The style of Durell (someone please explain to me why in Bulgarian it's not Darul like his brother) is magnificent. By itself, it deserves 5 stars. However, the novel I received was self-centered - it's clear that it's almost plotless. For me, this is not a problem. Nevertheless, on every page, there is an indulgence in the author's own talent, which is irritating.

We understand, Lawrence, your pen is incredibly fine, but put into the book a little more mundane writing effort - something to hold the attention, a little more in-depth images instead of extreme ones, such "simple" things. The truth is that I picked up the "Alexandria Quartet" because of the books of Jerry Durell, in which, along with his other funny relatives, there were also wonderful descriptions of his brother Lawrence - the great English author. I'm still wondering which of the two is the better writer.

To be honest, "The Prospero's Cell" I liked more than "Justine", although I'm aware that this will dim my reputation as a literary snob by at least two levels :)

10 out of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Description, yes. Plot and characters, no., November 6, 2003

Lawrence Durrell, Justine (Cardinal, 1957)

Well, my two-month struggle with the first hundred fifty pages of the first novel of the Alexandria Quartet has left me with one firm resolution: I will never read the other three (or, probably, any other Durrell).

Don't misunderstand me. Durrell writes truly beautiful prose. The descriptions of Alexandria are lush, extremely detailed, and really give the reader a vivid feel for the city. You can almost sense the heat baking out of the clay as the night progresses.

However, the problem is that aside from Alexandria itself, there isn't a single character in the novel that is worth caring about, and there isn't a plotline worth following. In fact, what little plot there is in the novel appears and disappears randomly, much like a faraway TV signal on an old Zenith black-and-white television. There's simply nothing to do but marvel at the beauty of Alexandria. Which, I suppose, is fine for those folks who take week-long vacations to a particular tourist spot and then spend eight hours a day staring at that landmark as it stubbornly refuses to do anything but just sit there. Perhaps it's a sign of my short attention span, bad breeding, or whatever, but I like there to be at least a minimal amount of action in a novel. If I wanted a book where absolutely nothing happens, I'd read Stephen Jay Gould. (zero)

Book One of the Alexandria Quartet, which consists of Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea, is set in the exotic and cosmopolitan Alexandria, Egypt, in the 1930s. With World War II on the horizon, the city is a seedy and multicultural mix of English, French, Greek, Syrian, and native Egyptians.

The story is told by an unnamed English novelist and schoolmaster who has an affair with Justine, the wife of a wealthy Egyptian, Nessim. The affair becomes increasingly dangerous and desperate, complicated by the narrator's own lover Melissa, Justine's ex-husband, and a host of other lovers and hangers-on. Justine is the dark and seductive center around which everything and everyone helplessly swirls.

Although the tale may seem common, the way it is told is not. It is written in rich, sumptuous, and evocative language, with an idiosyncratic structure that may initially disorient the reader. However, buried in the endnotes of Justine is a snippet from one of the characters, Pursewarden, which serves as the Rosetta Stone for deciphering the structure of Justine and, I suspect, the entire Quartet.

Durrell himself claimed that the structure of the Quartet was based on the ideas and theories of Freud and Einstein, an exercise in experimental literature that reflects a relativistic view of reality. Despite its lofty underpinning, Justine is a beautifully readable novel, although it does require some acclimatization. The narrative, primarily the words of the nameless writer and lover of Justine, is a patchwork of nonlinear memories that drifts and skips through time, full of asides and long digressions, without explicit transitional cues.

Durrell's prose is also a highlight. It is prose that is nearly poetry, and while it may be a bit overwritten at times, considering the dreck that passes for writing these days, it is a masterpiece. It adds to the dreamy quality of the timeless narrative, as seen in this passage: "In the great quietness of these winter evenings there is one clock: the sea. Its dim momentum in the mind is the fugue upon which this writing is made. Empty cadences of seawater, licking its own wounds, sulking along the mouths of the delta, boiling upon those deserted beaches – empty, forever empty under the gulls: white scribble on grey, munched by clouds."

