Anthony Powell's Afternoon Men is a sharp, witty, and understated exploration of disillusionment and the ennui of 1920s London bohemia. Powell's first novel, it introduces readers to a world of idle intellectuals, artists, and socialites, capturing their conversations, relationships, and quiet despair with biting humor and detached irony. The story revolves around William Atwater, a museum worker and frequent guest at gatherings filled with aimless young professionals and artists. Through Atwater's eyes, Powell paints a vivid picture of the group's vapid social rituals, their shallow romantic entanglements, and their constant search for amusement in the face of life's monotony. Characters such as the capricious Susan Nunnery and the ambitious but unremarkable painter Raymond Pringle populate Atwater's world, offering glimpses into the struggles of those caught between youthful ambition and existential inertia. Written in Powell's signature understated prose, Afternoon Men combines keen social observation with a sense of melancholy that underscores the futility of its characters' pursuits. The novel's humor lies in its ability to capture the absurdities of human interaction, while its depth emerges from its subtle critique of a generation trying to find meaning in a fragmented modern world. This debut work by Powell offers an early glimpse into the themes and style he would later refine in his renowned A Dance to the Music of Time series. A commentary on the alienation and fleeting connections of postwar society, Afternoon Men remains a compelling and insightful portrait of a lost generation.