Clea

Clea is the denouement for the series the Alexandria Quartet

Finished the book Sunday, April 19, 2009.

The lives of Justine, Nessim, Narouz, Pursewarden, Melissa have all unraveled or ended. Pursewarden and Melissa are already dead.

The first two books of the Alexandria Quartet were the foreplay, lovemaking and orgasm, these last two books; Mountolive and Clea are the climax, then the limp, flaccid state in which one reflects. By this time WWII is raging and the remaining characters are either rendered powerless or spent. Clea is the dream sequence. One of deflated egos and broken dreams. As in Justine the series begins and ends with the protagonist Darley, the Irish ex-patriot. Clea and Darley seem to be haunted by the ghosts of Pursewarden and Melissa; of course Darley has been caring for Melissa's baby by Nessim, the little girl named Justine for several years before his return to Alexandria. Upon Darley's return to Alexandria he tries to step back into a memory like in a painting or a photograph but is hit by reality much like Mountolive was when he met up with Leila.

The lovemaking between Darley and Clea is a fractured and delicate sex made a little pathetic by the advance of WWII. Theirs is a lovemaking made comfortable like a soft old sofa that you sink into upon sitting. A subdued passion if you will.

One caveat, the author, Mr. Durrell should leave the character of Pursewarden dead and stop resurrecting him. Pursewarden dies back in the second book of the series Balthazar but he keeps reappearing in subsequent books. The chapter in Clea, "My conversations with Brother Ass" could have been left out. It contributes nothing to the book. It is merely the sarcastic ramblings of an oversexed pervert who lacks creativity and imagination. I find Pursewarden to be an empty, arrogant individual who takes away from rather than adds to the Quartet.


The book ended on a good note with the love affair between Darley and Clea also for Nessim and Justine. Not really a "happy ending" but there is resolution between those two characters. However I am glad that Mr. Durrell did not continue the series. He would have belabored the points and overextended the reach of the characters.

No text was provided for this review.