I'll stop here and refrain from saying any more about the story itself. I get the impression that Durrell's star has long faded critically, but I found it a joy and a pleasure to read. I've already begun Book Two of the Quartet, Balthazar, in which Durrell approaches the same material from a different point of reference. As an aside, there is something about reading a classic like the Alexandria Quartet that demands it be read from original hardbound books. Fortunately, there are many to be found on the used-book markets, such as Amazon, Ebay, and others. I've found a few nearly pristine copies from the 1950s and 60s at reasonable prices.

I didn't do this book any favours by taking so long to read it.

I had never read anything by Lawrence Durrell before, and yet this book has the potential to elevate him to the ranks of my favourite authors.

Oddly enough, I found myself completely lost in Durrell's poetic style. It was so captivating that the plot and characters seemed to take a backseat.

In fact, I almost didn't care what happened to them.

This book has been analyzed extensively by better writers than I. They have delved deep into its themes, its structure, and its literary devices.

I, on the other hand, will simply leave off with saying that I want to read more of this fellow's work.

There is something about his writing that speaks to me on a profound level, and I can't wait to explore more of it.

The first part of the Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell was quite different from what I expected. I thought it would be a work that glorified Alexandria and all its beauty. However, the author surprised me as it is a novel that focuses on the psychological aspects of the characters and analyzes their innermost thoughts by connecting the influence of the past with the present.

It is a novel with few events, written in an overly descriptive and poetic language. At times, I felt bored and unable to continue reading. I think the translation was a big factor as it made it difficult for me to connect with the text, which is quite astonishing considering the language is so rich and poetic.

In the description of "Justine", a Jewish woman married to an Egyptian businessman named "Nessim", who is the main focus of the first part of the quartet, it is said that she has multiple relationships. This is explained by what happened to her in the past when she was raped by a relative and gave birth to a child whose whereabouts she doesn't know despite her desperate search.

The most important thing said about the novel is that "Justine does not use her multiple relationships as a means of self-expression or as a goal, but as a way to break free from past memories that haunt her and control her actions."

And about Nessim's love for her, it is said that "her beauty has charmed him and softened his weapons, as it did to me before, because he later described it as a beauty that fills a person with a sense of horror, a beauty that he found to be the goal of the forces of destruction."

On the other hand, the author also describes Justine's relationship with a close friend, who is in a relationship with another woman named "Melissa", who the author describes as "the virtuous Catholic". Then the events unfold and Melissa gets to know Nessim, Justine's husband, and gives birth to a daughter before she dies.

So the author described similar relationships between four individuals. Therefore, Freud said, "I return to my idea of looking at every sexual act as a process in which four people participate."

Here, the author says that "through one of the可怕 exchange processes that seem only possible through love, Nessim has returned Justine's lost child not to Justine but to Melissa."

Finally, Justine disappears to live far away in one of the camps, trying to摆脱 the past and the present and放弃 her identity. Melissa dies alone, as happened before with a man she loved who was on his deathbed and asked for her hand in marriage but she refused because he had refused to marry her one day.

In conclusion, it is a strange novel that controls all my emotions despite the bad translation and the few events. However, it leaves something of the author's self in the soul that is difficult to easily摆脱 after finishing it. I hope the second part is stronger and that my evaluation and perception of the work change and that it contains something that satisfies my desire to get to know Alexandria up close.

Rating: 3/5

Uma cidade torna-se um universo quando estamos apaixonados por um dos seus habitantes. It's as if the whole world revolves around that one person.

"(...)«Servimo-nos dos outros como se fossem machados para abater aqueles a quem realmente amamos.»" This statement makes us think about the complex nature of our relationships and how sometimes we might use others unconsciously.

A nossa amizade permitia-nos partilhar as ideias e os pensamentos mais íntimos e compará-los de uma maneira que teria sido impossível se nos encontrássemos unidos por esses laços mais estreitos. It's true that friendship allows for a level of openness and sharing that might not be possible in other types of relationships.

As palavras que os apaixonados empregam às vezes estão carregadas de falsas emoções. Somente os silêncios possuem aquela precisão cruel que lhes confere a verdade. We often express our feelings through words, but sometimes those words might not truly convey the depth of our emotions.

Nessa tarde, fomos passear de braço dado à beira-mar. A nossa conversa foi cheia de fragmentos das nossas vidas sem rumo, sem plano geométrico. It was a beautiful afternoon, and our walk along the beach was filled with random conversations about our lives.

