This unusually perceptive study is the first to treat at length both the novel sequence as an art form and the concept of time as a vital ingredient of it. The writers and works discussed are Doris Lessing s "Children of Violence," " "Olivia Manning s "Balkan Trilogy," " "Lawrence Durrell s "Alexandria Quartet," " "Anthony Burgess s "Malayan Trilogy," " "C. P. Snow s "Strangers and Brothers," " "and Anthony Powell s as yet uncompleted "Dance to the Music of Time.""