Clea

The Alexandria Quartet, Book 4

By: Lawrence Durrell

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

"I knew that Clea would share everything with me, withholding nothing - not even the look of complicity which women reserve only for their mirrors."

In Clea, the concluding part of the Alexandria Quartet, Darley returns to Alexandria now caught by war-fever. The conflagration has its effect on his circle - on Nessim and Justine, Balthazar and Clea, Mountolive and Pombal - and a clarity of purpose emerges as the story moves toward its cadence.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©1960 Lawrence Durrell (P)2023 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

An evolving expat Middle East as war looms

An evolving expat Middle East as war looms

In this fourth and final novel in the #lawrencedurrell #tetralogy #alexandria quartet, #clea brings narrator #darley , an #irish teacher caught up in the low grade espionage of the connected #expatriate abroad, back from his self imposed isolation on a remote Greek Island, back to Alexandria with the illegitimate daughter of his dead lover in tow. Being an educated, multilingual #british citizen, he finds himself in the wartime employ of the British foreign office where he resumes his relationship with many of the Alexandrians, both indigenous and within the diplomatic community. Rather than resuming his relationship with #justine , the title character of the first novel, he falls into a strong physical relationship with #clea , a French artist . As the allies grind their way closer to victory, many in the Egyptian #coptic and #jewish community envision a new future for British Palestine as #egypt moved towards independence from #greatbritain .

Rather than being an overt spy novel, Clea.and the rest of the Alexandria Quartet approach the subject subtlely as England struggles to hold onto its Empire and political power. With the series occupying #70 on the #modernlibrarytop100novels , I continue my appreciation for being challenged to read novels I might have overlooked otherwise. Having taken advantage of the #audible option for the series, I have developed great appreciation for voice actor #nicholasboulton who read three of the four novels, particularly his characterization of #scoble , the ancient British transvestite, former pirate and present day police officer and spy master who ultimately achieved sainthood by the people of Alexandria. His is a fascinating character.

#readtheworld #readtheworldchallenge #globalreadingchallenge #englishliterature

Best literature I've ever read

So clever, "prismatic" and such prosaic mastery with empathic intelligent story telling. So good I'm going to start it all over again immediately. Mind blown and what an incredible narrator!