My first Rosamond Lehmann and I probably should have read 'Invitation to the Waltz' first. Most of the book is an exquisitely-observed account of a love affair, featuring a hyper-vigilant self-aware heroine with an excellent line in mental asides. There are a lot of other characters which do seem real, but which are slightly distracting from the main story arc. I have yet to reflect on how the two parts mesh. The first part of the book is dominated by a dinner party scene worthy of the ball in Il Gattopardo (the film). It does go on a bit but it's brilliant. Anyway none of this detracts from an excellent novel, well worth reading.