How are the novels 'Justine', 'Balthazar', 'Mountolive' and 'Clea' by Lawrence Durrell known collectively?
Lawrence Durrell "Justine," the first novel of what was to become his most famous work, "The Alexandria Quartet." "Justine," "Balthazar" (1958), "Mountolive" (1958), and "Clea" (1960), deal with events before and during the Second World War in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The first three books tell essentially the same story and series of events, but from the varying perspectives of different characters. Durrell described this technique in his introductory note in "Balthazar" as "relativistic." Only in the final novel, "Clea", does the story advance in time and reach a conclusion. Critics praised the 'Quartet' for its richness of style, the variety
Justine (Durrell novel) with the workings of the British secret service, a story-line that becomes much more extended and eventually takes centre-stage in the next two books of the quartet, "Balthazar" and, especially, "Mountolive". Durrell makes many references in "Justine" to the Greek Alexandrian poet Constantin Cavafy, and thus, the novel introduced Cavafy to a wide new audience in the English-speaking world. Two of Cavafy's poems, "The City" and "The God Abandons Antony", translated by Durrell, are included as "workpoints" in the Appendix, implying that the poems have something to say about the narrator and his plight. Justine (Durrell novel) Justine, published in