The Revolt of Aphrodite
Encyclopedia
The Revolt of Aphrodite consists of two novels by British
writer Lawrence Durrell
, published in 1968 and 1970. The individual volumes, Tunc and Nunquam, were less successful that his earlier The Alexandria Quartet
, in part because they deviate significantly from his earlier style and because they approach more openly political and ideological problems.
Critical responses to the work has varied. Several contemporary critics dismissed Durrell's works at the time, but current scholarship is examining the many ways in which The Revolt of Aphrodite fits into a genre of dystopic fiction.
The two novels are:
The protagonist, Felix Charlock, finds himself increasingly tied to the multinational corporation Merlins, which is most often simply called The Firm. He is both contractually and maritally tied to the Firm. His rebellion and attempt to escape leads to the death of his son and his own incarceration in a mental asylum. His lover at the beginning of the novel, Iolanthe, is likewise captured by the Firm through its net of contracts and capitalist acquisitions, ultimately leading to her death. In the second half of the work, Nunquam, Iolanthe is resurrected as a robot, which ultimately destroys itself along with the director of the Firm, Julian. The novel ends with the burning of the Firm's contracts, but no one knows if this will cause any change.
The novels are densely allusive
and reflect the political tensions of the May 1968 general strike in Paris. They also address the same theme of multiplicity and contingency Durrell developed in The Alexandria Quartet
, often in a way that shows Durrell's interest in Nietzsche:
A similar preoccupation with narrative and "cause and effect" is introduced early in the series, and this is made explicit by the character Hippolyta: "There seems to be a hundred reasons to account for every act. Finally one hesitates to ascribe any one of them to the act. Life gets more and more mysterious, not less."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
, published in 1968 and 1970. The individual volumes, Tunc and Nunquam, were less successful that his earlier The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the books present four perspectives on a single set of events and characters in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during World War II.As Durrell...
, in part because they deviate significantly from his earlier style and because they approach more openly political and ideological problems.
Critical responses to the work has varied. Several contemporary critics dismissed Durrell's works at the time, but current scholarship is examining the many ways in which The Revolt of Aphrodite fits into a genre of dystopic fiction.
The two novels are:
- Tunc (1968)
- Nunquam (1970)
The protagonist, Felix Charlock, finds himself increasingly tied to the multinational corporation Merlins, which is most often simply called The Firm. He is both contractually and maritally tied to the Firm. His rebellion and attempt to escape leads to the death of his son and his own incarceration in a mental asylum. His lover at the beginning of the novel, Iolanthe, is likewise captured by the Firm through its net of contracts and capitalist acquisitions, ultimately leading to her death. In the second half of the work, Nunquam, Iolanthe is resurrected as a robot, which ultimately destroys itself along with the director of the Firm, Julian. The novel ends with the burning of the Firm's contracts, but no one knows if this will cause any change.
The novels are densely allusive
Allusion
An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication. M. H...
and reflect the political tensions of the May 1968 general strike in Paris. They also address the same theme of multiplicity and contingency Durrell developed in The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the books present four perspectives on a single set of events and characters in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during World War II.As Durrell...
, often in a way that shows Durrell's interest in Nietzsche:
'Haven't you noticed Charlock that most things in life happen just outside one's range of vision? One has to see them out of the corner of one's eye. And any one thing could be the effect of any number of others? I mean there seem to be always a dozen perfectly appropriate explanations to every phenomenon. That is what makes our reasoning minds so unsatisfactory; and yet, they are all we've got, this shabby piece of equipment'.
A similar preoccupation with narrative and "cause and effect" is introduced early in the series, and this is made explicit by the character Hippolyta: "There seems to be a hundred reasons to account for every act. Finally one hesitates to ascribe any one of them to the act. Life gets more and more mysterious, not less."
External links
- The Literary Encyclopedia, Tunc
- Review of Nunquam by Simon McLeish
- The International Lawrence Durrell Society Official website of ILDS
- Durrell 2012: The Lawrence Durrell Centenary Centenary event website and Durrell Journal
- The Durrell School of Corfu School dedicated to the works and lives Lawrence and Gerald Durrell