The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell

He and his wife Nancy made frequent trips from Corfu to islands throughout the Cyclades and beyond. While on Corfu, he bought a small sloop which he named the Van Norden after a character in Miller’s book.

Eliot at Faber and Faber in London, became his friend and publisher. Thus began a forty-five-year friendship based on their love of literature and their personal and artistic setbacks. During that period, Durrell stumbled across Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer and wrote Miller a fan letter. At the same time, he reached out to other writing luminaries. Life on Corfu kicked off his writing career. Like so many travelers before him, he felt he had come home. As a young man-and having found a small house overlooking the sea which he called the White House-Durrell persuaded his mother, siblings, and wife, Nancy Myers, to join him to escape the English winter. He settled in the village of Kalami on the island of Corfu, Greece, in 1935.

In The Greek Islands he writes that he was, “… electrified by Greek light, intoxicated by the white dancing candescence of the sun on a sea with blue sky pouring onto it.” A rare set of all four first editions in the Alexandria Quartet and the author’s masterpiece.Life in Greece was a revelation colors were pure, the sky endless, the food simple, and the people open. In a near unclipped wrapper – a little browned to the spine. Bound in orange boards with gilt/gold lettering to the spine. CLEA – Published by: Faber and Faber in 1960. Some slight loss to the top of the front panel and three very small, closed tears to the rear panel. In a very good, unclipped wrapper showing chipping to the head and base of the spine and edges. Some slight bumping to the head and base of the spine. Some slight browning to the text block, however, clean internally and tightly bound. MOUNTOLIVE – A first edition, first printing published by Faber & Faber in 1958. A fine book without inscriptions in a dust wrapper which has a couple of repairs to the spine tips and a little light spotting to the folds. BALTHAZAR – A first edition, first printing published by Faber in 1958. The rare first novel (one of 500 copies) of the Alexandria Quartet. With the rare, later, wrap-around band, giving reviews of the book. Some small chipping to the spine tips and corners. The wrapper has one small internal tape repair to a closed tear. In a very good unclipped first issue wrapper (first issue does NOT have the hand imprint on the spine and is priced at 15s and not 16s). Light erased inscription with one small previous owner’s stamp to the front endpaper. Comprising: JUSTINE – A very good+ book with no inscriptions. All first edition, first printings, published by Faber between 1957-60 (with no mention of subsequent printings).

The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell