The deeply affecting second novel of the Alexandria Quartet, which boldly questions perception and the nature of contemporary love In Alexandria, Egypt, in the years before World War II, Durrell’s narrator, Darley, seeks to fully understand his sexual obsession with two women: the infamous Justine, and Melissa, a dancer. In Darley’s conversations with Balthazar, a doctor and mystic, it soon becomes clear that Darley’s fixation is more complex and ominous than either man could have imagined. Layered and unflinching, Balthazar is a poignant examination of the modern psyche, and a study of a world where love can become consumed by deceit.  This ebook contains a new introduction by Jan Morris.