{"product_id":"the-avignon-quintet-comprising-monsieur-livia-constance-sebastian-and-quinx-1800170","title":"The Avignon Quintet [comprising] Monsieur, Livia, Constance, Sebastian and Quinx","description":"\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e8vos, 5 vols; publisher’s oat, green, blue, pale yellow and olive-coloured boards, spines lettered in either silver, black or gilt; Vol I with black painted label to spine; together in the unclipped pictorial dustwrappers (£2.75-£8.95); all designed by David Gentleman; Vol I good, with wrapper, prelims and upper edge heavily spotted spine sunned, a little abrasion to the edges of wrapper; the other volumes very good to near fine, a little rubbing to edges and the odd spot, occasional sunning to spines; light creasing to the wrappers in places but otherwise excellent. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA very good \u003cb\u003efirst edition set \u003c\/b\u003eof Durrell’s popular series. Volumes I and V are \u003cb\u003esigned by the author\u003c\/b\u003e in black felt pen, and are \u003cb\u003edated in the year of publication. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLawrence Durrell had already achieved great success with the publication of his famous \u003ci\u003eAlexandria Quartet\u003c\/i\u003e when, in the early 1970s, he embarked on his second major series, \u003ci\u003eThe Avignon Quintet\u003c\/i\u003e. Written while he was living in a small village in Languedoc, France, Durrell employed many of the same techniques which he had used in his previous works, with the central plot following a series of characters living in Europe before, during, and after World War II. The first novel begins in Avignon, and follows a trio of lovers; the diplomat Piers, his sister Sylvie, and the English doctor, Bruce. In \u003ci\u003eLivia\u003c\/i\u003e two sisters face the outbreak of the Second World War. The central work, \u003ci\u003eConstance\u003c\/i\u003e, takes as its focus the English mistress of a decaying chateau, who is impacted by the loss of her husband and friends, as well as her Nazi-sympathiser sister. The penultimate work is set just after the war ends, and follows Constance as she travels to Europe to treat survivors of the conflict. And in \u003ci\u003eQuinx\u003c\/i\u003e the characters return to Avignon and Provence in order to discover the location of Templar treasure. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA rich and complex work, Monsieur was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and \u003ci\u003eConstance\u003c\/i\u003e was shortlisted for the Booker. The books are \"roped together like climbers on a rockface, but all independent” Durrell later wrote, “... a series of books through which the same characters move for all the world as if to illustrate the notion of reincarnation.\"  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKU: \u003c\/strong\u003e1800170\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fold the Corner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56990275797316,"sku":"1800170","price":500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/8711\/0212\/files\/1800170_4a7a713e-385b-4eb2-bab6-ca0be8946694.jpg?v=1784202934","url":"https:\/\/foldthecornerbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-avignon-quintet-comprising-monsieur-livia-constance-sebastian-and-quinx-1800170","provider":"Fold the Corner Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}