 9. The Military Philosophers (1968) · 10. Books Do Furnish a Room (1971) · 11. Temporary Kings (1973) · 12. Hearing Secret Harmonies (1975).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct A Dance to the Music of Time reading order?

Read the twelve novels in order, from A Question of Upbringing to Hearing Secret Harmonies. In the US the easiest way is the four "Movement" volumes, three novels each, from First Movement to Fourth Movement.

Is A Dance to the Music of Time finished?

Yes. Hearing Secret Harmonies (1975) completes the sequence.

Can I read A Dance to the Music of Time out of order?

It isn't recommended. Characters reappear across decades, and much of the pleasure comes from seeing how their lives change, so read it in sequence.

What are the four Movements?

Omnibus editions that each collect three of the twelve novels in order. First Movement covers books 1–3, Second Movement books 4–6, Third Movement books 7–9, and Fourth Movement books 10–12.

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