The Valley of Bones, by Anthony Powell

This is the 7th of the 12-part, very long novel by Anthony Powell collectively titled, A Dance to the Music of Time.

We’re reached World War II. Our narrator, Nicholas Jenkins has joined the service. He’s an officer, at a training facility in Northern Ireland. Many new characters are introduced. A few of them are notable. The senior officer is named Rowland Gwatkin, a banker in civilian life, with a romantic view of war. An older man named Bithel, who’s a disreputable character with a shady past, an object of fun for the other men, and prone to drink. There’s Idwal Kedward, who’s Jenkins’ co-equal in military position. There are many, many, more – too many to list here, or keep track of, frankly, although I’ve become wary of Powell’s habit of introducing a character in an offhand manner who then turns out to play a major role some chapters or even novels, later.

Nothing much happens in the first two chapters. Chapter One we find Jenkins adjusting to his new military life. Chapter Two lengthily describes some practice maneuvers the company goes through. Never having been in the military myself, let alone the English army, I was often mystified by the acronyms, and I’ve never been clear about which rank is above or below another.

Powell saves all the interest of this novel for chapter three. Jenkins goes over to England to a place called Aldershot for training. He arrives in London first and runs into a couple of old friends, briefly: Pennistone, who he met long ago at Mrs. Andriadis’ party; and Barnby, the artist friend. At Aldershot he meets a new character, Odo Stevens, whose family is in the imitation jewelry business. He also runs into Brent, who was one of the men in that long ago car accident, a friend of Peter Templer’s and Bob Duport. Brent fills in Jenkins with more of the story of Brent’s affair with Jean Templer, not knowing that Jenkins, too, had an affair with Jean.

From Aldershot, Jenkins gets a weekend pass to visit his wife Isobel and several other of the Tolland family staying in the area. Odo Stevens drives Jenkins to the house. The house is packed with characters we’ve met before. It’s a relief to be back in familiar territory, just as Jenkins is relieved to be away from the army for a few days.

The house belongs to Frederica Tolland. Isobel is staying there to be cared for as she negotiates the final stages of her pregnancy. Priscilla Tolland is also there, as is Robert Tolland who has brought with him a girl, Flavia Wisebite, who used to be called Flavia Stringham, Charles’ older sister. One more character we’ve met before shows up as well. This is Dicky Umfraville, who has somehow become engaged to Frederica Tolland. Odo Stevens comes into the house for a drink before driving on to his destination. Priscilla Tolland seems to be taken by Odo Stevens. She has a brooch that’s about to fall off because the clasp is broken. Stevens offers to repair it, remember his family is in the imitation jewelry business.

We hear news of other characters, too. Erry and Blanche Tolland (brother and sister) are staying at Thrubworth, the family manse, most of which has been taken over by the military. Buster Foxe is staying there, too. Foxe is married to Charles Stringham’s (and Flavia Wisebite’s) mother. Foxe and Umfraville carry a longstanding enmity owing to some prior adultery between both of them and a woman. At the end of the weekend Foxe shows up at the house for an awkward scene. Foxe announces that Mrs. Foxe has asked for a divorce; she wants to get married to Norman Chandler, the actor/dancer she’s been going around with. Robert learns by telephone that his leave has been canceled and he needs to get back immediately or lose his chance to accompany his unit into France. Flavia cries at the news of the sudden separation. Odo Stevens shows up with the car and arrangements are made for Robert to ride back with Jenkins and Stevens. Isobel goes white and announces that she had better retire to her room and have someone call the doctor for her. Stevens and Robert and Jenkins finally take their leave.

Chapter Four we’re back to the army, and back to Northern Ireland. Now Jenkins is serving at an old home called Castlemallock, taken over for the war effort. He’s helping to run trainings for soldiers to survive gas attacks. Some time has passed. Isobel has had her baby, a boy. Robert Tolland has died, his death mentioned so casually in the second sentence of a paragraph and in passive voice that except for the capital letters of his name you could easily miss it (“Among these, Robert Tolland, serving in France with his field Security Section, was also killed.” p. 196). The main story of this chapter has to do with Gwatkin, though married, having an affair with Maureen, a barmaid at the pub of the local village. The affair goes nowhere; she’s unfaithful to him.

Bithel gets drunk again, and in trouble. He’s reassigned to a laundry unit. Gwatkin gets in trouble, having nothing to do with Maureen but because he confuses some codewords. He’s reassigned. Edward is promoted to Gwatkin’s position. Jenkins is reassigned as well. Powell keeps the identity of Jenkins’ new superior officer a mystery until the last moment and then, surprise, it’s Widmerpool.