Two or three years after the Second World War and London's literary world is finding its feet again, Nicholas Jenkins has found himself a job "doing the books" on a "little magazine". This brings about contact with persons known and unknown, including that talented writer of the war-generation, X. Now a Labour MP, Widmerpool abuts on these activities, but may have bitten off more than he can chew in marrying the young and beautiful Pamela Flitton.