Justine

Justine is the first volume in Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet.

The novel is set in Alexandria, Egypt, just before World War II and is narrated by an unnamed Irish teacher who recounts his love affair with Justine, a beautiful and mysterious Jewish woman married to a wealthy Egyptian Copt, Nessim.

The city of Alexandria itself is a central character, reflecting the cultural diversity, decay, and complex interactions between its inhabitants.

The story explores themes of love, desire, betrayal, and the search for self-identity, all woven together with poetic and intellectual prose.