[ilds] Durrell's Languages

[Philip Walsh]

Something that's always puzzled me:  Durrell's languages.  How many 
languages did he know, and where did he acquire them?   One gets the 
impression from his books that he spoke Greek and French, and perhaps 
understood some Arabic.  But was he in fact able to speak all of these 
languages?  How did he learn them?

(Incidentally, a similar question:  on the basis of "The Magus", John 
Fowles gives the impression that he also spoke Greek.  Does anyone know 
if this is true?)

Thanks for any information.

Philip Walsh