Why read on Fable?
Publisher Description
“The first piece of work by a new English writer to give me any hope for the future of prose fiction.” —T. S. Eliot
As over-the-top as it is inventive, Durrell’s breakthrough novel is a series of sordid vignettes drawn from the lives of decadent artists, doomed bohemians, and continental rascals inhabiting a shabby London hotel, narrated in turns by the unforgettable Lawrence Lucifer and Gregory Death. Together, these characters seek to escape the absurdity of a Europe haunted by devastating war, yet beginning to pitch toward another apocalypse.
As over-the-top as it is inventive, Durrell’s breakthrough novel is a series of sordid vignettes drawn from the lives of decadent artists, doomed bohemians, and continental rascals inhabiting a shabby London hotel, narrated in turns by the unforgettable Lawrence Lucifer and Gregory Death. Together, these characters seek to escape the absurdity of a Europe haunted by devastating war, yet beginning to pitch toward another apocalypse.
First published in 1938, and influenced by Henry Miller and the sincere pranksterism of the surrealist movement, The Black Book marks the emergence of one of the most revolutionary voices in twentieth-century English literature.
This ebook contains a new introduction by DBC Pierre.
4 Reviews
1.5
Jam📚
Created over 2 years agoShare
Report
James Stevenson
Created almost 5 years agoShare
Report
“Im a very big fan of Durrell’s writing so was disappointed by this. One of the first books he wrote, it contains glimmers of his future, elegant and polished style, but was far too dense, obscure and obtuse to be entertaining. It was hard work to feel motivated to read it, and i only finished it by forcing myself to sit down and not get up again until i’d finished it - out of a desire to move on to another book I must confess.
That said its heartening to see how even the greats began badly sometimes, and reinforces the need to practice and practice before you can write something truly excellent.
Ultimately, I wouldnt recommend this - if you want to read some Durrell his travel writing or later novels are far more engaging. I’d only suggest reading this if, like me, you had a desire to read everything he wrote!”
Aaron Vowels
Created almost 9 years agoShare
Report
“Do you remember the first time you opened a thesaurus and, suddenly, you were desperate to start using all the words? Even if you didn't know what they meant, they were replacements for words you thought you knew and it made you sound more intelligent, at least in your own head? Welcome to The Black Book.
This book is the straw that breaks me from having to read any more books that I don't understand and couldn't care less about. I assume that when this was written all the talk about vaginas and thrusting was somehow new and inventive, but even that is lost among the complete "word salad" that Durrell imposes on his readers. There are entire paragraphs that are like inside jokes laden with random letters as if he wrote this while playing Scrabble. They're big words and they're probably great to use in a novel, but if they don't make any sense, then it doesn't make much difference.
So, why did I keep reading? Well, there are occasional moments of clarity which lead one to believe that it's getting better. It was tantamount to standing in the rain without an umbrella and finding the random break in the clouds. Trust me on this one...it's going to keep raining. By the time I figured out that the rain would never stop, I was really too far gone to give up on it completely. So I just kept hoping for the sunshine moments to appear.
Rated 1 star because I have to rate it something, but at best it's 1/2 a star.”
Yarnreader
Created almost 12 years agoShare
Report
“This is a horrible book. I did not understand what was going on at all. It seemed like all the author could think about was sex. I do not recommend this book to any one, at all.”
About Lawrence Durrell
Born in Jalandhar, British India, in 1912 to Indian-born British colonials, Lawrence Durrell was a critically hailed and beloved novelist, poet, humorist, and travel writer best known for the Alexandria Quartet novels, which were ranked by the Modern Library as among the greatest works of English literature in the twentieth century. A passionate and dedicated writer from an early age, Durrell’s prolific career also included the groundbreaking Avignon Quintet, whose first novel, Monsieur (1974), won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and whose third novel, Constance (1982), was nominated for the Booker Prize. He also penned the celebrated travel memoir Bitter Lemons of Cyprus (1957), which won the Duff Cooper Prize. Durrell corresponded with author Henry Miller for forty-five years, and Miller influenced much of his early work, including a provocative and controversial novel, The Black Book (1938). Durrell died in France in 1990.
Other books by Lawrence Durrell
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List