Durrell, Lawrence Anyone?

[VerbalAbuse]

Once hailed as one of the greatest contemporary English writers, nowadays no longer held in such high repute, but still well liked and read.

Who finds him interesting? Some of his works (the ones I've read) are charged with sexuality, intriguing situations and potent settings. I wouldn't be surprised if someone found his writing more erotic than most stuff posted on lit.

Do you find him interesting? Have you found inspirations in his writing?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Now only really known as Gerald Durrell's older brother, I think. Never read any of his stuff (but a few of Gerald's). Any recommendations?

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Now only really known as Gerald Durrell's older brother, I think. Never read any of his stuff (but a few of Gerald's). Any recommendations?

Justine

 

[THBGato]

I've read some of 'Prospero's cell' which was well written, poetic, immersive.

But it was such a struggle to take him seriously. Gerald Durrell is such a favourite in our house (our teenagers quote him endlessly) that I can't help but think of him as the petulant young man who "threw a pamphlet of theosophy" at a donkey as it interrupted his "deathless prose".

 

[VerbalAbuse]

I've read some of 'Prospero's cell' which was well written, poetic, immersive.

But it was such a struggle to take him seriously. Gerald Durrell is such a favourite in our house (our teenagers quote him endlessly) that I can't help but think of him as the petulant young man who "threw a pamphlet of theosophy" at a donkey as it interrupted his "deathless prose".

He's a poet, if not in form, at least in substance.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I know of him, mostly as both drawing him and D. H. Lawrence as part of lessons on caricatures, but also because he was a Henry Miller disciple. I haven't got the chance to read either of them, but I have read Miller.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Do you find him interesting? Have you found inspirations in his writing?

I eventually managed to get through the Alexandria Quartet, after the third attempt. Failed to get more than a quarter of the way through any of the others. His prose is so turgid and slow, but with small slices of light.

I suspect he was a writer people raved about because everyone else was, but I wonder how many actually finished? Inspirational? None whatsoever.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I've read some of 'Prospero's cell' which was well written, poetic, immersive.

But it was such a struggle to take him seriously. Gerald Durrell is such a favourite in our house (our teenagers quote him endlessly) that I can't help but think of him as the petulant young man who "threw a pamphlet of theosophy" at a donkey as it interrupted his "deathless prose".

Gerald was a childhood favourite of mine. I'm delighted to hear kids are still enjoying him!

 

[THBGato]

Gerald was a childhood favourite of mine. I'm delighted to hear kids are still enjoying him!

My daughter's latest challenge is to find a natural use for the adverb "sepulchrally". (She's been listening to a lot of This Mortal Coil, so I'm sure the opportunity will arise.)

"I suppose that means I'll catch it," said Margot, sepulchrally.

"No, no dear," said mother, distractedly, "it might not be catching."

"I don't see how you can have an epidemic that isn't catching," pointed out Larry, logically.

My wife thinks that the current anti-adverb trend is simply because modern authors are in a sulk, knowing they'll never use them as well as Gerald Durrell.

 

[12oclocktales]

Once hailed as one of the greatest contemporary English writers, nowadays no longer held in such high repute, but still well liked and read.

Who finds him interesting? Some of his works (the ones I've read) are charged with sexuality, intriguing situations and potent settings. I wouldn't be surprised if someone found his writing more erotic than most stuff posted on lit.

Do you find him interesting? Have you found inspirations in his writing?

Perhaps you are aware of this which inspired your thread, but The New Criterion just last month (November) carried a long article on Durrell reaffirming the general view that the Alexandria Quartet is his best known work and still read by many, that at least one critic thinks Prospero’s Cell is among the best books ever written, his poetry is superb, and his travel books deserve closer attention. The main thrust of the article concerned a new biography by Michael Haag (Larry: A New Biography) just out, which is given a rave review. Just thought I’d mention this in case anyone was interested.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Perhaps you are aware of this which inspired your thread, but The New Criterion just last month (November) carried a long article on Durrell reaffirming the general view that the Alexandria Quartet is his best known work and still read by many, that at least one critic thinks Prospero’s Cell is among the best books ever written, his poetry is superb, and his travel books deserve closer attention. The main thrust of the article concerned a new biography by Michael Haag (Larry: A New Biography) just out, which is given a rave review. Just thought I’d mention this in case anyone was interested.

No, I wasn't aware of that.

 

[TheLobster]

My daughter's latest challenge is to find a natural use for the adverb "sepulchrally". (She's been listening to a lot of This Mortal Coil, so I'm sure the opportunity will arise.)

"I suppose that means I'll catch it," said Margot, sepulchrally.

"No, no dear," said mother, distractedly, "it might not be catching."

"I don't see how you can have an epidemic that isn't catching," pointed out Larry, logically.

My wife thinks that the current anti-adverb trend is simply because modern authors are in a sulk, knowing they'll never use them as well as Gerald Durrell.

Is this bit you quoted meant sincerely, or is it an affectation meant for comedic effect? Because of it’s the former, then I’d have trouble taking anything this guy wrote seriously.

And, ‘sepulchrally’? Seriously? ‘Gravely’ is already dramatic enough.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Is this bit you quoted meant sincerely, or is it an affectation meant for comedic effect? Because of it’s the former, then I’d have trouble taking anything this guy wrote seriously.

And, ‘sepulchrally’? Seriously? ‘Gravely’ is already dramatic enough.

this thread got bungled up, as most do -- people posting replies with no connection to the topic.
the quotes are from a different author. still named durrell, just not lawrence.
whether you take one or the other seriously, it's entirely up to you, of course.

 

[StillStunned]

And, ‘sepulchrally’? Seriously? ‘Gravely’ is already dramatic enough.

The two are in no way similar. Grave (adj.) means serious; sepulchral means dark, forboding and ominous.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

The two are in no way similar. Grave (adj.) means serious; sepulchral means dark, forboding and ominous.

no. sepulchral simply refers to graves.
it becomes ominous only for those people who don't find graves cheerful.
and why would sepulchral mean dark? in the night yes, but during the day?

 

[THBGato]

Is this bit you quoted meant sincerely, or is it an affectation meant for comedic effect? Because of it’s the former, then I’d have trouble taking anything this guy wrote seriously.

Yes, it's meant entirely for comic effect. The whole memoir is comic.

Sorry for hijacking the thread - this was meant to be the elder Durrell brother (who is the "Larry" in the passage above) but I've quoted from the youngest brother, Gerald.

 

[StillStunned]

no. sepulchral simply refers to graves.
it becomes ominous only for those people who don't find graves cheerful.
and why would sepulchral mean dark? in the night yes, but during the day?

"Grave" has entirely different meanings and etymologies as an adjective and as a noun. You can't use "gravely" (adverb, from the adjective) to refer to graves or tombs, because the adjective derives (originally) from the Latin gravus (weighty, heavy, serious), not the OE graef (ditch, hole, trench). "Sepulchral" means "suggesting death or a place of death", from "sepulchre".

So, to repeat my post above, "sepulchrally" and "gravely" mean two entirely different things.

 

[TheLobster]

Let's just settle on necropolitanly. That should be clear enough