[ilds] LD Truehart's article

[James Gifford]

For those who may not have received the attachment, here are Ed's comments:

 >       "Art occurs at the
 >       point where a form is sincerely honored
 >       by an awakened spirit," Durrell once
 >       aphorized. *By his lights and mine, The
 >       Alexandria Quartet remains a work of art.*

The arc of Trueheart's comments recalls in some ways the arc of our
discussion of /Justine /here on the list.  I will look forward to
reading your comments.   (This from Charles)


Yes, Charles, we all have reactions to this somewhat flippant, but on 
the whole worthwile contribution to the rereading experiment and 
experience of   Durrell.   I was interested to see that Trueheart gave 
Durrell five wives—probably an indication that his ‘research’ was rather 
superficial.   (Trueheart says almost nothing about LD’s poetry, though 
acknowledging that the Quartet is really the work essentially,  of a 
poet, a comment with which I agree. )  I’m just setting out tomorrow on 
a short 4 or 5-day trip, and will be away from e-mail, but would like to 
follow your discussions.  Maybe when I return., I could add to the 
reactions.

   I have been impressed –in past weeeks on this list--by James’s having 
come BACK to the AQ after having first become fascinated by parts of the 
Quintet.  That seems an unusual approach, and certainly was not my own . 
  I  began reading the Quartet in the sixties, a year or two after  the 
publication of all four novels with the Quartet complete in 1960.  Can‘t 
recall the exact years, but I might have started reading the AQ in 1962 
or 1963, and discussed it with individual students before ever 
attempting to “adopt” one part of the AQ in a course syllabus.  That 
came later, in the late 1960’s or maybe 1970.
Also, thanks to Pamela for forwarding this review.   Ed H.