It is definitely not an easy read. In some parts, I even lost track of which page I was on and how much time had passed as I had to turn back a few pages. However, it has such a beautiful narrative that you feel as if you have gotten lost in Alexandria. I haven't read a book in a long time that has drawn me in so much and made me experience the lands it describes so well. It's very good. Next month, I will continue with the second book of the series. It has become one of the series that I hope doesn't end too quickly.

I was completely immersed in the story, and the detailed descriptions of the city and its people made it come alive in my mind. The author's writing style is captivating, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next.

Despite the challenges of the read, I am looking forward to delving deeper into the series and uncovering more of the mysteries and adventures that await.

Tik vilinoši sācies. Vēlāk šis darbs mani nogurdināja ar ārkārtīgi gariem mēģinājumiem aprakstīt un psiholoģiski/filozofiski izanalizēt Justīnes personību. Tā arī nespēja viņu ne ieraudzīt ne saprast. Ar citiem tēliem veicās drusku labāk. Tomēr visveiksmīgākā ir sanākusi pilsēta. Vispār romāns par dažu cilvēku toksisku apsēstību eksotiskā pilsētā.

Nākamais romāns ciklā sola Baltazara filozofisko skatījumu uz šo mīlasstāstu. Šaubos, vai tam man pietiks spēka. Pilnā atsauksme https://gramatas.wordpress.com/2017/0....

Beigās pat, apdomājot izlasīto tekstu, nosliecos uz 3 zvaigznēm. Jo autors nav vainīgs, ka man man viņa filozofēšana negāja pie sirds. It all started so intriguingly. Later, this work disappointed me with extremely long attempts to describe and psychoanalytically/philosophically analyze Justine's personality. She also couldn't see or understand her. It went much better with other characters. However, the most successful one has been the city. Overall, it's a romance about some people's toxic obsession in an exotic city.

The next romance in the cycle promises Baltazar's philosophical view on this love story. I doubt if that will have enough strength for me. In the end, even after considering the read text, I'll rate it 3 stars. Because the author is not to blame that her philosophy didn't touch my heart.

When I started reading "The Alexandria Quartet" with very high expectations, I was actually extremely excited. To be honest, the thought of "Will I like it?" kept revolving in my mind when I began the book. Whether it was because of excitement or Durrell's narrative style, I read the first few pages over and over again to understand and be able to enter the book. After all, "Justine" doesn't offer an easy reading experience to the reader. It seems to say, "I will wrap you up beautifully and then let you fall off the cliff with a bang." Suddenly, you find yourself asking, "Which character is telling this at this moment, and what time is it?" The intricate web of events that is woven expects you to read it with the same care. Therefore, I recommend reading the book with full attention. A momentary distraction of the mind can cause you to miss a very poetic sentence.

The book, like it did for other readers, took me to Alexandria during the time I was reading it. I felt the heat on my skin as if I was really there. I wanted to swim and plunge myself into the cool waters here and there. It was like watching a movie, and I brought each character to life in my mind. The physical forms of Justine, Melissa, and Nessim took shape in front of my eyes. I connected with Justine's passion and Melissa's vulnerability as I read. When the book ended, I turned back to the first few pages and read it again. Then everything made much more sense.

Also, the loves, passions, and vulnerabilities in the book took me back to the platonic loves I felt in middle school and high school. :) The strong desire to see, to feel completely by the side, to fall into the void in the absence... Maybe I was very much influenced by it.

Now I'm impatient to read the events from Balthazar's perspective. I've ordered the book, and I'm feeling a melancholy excitement to return to Alexandria again. :')

Justine is one of the most beautifully written novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It's truly a masterpiece that defies description. My words are simply too inept to do it justice, as they would only mutilate its inherent beauty. So, I'll refrain from attempting a full review and simply share some of my impressions.

