The latest addition to my website is Lawrence Durrell‘s Monsieur or The Prince of Darkness, the first in Durrell’s Avignon Quintet. It starts with the apparent suicide of Piers de Nogaret, descendant of Guillaume de Nogaret, the man who, in 1307, arrested many of the Templars. Piers’ friend and brother-in-law, Bruce Drexel, a doctor in the British diplomatic service, hurries to Avignon. His wife, Sylvie, Piers’ sister, is in an asylum in Avignon. We learn about the history of the trio and a few others associated with them, in particular their involvement in an Egyptian gnostic sect they had discovered when Bruce and Piers were both serving in Cairo and their involvement with Rob Sutcliffe,a successful novelist who had been married to Bruce’s sister, Pia, and Toby, a historian writing a history of the Templars. We also learn that the whole story may well be a novel within a novel. As always with Durrell, there is a lot of erudition, something of a tortuous plot and a character loosely based on Durrell himself. The book has not fared well critically since it was published but I must say that I did enjoy it, particularly the section set in Macabru, the oasis in Egypt where the gnostic sect is located.
Hello,
I’m a great lover of Lawrence Durrell’s work, my favourite being the Alexandria Quartet, “Mountolive in particular, and I have all of his books. I’ve just re-read “Monsieur” after a twenty year gap and I still think that it is absolutely brilliant!
I think most people would agree with youy that the Alexandria Quartet is his best work but, yes, some of his other stuff is worth reading, including the travel works. Thanks for stopping by.
I agree with Lynne that the Alexandria quartet is the best I have read in years (I finished it last year). Now I am trying to read the Avignon Quintet. I am finishing the first book “Monsieur or the Prince of Darkness” and I have to admit that I am a bit lost in this sort of Chaleidoscope, where the actors and situations are apperaing and disappearing like magic. But again, I am fascinated.
I can only agree that you can get lost in the Avignon Quartet and that it is not of the same standard as the Alexandria Quartet
I made a comment just a minute ago, but it seems that it disappeared. I said that I am finishing “Monsieur, etc” and that I am a bit disoriented with all this caleidoscope of persons and situations appearing and disappearing, but that I love Lawrence Durrell. I read “The Alexandria Quartet” last year and I enjoyed it very much
Well, now it seems that my two comments are on, each one with a nuance. Very Durrell