[ilds] Mention of the Alexandria Quartet in an Interesting and Controversial New Book

[Bruce Redwine]

Merrianne,

Thanks.  Some years ago Boone wrote a provocative article on homosexuality in the Quartet.  It begins by discussing Durrell's reference to Tropic of Cancer as a "man-size piece of work" in his famous introductory letter to Miller.  Boone took this as an example of Durrell's repressed homosexuality, if I recall correctly.  That is roughly equivalent to "you've shown me yours, now I'll show you mine."  Years ago I pursued this line of argument on the ILDS List and was roundly scoffed at.  "Durrell is gay!  Nonsense!"  Personally I think he was a repressed homosexual, which might account for some of his strange and violent behavior.  The guy was pretty screwed up.  Perhaps we can resume this discussion.

Bruce


Sent from my iPhone

> On May 31, 2014, at 6:31 AM, "Merrianne" <timlot at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> Before attending the OMG conference in Vancouver, I purchased a recently published book – The Homoerotics of Orientalism by Joseph Allen Boone, published by Columbia University Press. The book is generating some controversy. Having spent many years researching 19th century orientalist art, I am finding this book very interesting, but not your usual summer read. It weaves together many diverse threads – art, literature, gender, sexuality, colonialism, mass marketing, etc., and introduces some unique analysis. Illustrations range from traditional Ingres nudes to Norman Mailer as a pharaoh on the cover of New York magazine.
>  
> Included in the chapter “Epic Ambitions and Epicurean Appetites” is a subchapter titled “The Return of the Repressed in Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet” that focuses on the depiction of Darley. Footnote 70 for this chapter cites James Gifford’s “The Frontiers of Love: Sexual and Territorial Ambiguity in Lawrence Durrell’s Monsieur.”
>  
> Bottom line – this is a book that some of you might want to peruse. For me, it provides new insight into the many “textbook” images of orientalism I have enjoyed over the years, and introduces me to many “new” contemporary photographs, paintings, and ideas.
>  
> Best,
> Merrianne Timko
>  
>  
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