Lawrence Durrell: A Biography

Rating:
Summary: Very thorough, well informed, exquisitely written biography.
Review: Although I was blown away by the energy and effort put into it, my praise for this monumental work owes to something else: Despite being one of the most influential authors of our century, Durrell is a person that one would be tempted to take vicious swipes at. His life provides ample ammunition to the self-righteous. He is someone whom you would be inclined to hate rather than to love. But the eager critic should not forget that both the man and his life were brutal to each other. After January 1st, 1967 his life was a drawn-out tragedy until the end, a tragedy that only those who've lost a most beloved wife can understand. In the end, Durrell was a man who needed love more than most of us. He seemed to be getting too much of it during his life, but to him it was probably never enough. And that is what makes this book praiseworthy, to my opinion: Through this meticulously composed volume, whose first draft is said to have been twice as large as what was eventually printed, the author has demonstrated his courage to love a man that many have chosen to hate; ain't no matter that he did it posthumously.

Rating:
Summary: A very thorough and highly readable biography
Review: Despite the glut of misinformation which has been printed about Lawrence Durrell (such as the editorial review attached to the book here), Ian MacNiven has written an amazingly well-rounded and very thorough academic biography of one of our century's most influential and important authors. MacNiven provides a highly readable account of Durrell's varied life, excellent for both the scholar and the general reader. Moreover, he handles the myths surrounding Durrell both honestly and without sensationalism. Among these would be the allegations of incest alluded to as fact in the editorial above; allegations which were made posthumously (for both father and daughter) by the *publicist* selling his daughter's journals just after the release of Nin's "Incest." Noteably, these allegations do not appear in the publication; something which would make the academic biographer -- as opposed to the Hollywood biographer -- cover the material with greater care to accuracy. This is not to say that MacNiven treads lightly over other socially problematic areas. He unabashedly details questions involving Durrell's personal treatment of women, his role in British colonialism and his 'adventurous' love life, among many others. This is an excellent biography to read on its own -- ranging through colonial India, Greece, Egypt and France -- but perhaps it will serve a better purpose if it draws readers back to Durrell's own texts, notably the "Alexandria Quartet," "Prospero's Cell" or his masterpiece, the "Avignon Quintet" - which is still very much available in Canada and the UK. Please feel free to email me to discuss this book or Durrell's works.

Rating:
Summary: Durrell ; A rocket that failed to fire .
Review: Lawrence Durrell's biography fails to tell us why he seemed to be a British writer who mattered ,for a brief time only.An enormous book tells us little or nothing of his work on behalf of Britain, as a PR man, a spy, even a propagandist in odd places such as the middle of the Argentine pampas .Durrell is said to have produced books that are now almost incomprehensible--the Alexandria Quartet. Perhaps it was all a joke .What is all the hoo-haw about then ? Why a biography about a man who seems mean spirited and humorless.The writer fails to bring Durrell to life and never explains why this writer's books were once praised to the sky.Pass this one by.

Rating:
Summary: Very thorough, well informed, exquisitely written biography.
Review: MacNiven's new biography of another of the bad boys of English literature reveals the torment and the genius of Lawrence Durrell. For anyone who believes the sexual revolution didn't begin until the Sixties, this book will be an eye-opener. In the style of contemporary biography MacNiven covers a myriad of detail yet the book is never boring, perhaps because Durrell himself was never boring. Contentious, abusive, drunken, humorous, talented, complex, depressive, yes but never dull. This is not a sensationalist biography. The author was the subject's friend - the project was offered to him - and a certain respect is evident even in the passages that cover some of the more dubious aspects of Durrell's life. Durrell knew some of the great literary figures of the 20th century including Henry Miller, T.S. Eliott, Anais Nin, and he lived through some of the most interesting times. His books are rich in a sense of place, the descriptions of Cyprus, of Alexandria, of Provence convey the smells, the sounds, the heat and the cold. A good companion to this biography is Spirit of Place, a collection of Durrell's letters and essays, many of which are quoted from here. Lawrence Durrell seems to have slipped slightly from fashion, a fact he would no doubt find amusing, as long as enough money continued to come in. Perhaps this biography will help to rekindle an interest in his books, especially the Alexandrian Quartet and Bitter Lemons, probably his least obscure prose.