Lawrence Durrell's evocative memoir of living in Cyprus, just before the Greek/Turkish partition. This is a touching and atmospheric account of a place, now changed, where the two races lived side by side.
Download and start listening now!
"I could feel the Greek sunshine and smell the limes while reading the book. It was a good picture of the Isle of Cyprus before WWII when it was a British colony. Describing the slow-paced way of life on the island and the Greek and Turkish inhabitants from the point-of-view of an Englishman buying a home, getting to know his neighbors and learning the ins and outs of a different people. It did turn bitter as the title suggests as the political tides flowed towards violent opposition to British rule." — Richelle (4 out of 5 stars)
"I could feel the Greek sunshine and smell the limes while reading the book. It was a good picture of the Isle of Cyprus before WWII when it was a British colony. Describing the slow-paced way of life on the island and the Greek and Turkish inhabitants from the point-of-view of an Englishman buying a home, getting to know his neighbors and learning the ins and outs of a different people. It did turn bitter as the title suggests as the political tides flowed towards violent opposition to British rule."
" I think I need to do some more background reading on British Cyprus, but this is a very poetic and bittersweet memoir by a British expatriate in the mid-20th century. "
" Very interesting look at the beginnings of the Cyprus split. "
" I read this after hearing that it inspired someone to recently move to Cyprus. This is great travel writing, of the kind too often watered down these days. The characters always make the places fun, and interestingly, Beryl Markham is among them. "
" It was fine I guess. I was disappointed because the Alexandria Quartet is my favorite. This was something else. "
" Living the simple life in a beautiful Greek isle plus written by a master. "
" Interesting to ead while in situ but don't think I'd have bothered otherwise. Needed to know more of the politics of the situation really "
" Part dream-hazed travel memoir, part visceral primer on why and how individuals, communities then nations rise up against, even well-intentioned, empires. "
" first half great, then gets a bit slow... "
" A nice read with a more objective perspective "
" Occasionally beautiful, occasionally dull. What stands out are Durrell's descriptions of Cyprus, the beauties of Greece. "
" Beautiful imagery, or simply an accurate account of a beautiful island and people, at a crossroads in its history. Not so much envious of his skill as of his entire life. "
" A beautifully crafted description of a forgotten period in Britain's colonial past. Durrell tells his tale with great humanity. I loved it. "
" It became unexpectedly topical as I was reading ! "
" So far it makes me want to vacation in Cypres "
" A travel classic. This book will instantly transport you to wherever to middle of Cyprus. "
" Romantic view of life on Cyprus during the British occupation. "
" Liked only the beginning of this book. "
" I was ignorant of the British occupation of Cyprus. This was a quick and accessible account of one man's experience. It is well worth the time. "
" It was called "Bitter Lemons" in my day ... Fascinating book, I read it originally at school. "
" Could not finish this book, which is saying something. This rarely happens in my world. "
" lovely, verbose, and picturesque "
" What a well written and well informed book on the 2 years that Lawrence Durrell lived on Cyprus. The delightful people whom me met and lived with and his descriptions of them and the island is truly captivating. I love his style of writing and will definitely try and read the other 2 island books. "
" Better still in the second reading. The politics are up-to-date "
" it's a personal account of a British man who lives in cyprus in the 50s, right at the time when the cypriot struggle for independence is heating up. it's a fascinating window into the imperial mindset, and has some interesting descriptions of cyprus. "
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.