Turn, Magic Wheel

Turn, Magic Wheel by Dawn Powell (1936) I’m guessing this story takes place in the Thirties (it was published in 1936) and it’s set in New York, amidst a literary scene that I can’t help feeling somewhat nostalgic about, even though it’s 100% satirical, and at some points fairly cruel. I imagine it came off a bit nastier at the time—when the subjects of ridicule might have more recognized themselves. And time might have softened it a bit, so a present-day reader might easily feel nostalgia—maybe because it’s New York—which takes on a timeless quality—always immensely different, of course, but always remarkably the same. I mean, the Thirties is now nearly a century ago, yet it also feels remarkably current, or I suppose timeless—in that people will always be fools and always be struggling. The main character is a novelist named Dennis Orphen who has written a book which, in part, apparently makes fun of a hugely popular writer, Andrew Callingham, who has been off in Europe for years. Dennis has had some kind of relationship with the Callingham’s ex, Effie, in order to get material, but of course, over time, he’s become immensely fond of her. He’s also having an affair with a married woman named Corinne, whose husband is hilariously dull. The woman who Callingham left Effie for has returned to New York, suffering from a terminal illness, and Effie becomes oddly protective of her. So much of the book is like an immense soap opera, but it’s so twisted, and the characters oddly likeable despite their actions—I found it thoroughly satisfying, and a lot of fun. I especially liked the subplot involving Dennis’ publishers, MacTweed and Johnson—for me, the funniest part of the book.