Editing Lawrence Durrell (section)

===''Justine'' and ''The Alexandria Quartet''===
In 1957, Durrell published ''[[Justine (Durrell novel)|Justine]]'', the first novel of what was to become his most famous work, ''[[The Alexandria Quartet]]''. ''[[Justine (Durrell novel)|Justine]]'', ''[[Balthazar (novel)|Balthazar]]'' (1958), ''[[Mountolive]]'' (1958), and ''[[Clea (novel)|Clea]]'' (1960), deal with events before and during the Second World War in the Egyptian city of [[Alexandria]]. The first three books tell essentially the same story and series of events, but from the varying perspectives of different characters. Durrell described this technique in his introductory note in ''Balthazar'' as "relativistic". Only in the final novel, ''Clea'', does the story advance in time and reach a conclusion.   Critics praised the ''Quartet'' for its richness of style, the variety and vividness of its characters, its movement between the personal and the political, and its locations in and around the ancient Egyptian city which Durrell portrays as the chief protagonist: "The city which used us as its flora—precipitated in us conflicts which were hers and which we mistook for our own: beloved Alexandria!" ''[[The Times Literary Supplement]]'' review of the ''Quartet'' stated: "If ever a work bore an instantly recognizable signature on every sentence, this is it."

In 2012, when the [[Nobel Prize|Nobel]] Records were opened after 50 years, it was revealed that Durrell had been nominated for the 1961 [[Nobel Prize in Literature]], but did not make the final list.<ref name="mersault">[http://theamericanreader.com/the-prince-returns/ J. D. Mersault, "The Prince Returns: In Defense of Lawrence Durrell"], ''The American Reader'', n.d.; accessed 14 October 2016</ref>  In 1962, however, he did receive serious consideration, along with [[Robert Graves]], [[Jean Anouilh]], and [[Karen Blixen]], but ultimately lost to [[John Steinbeck]].<ref name=floodjan2013>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/03/swedish-academy-controversy-steinbeck-nobel |title=Swedish Academy reopens controversy surrounding Steinbeck's Nobel prize |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Alison Flood |date=3 January 2013 |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> The academy decided that "Durrell was not to be given preference this year"—probably because "they did not think that ''The Alexandria Quartet'' was enough, so they decided to keep him under observation for the future." However, he was never nominated again.<ref name=floodjan2013/> They also noted that he "gives a dubious aftertaste … because of [his] monomaniacal preoccupation with erotic complications."<ref name=floodjan2013/>