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Prospero's Cell

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( 1,118 ratings, 131 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell is an evocative travel memoir that captures the idyllic beauty and enchanting spirit of Corfu in the 1930s. Through rich and poetic prose, Durrell chronicles his experiences on the Greek island, weaving together its history, landscape, and the diverse characters he encounters. This book offers an immersive journey into a serene and timeless world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are captivated by a blend of travel, adventure, and rich narrative. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Corfu, it weaves together elements of mysticism, exploration, and an evocative portrait of island life, all through the lens of Lawrence Durrell's poetic prose. Perfect for those who love immersive and atmospheric stories that transport you to another time and place.

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Prospero's Cell

Lose yourself in this glorious memoir of the island jewel of Corfu by the king of travel writing and real-life family member of The Durrells in Corfu.

Lose yourself in this glorious memoir of the island jewel of Corfu by the king of travel writing and real-life family member of The Durrells in Corfu.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"In its gem-like miniature quality, among the best books ever written." - New York Times

In his youth, before he became a celebrated writer and poet, Lawrence Durrell spent four transformative years on the island jewel of Corfu, fascinated by the idyllic natural beauty and blood-stained ancient history within its rocky shores.

While his brother Gerald collected animals as a budding naturalistβ€”later fictionalised in My Family and Other Animals and filmed as The Durrells in Corfuβ€”Lawrence fished, drank and befriended the local villagers.

After World War II catapulted him back into a turmoiled world, Durrell never forgot the wonders of Corfu. Prospero's Cell is his magical evocation of the blazing Aegean landscape, brimming with memories of the places and people that changed him forever.

"Some writers reinvent their language; others the world. Durrell did both." - Andre Aciman

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell is highly praised for its evocative depiction of Corfu, capturing the essence of the island with remarkable sensory detail. Critics admire Durrell's ability to transport readers to the Mediterranean, with some describing the work as a delightful and charming idyll. The book has been lauded as an admiration-worthy travel narrative by contemporary and historical readers alike.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571362387

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 July 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 176g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Lawrence Durrell was a British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. Born in 1912, he was sent to school in England and later moved to Corfu with his family - a period which his brother Gerald fictionalised in My Family and Other Animals - later filmed as ITV's The Durrells in Corfu - and which he himself described in Prospero's Cell. The first of Durrell's island books, this was followed by Reflections on a Marine Venus on Rhodes; Bitter Lemons, on Cyprus, which won the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize; and, later, The Greek Islands.

Durrell's first major novel, The Black Book, was published in 1938 in Paris, where he befriended Henry Miller and Anais Nin - and it was praised by T. S. Eliot, who published his poetry in 1943. A wartime sojourn in Egypt inspired his bestselling masterpiece, The Alexandria Quartet (Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive and Clea) which he completed in his new home in Southern France, where in 1974 he began The Avignon Quintet. When he died in 1990, Durrell was one of the most celebrated writers in British history.

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