I realized then the truth about all love: that it is an absolute which takes all or forfeits all. The other feelings, compassion, tenderness and so on, exist only on the periphery and belong to the constructions of society and habit. But she herself--austere and merciless Aphrodite--is a pagan. It is not our brains or instincts which she picks--but our very bones.
-- Lawrence Durrell --
from Justine, Part II
I think that there are a number of examples of this in the novel: Darley, Melissa, Justine, Nessim, Mountolive, Leila, although it is not clear just whom these characters are in love with.
i recently commented somewhere about the vagaries of love, the range of behaviors in which it supposedly appears, running the gamut between duty, revenge, dotage, envy, and the other faces it shows; maybe an infinite number of them...
ReplyDeleteMudpuddle,
DeleteThat is supposedly the theme of Durrell's AQ, the many varieties of love. I don't know if Darley speaks for Durrell here, but if so, he may be suggesting many varieties but still only one at the core.
Tim,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're wrong. See you there.