Spirit of Place

Summary

From one of the last century's greatest storytellers comes a collection of essays that capture the unique, distinctive, and cherished characteristics of a place, both its tangible physical aspects and the invisible weave of its culture. Lawrence Durrell's articles about Mediterranean and Aegean islands along with passages from his letters were first published in 1969. This edition, edited by Durrell's friend and bibliographer Alan C. Thomas, comprises letters spanning thirty years, excerpts from his first two novels (neither available in the US), short fiction, and travel essays. “My books are always about living in places,” Durrell wrote, “not just rushing through them.”

About the Author

Lawrence Durrell (1912–1990) was born of British parents in India. He is best known as the author of The Alexandria Quartet, a series of four novels set in Egypt, but he wrote many other novels, travel memoirs, poems, plays, and humorous sketches, and is widely regarded as one of the most dazzling writers of the 20th century. Spirit of Place is the fifth of Durrell's books to be reprinted by Axios Press.