Clea (The Alexandria Quarter, Volume 4).

New York, NY Pocket Books: Giant Cardinal Edition, 1961. Paperback First Edition Thus (1961); First Printing, so stated. First Edition Thus (1961); First Printing, so stated. Very Good in Wraps: shows indications of very careful use: light wear to the extremities; a single crease at the backstrip; the head of the backstrip has been skillfully tape-reinforced with clear tape; the pages have tanned slightly, due to aging; the binding shows slight lean, while remaining perfectly secure; the text is clean. Free of creases to the panels. Free of underlining, hi-lighting, notations, or marginalia. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome, copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing mild wear and minor cosmetic flaws. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo.(6.4 x 4.25 x 0.65 inches). 280 pages. Language: English. Weight: 4.7 ounces. GC-767; cover price 75 cents. Mass Market Paperback. The fourth and final volume of the famous tetralogy (along with JUSTINE (1957), BALTHAZAR (1958) and MOUNTOLIVE (1958)) by the late British expatriate and author of PIED PIPER OF LOVERS and THE BLACK BOOK. First published in 1960, CLEA is set in the Egyptian city of Alexandria of the 1930s and 1940s. What can one say about perfection? One does not just look at the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel as a great work of art but rather as perfection personified, merely mediated by paints and gilt. This book is exactly the same, its perfection is personified not by pigments and gold, but by ink and prose. It is indeed rare that an artist pours their all into their work,but when it does occur, it is unilaterally hailed as a magnum opus. Clea, in my opinion is just such a work. The way in which Durrell contrasts the blunt style of description with the uncompairable beauty of the subject matter pushes the book deeper into the sanctum sanctorum of literary perfection. In thinking about this review, perfection seems too cold and metallic a word to be applied to such a beautiful work of art. There seems to be no word that accurately describes the flawless beauty of this book, but these are the limitations of language.