The Alexandria QuartetThe Alexandria Quartet
Score Classic
What it's about
Four novels set in Alexandria, Egypt, in the years before and during the Second World War. In Justine, a struggling Irish writer remembers his love affair with the beautiful, mysterious wife of a rich banker. In each of the following books, the same events are seen again from a different angle, and what he thought he knew turns out to be only one version of the truth.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. Its lush prose and its experiment with perspective made it one of the literary sensations of its time.
You'll love it if you liked
The English Patient
The Magic Mountain
Brideshead RevisitedGood to know
It's four books in one and very long. The prose is ornate and sensual. Its view of Egypt is very much a European one.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Alexandria Quartet worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It ranks #681 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Alexandria Quartet about?
Four novels set in Alexandria, Egypt, in the years before and during the Second World War. In Justine, a struggling Irish writer remembers his love affair with the beautiful, mysterious wife of a rich banker. In each of the following books, the same events are seen again from a different angle, and what he thought he knew turns out to be only one version of the truth.
How long does it take to read The Alexandria Quartet?
About 22 hours (884 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Alexandria Quartet?
If you liked it, try The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann or Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.