Balthazar

Lose yourself in the thrilling political intrigue and tangled love affairs of wartime Egypt, in Durrell's epic modern classic.Every interpretation of reality is based upon a unique position …As the threat of war looms over Alexandria, an exiled Anglo-Irish schoolteacher unravels his erotic obsession with two women: Melissa, a dancer, and Justine, a glamorous Egyptian wife. During sessions with his psychiatrist, Balthazar, their intricate love affair is cast in a radical, sinister new light, illuminating a mysterious plot connected to a recent murder – but Lawrence Durrell's kaleidoscopic storytelling means that nothing is ever as it seems … 'Legendary … Casts a spell … A fine storyteller. Reader, watch out!' Jan Morris, Guardian'A brave and brazen work … Lush and grandiose.' Independent 'One of the very best novelists of our time … [such] beauty.' New York Times Book ReviewVOLUME TWO OF LAWRENCE DURRELL'S ALEXANDRIA QUARTET