[ilds] LGD and the Three Pillars of Happiness

[Meta Cerar]

This is beautifully put, thank you for this post. I am so glad that other
Durrell fans also find the transcendental dimension in the Dark Labyrinth
(which I recently translated into Slovenian). I have always wondered why
Durrell himself was so dismissive of this novel? Referred to it as a
potboiler, written to pay for the divorce from Nancy. And why was it hardly
ever mentioned by his biographers, and not even once in the interviews which
were compiled into a book (I think the author was Ingersoll or something
similar)? 

Best regards

Meta Cerar

Ljubljana, Slovenia

 

  _____  

From: ilds-bounces at lists.uvic.ca [mailto:ilds-bounces at lists.uvic.ca] On
Behalf Of Denise Tart & David Green
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 5:00 AM
To: Durrel
Subject: [ilds] LGD and the Three Pillars of Happiness

 

LGD was a highly spiritual person and sought enlightenment through a variety
of faiths and beliefs: Gnosticism, the cabbala, Buddhism and of the
transcendental quest for spirit of place . it pervades all his work and no
finer example than that found in Dark Labyrinth and the metaphoric discovery
of the Tibetan upland!  My feeling is that LGD discovered many elements of
spiritual upland when, after the bitter lemons of Cyprus, he went to the
Midi with Claude and lived a plain rustic life at the Mazet, in country side
he liked, with the woman he loved and doing work he enjoyed - writing and
pottering about his farm. The other day Denise said that she heard that the
three pillars of happiness are: someone to love, something to do and
something to look forward to. I only add that the second pillar is stronger
when you like what you do. LGD had all those when with Claude and it was his
best time as a man, lover and writer. Later, he did not have love, found
writing more difficult and had only the bottle to look forward to ...and
female American uni students.

 

 

David

16 William Street
Marrickville NSW 2204
+ 61 2 9564 6165
0412 707 625
www.denisetart.com.au

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