Lawrence Durrell And The Greek World

The essays in this volume represent multiple perspectives on Lawrence Durrell’s sojourn in the Hellenic diaspora and his art’s connection to the Greek world. Essays include reminiscences by Durrell’s only living child, Penelope Durrell-Hope, and friends, such as Greek poet Nanos Valaoritis, H. R. Stoneback, Penelope Tremayne, and John Letham. Another group of critical essays examine Durrell’s imaginative evocation of the spirit of place, specifically his depiction of Corfu, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Alexandria, Egypt, which are locales that have provided settings for his travel books, poetry, and cycle of novels, The Alexandria Quartet. Other critical essays discuss more literary themes in Durrell’s work, including his use of myth and his parallels with other artists and thinkers, such as John Fowles, Constantine Cavafy, Gostan Zarian, George Seferis, Edward Lear, and Friedrich Nietzsche. The volume concludes with David Radavich’s poems that were inspired by Durrell’s Corfu. Anna Lillios is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Central Florida.