Venusberg

Venusberg is the second of Powell’s five pre-Dance novels and was published in 1932, one year after his debut novel, Afternoon Men. Again the protagonists are dizzy young things but this time the world is a mixture of a small diplomatic society and journalism. The main action is set within “The capital of a Baltic country” with shorter scenes set in London and on board a steamer to the Baltic.

Powell sets Venusberg in that historical blink of the eye when the Baltic States enjoyed freedom between 1920 and 1940, before both the German army and then the Soviet tanks rolled over their tiny neighbours. Despite Powell’s now distinctive yet deceptive lightness of style we savour a definite menace only just beneath the surface with local political tensions, riots, bombings, revolutions and assassinations around every corner.

The hero is the diligent English journalist Lushington, who faithfully compiles his reports back to London and through his diplomatic and amorous contacts somehow manages to remain abreast of the situations as they develop. Interesting to reflect that this novel was published six years before Evelyn Waugh’s more famous Scoop which has similarities of theme, although Waugh’s ‘Boot’ is a more overtly comic character.

At the outset, Lushington is in competition with Da Costa, the budding diplomat, for the heart of Lucy, with Da Costa the likely victor. However, on the voyage to the “Little new country in the Baltic” Lushington meets the shady Count Bobel and the fragrant Ortrud with whom he commences an affair which extends during his tenure in the Baltic. While there we see the diplomatic parties with Counts and Princesses, the seedier nightclubs and the set piece is the skiing trip to the hinterland. Powell attempts farce when Bobel imposes himself and two of the nightclub girls into Lushington’s rooms at the wrong moment. The dialogue remains crisp, short and snappy but there is far more substance than in the earlier novel. The chapters remain short. The characters are more developed and there is more attempt at striking and pithy description. Everyone is a character with a story to tell and seemingly aware of his role in the plot. Powell’s appreciation of people’s frailties is transformed as sharp humour.

Just before Lushington’s scheduled departure, a ball is held at the ‘House of the Knights’. Ortrud is in a bad mood and fatefully leaves, not with Lushington but with Da Costa. There is yet another attempted assassination of General Kuno, the head of police. Kuno, typically, inadvertently avoids the bullets which find and kill both Da Costa and Ortrud. Lushington returns to London and Lucy. As the boat slips from the Baltic quay Lushington notices three drunken night watchmen dancing hand in hand around a fire – strong shades of the opening sequence of Dance or Poussin’s painting.

Despite the passing of seventy years this short novel remains both consuming and amusing throughout. There is also considerable development from the first offering.

[First published in Anthony Powell Society Newsletter, 18 (Spring 2005)]