The Alexandria Quartet

the long version

*The Alexandria Quartet* is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during the Second World War. The fourth book is set six years later. The work was reissued in one volume in 1962, and Durrell used the occasion to make "numerous" revisions. The 1962 edition represents his final thoughts. The four novels are: *Justine* (1957), *Balthazar* (1958), *Mountolive* (1958), and *Clea* (1960).