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Tim O'Brien

780. Lawrence Durrell - Balthazar


I think I summarised this quite well when I first read it (no.352), nearly 5 years ago. (no.779 above is a better summary of Justine than no.349).

It is Balthazar’s overwriting of Justine, both correcting perceived errors/misassumptions in Justine and introducing new characters, particularly Narouz, Nessim’s facially challenged and rurally based brother.

Narouz oddly and unfortunately loves Clea, who is gay, but emerges as an interesting character, a hard man as against Nessim’s sophistication and and engages in a couple of escapades for his brother, including an attempt to discover the fate of Justine’s child involving a dramatic confrontation with a moslem priest/magician. But the overall plot doesn’t move on a lot from Justine.


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