Justine is part of a quartet called The Alexandria Quartet, which also includes Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea. I believe that when it was written, it was quite innovative, but that's not what initially drew me in. What truly fascinated me was the vivid and mysterious image of Alexandria it presented. The city's Middle Eastern charm and allure were palpable, as were the diverse and complex characters who inhabited it.
The novel is told from multiple perspectives, which allows for a more complete and nuanced understanding of the story and its characters. We meet Clea and Balthazar in this volume, but Mountolive is still a mystery. I'm certain that only by reading all four volumes together will we get a full and comprehensive picture of this fascinating world.
The writing in Justine is exquisite, with every sentence crafted to perfection. I found myself highlighting and marking nearly every page, as there were so many beautiful and profound passages. The story of Justine herself is both captivating and tragic, as we watch her navigate the complex web of relationships and desires that define her life.
Overall, Justine is a must-read for anyone who loves beautiful writing, complex characters, and a vivid and immersive setting. It's a novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page, and one that you'll want to revisit again and again.

This book is a literary gem, composed of one beautiful, superbly crafted sentence after another. They read like aphorisms, beatitudes, making the reader pause and absorb each one, weighing it for truth.

For example:

-- The lover mirrors himself like Narcissus in his own family; there is no exit from the predicament.

-- We use each other like axes to cut down the ones we really love.

-- We have been told so often that history is indifferent, but we always take its parsimony or plenty as somehow planned; we never really listen....

-- Shyness has laws: you can only give yourself, tragically, to those who least understand.

-- How stupid, how limited we are -- mere vanities on legs!

-- I should say something like this: that she had been poured, while still warm, into the body of a young grace: that is to say, into a body born without instincts or desires.

-- Love is horribly stable, and each of us is only allotted a certain portion of it, a ration.

-- The moral is -- what is the moral? We were not simply gluttons, were we? And how completely this love-affair has repaid all the promises it held out for us -- at least for me. We met and the worst befell us, but the best part of us, our lovers. O! please do not laugh at me.

-- Guilt always hurries towards its complement, punishment: only there does its satisfaction lie.

-- The cocktail-party -- as the name itself indicates -- was originally invented by dogs. They are simply bottom-sniffings raised to the rank of formal ceremonies.

-- How grudging memory is, and how bitterly she clutches the raw material of her daily work.

-- And morality is nothing if it is merely a form of good behaviour.

-- People only see in us the contemptible skirt-fever which rules our actions but completely miss the beauty-hunger underlying it.

-- Somewhere in the the heart of experience there is an order and a coherence which we might surprise if we were attentive enough, loving enough, or patient enough. Will there be time?

I think I have wisely let Durrell do the talking in this review. I'll let him speak for me again:

One is not an ordinary man if one can say things so pointed that they engage the attention and memory of others. As once in speaking of marriage he said: 'In marriage they legitimized despair'. and, 'Every kiss is the conquest of a repulsion'. He struck me as having a coherent view of life but madness intervened and all I have to go on is the memory of a few incidents and sayings. I wish I could leave behind as much.

Oh, how I wish.

Having just discarded Dave Eggers’ Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, I found myself in search of a book that seemed to be making an earnest attempt. A book that was exerting effort, as if it were truly exhausted from渴望 being read. Fortunately, thanks to my friend Michael, who always lends me the more intellectually demanding books, I discovered Lawrence Durrell. Durrell, whose brother Gerald was the author of My Family and Other Animals, a book I grew up watching on the BBC as a child, is the author of the intimidating-sounding Alexandria Quartet. It always resided on my family’s bookshelf at home, but I had always assumed it was something I would never be able to get through. I had always thought I preferred his brother’s writing, you know? Then I picked up Justine and began to read.

Our common actions in reality are merely the sackcloth covering that conceals the cloth-of-gold – the meaning of the pattern. For us artists, there awaits the joyous compromise through art with all that has wounded or defeated us in daily life; in this way, not to evade destiny, as ordinary people attempt to do, but to fulfill it in its true potential – the imagination. Otherwise, why should we hurt one another?

Yep, he’s definitely depressed. But in the most readable and soothing manner. And it’s such an exotic form of depression that you want to be there, experiencing it with him. With all his Middle Eastern sexual ambiguity and the muezzins crying out in the background. This, too, I believe, is a telling detail from his biography:

Wife: Nancy Myers (m. 1935, div. 1947)
Wife: Yvette Cohen (m. 1947, div.)
Wife: Claude-Marie Vincendon (m. 1961, d. 1967)
Wife: Ghislaine de Boysson (m. 1973, div. 1979)

Poor bastard. Four “divorces?” You owe it to his poor wives to at least give his writing a try…