In Mountolive, the third volume in the Alexandrian Quartet, as war begins to loom, British Ambassador David Mountolive enters the intrigues of the interwoven community of characters. The story told in the two previous volumes is complicated further through the lens of this new character... The love stories are incredibly deep and diverse, and Durrell's writing is both beautiful and inspiring. Mountolive is an Englishman working with the Foreign Service who comes to know his Dionysian self in the humidity and turmoil of early 20th century Egypt. He falls in love with his married hostess, and this relationship leaves him capable of loving only one woman and one place. The other notable couples portray a stunning array of what drives people toward love. A desire for power drives Justine and Nessim together as it does much more subtlely in the vignette about Amaril and Semira. This book stands out on its own but leaves you dying to find out more about these rich characters. --Cathryn JT at Amazon.com.