The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell

"The Alexandria Quartet" is a tetralogy of novels that explore the intricate relationships between a group of friends and lovers in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during World War II. The novels are known for their rich and evocative descriptions of the city and its diverse inhabitants, as well as their innovative narrative structure, which presents the same events from different characters' perspectives in each book. The work explores themes of love, betrayal, and the nature of reality and perception.

The 440th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 768

Since this book was first published in 1957, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 768.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.