Including: Justine. 1957. -- Balthazar. 1958. -- Mountolive. 1958. -- Clea. 1960. London: Faber and Faber. 4 volumes, 8vo. First editions Original cloth (Balthazar spine toned and covers rubbed); dust jackets (Justine spine chipped with loss near top of spine, tape repairs to verso, light edgewear to others).

First editions of Durrell's highly acclaimed tetralogy, set before and during the Second World War. "The four novels emerged in rapid succession from 1957 to 1960 and elicited wildly divergent but generally favourable reviews, praising or attacking Durrell's luxuriant prose, his highly romantic recreation of Alexandria, and his self-proclaimed use of Einstein. Only with the Quartet sales did Durrell begin to live from his writing" (ODNB).