"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
— Oscar Wilde
Lawrence Durrell | First Editions
1912 - 1990
Lawrence George Durrell (27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He is most remembered for his series, The Alexandria Quartet - particularly the first of the quartet's four novels, Justine. Durrell was a close personal friend of the novelist Henry Miller, and collaborated with writers such as Anaïs Nin and Alfred Perles.
Durrell's novel, The Black Book: An Agon, faced some controversy when published in Paris in 1938. The mildly pornographic work did not appear in Britain in 1973. In the story, the main character Lawrence Lucifer struggles to escape the spiritual sterility of dying England, and gravitates toward Greece's warmth and fertility.
See below our stock of Lawrence Durrell First Editions and signed copies.
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)
Alamein to Zem Zem.
London: Faber and Faber, 1966. [Second World War] NEW EDITION, a reissue with a new introduction by Lawrence Durrell and examples of the author's sketches. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.152. With a photographic frontispiece of the author and occasional in-text illustrations. Publisher's navy cloth with gilt titles to spine. With..... More
The Black Book
Paris: Olympia Press 1969. FIRST OLYMPIA PRESS EDITION. The Traveller's Companion Series, n°77. Pp.301; [1], blank; [1], advertisement; [1], blank; [1], imprint; [1], blank. Publisher's green paper binding, glossy pictorial jacket. Minor toning to text block, trivial nicks to jacket; a clean, fine copy. The author's first novel, not published..... More
The Ikons, and Other Poems.
London: Faber and Faber, 1966. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp. 48. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the yellow and blue typographic dust-jacket, priced at 13/6. Slight offsetting to endpapers. Jacket a little rubbed to edges, and gently toned to spine. Near fine... More
Livia. Livia, or Buried Alive.
London: Faber and Faber, 1978. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp. [6]; 265; [1]. Publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt to spine, illustrative dust-jacket with printed price of £4.95 to front flap designed by David Gentlemen. Very slight rolling to spine, very slight fraying to dust-jacket edges..... More
Quinx, or The Ripper's Tale.
London: Faber and Faber, 1985. [Modern Literature] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Ocatavo (21 x 14cm), pp. 201; [7]. Publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt to spine, illustrative dust-jacket with printed price of £8.95 to front flap. Slight spotting on top edge of textblock, water staining visible only on the inside of..... More
The Tree of Idleness, and other poems.
London: Faber and Faber, 1955. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.48. Publisher's purple cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the green typographic dust-jacket, priced at 8/6. Some offsetting to endpapers. Jacket a little toned to spine, with some rubbing and a couple of small closed tears. Near..... More
The Accursed, Two Diabolical Tales.
London: George Allen & Unwin, 1967. [Strange Tales] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.287 [1]. Publisher's dark brown cloth with red titles to spine. Top edge red. With the dust-jacket featuring a blue and orange ravening wolf, priced at 28s. Also with a contemporary Book Society membership..... More
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)