Turn, Magic WheelDennis Orphen, in writing a novel, has stolen the life story of his friend, Effie Callingham, the former wife of a famous, Hemingway-like novelist, Andrew Callingham. Orphen’s betrayal is not the only one, nor the worst one, in this hilarious satire of the New York literary scene. (Powell personally considered this to be her best New York novel.) Powell takes revenge here on all publishers, and her baffoonish MacTweed is a comic invention worthy of Dickens. And as always in Powell’s New York novels, the city itself becomes a central character: “On the glittering black pavement legs hurried by with umbrella tops, taxis skidded along the curb, their wheels swishing through the puddles, raindrops bounced like dice in the gutter.” Powell’s famous wit was never sharper than here, but Turn, Magic Wheel is also one of the most poignant and heart-wrenching of her novels. |
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Andy Andy's Ann Harding anyway asked Baby Barrow bedjacket Bee Amidon Belle's blue Boots Callingham Caroline Meigs's Corinne Corinne's cried CRUZ The University damn dance dark darling DAWN POWELL dear Dennis drew Dennis looked Dennis Orphen Dennis thought Dennis's Discobolus door Dorothy Dix dream Effie Thorne Effie's eyes face feel felt Gibson girl girl Gracie hand happy hate head heart Hickey Hunter's Wife Johnson knew laugh living Lora loved Bee MacTweed Magic Wheel Marian mind never nice night Number nurse oh l'amour Okie Olive Olive's once person Phil pretty shoulder smile someone staring stay street suddenly talk tell there's things thought Dennis told tonight Tony Glaenzer turned Union Square University Library UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA voice walked Walter watch whispered window woman wonder words write young