Alexandria Quote by Lawrence Durrell
““The oranges were more plentiful than usual that year. They glowed in their arbours of burnished green leaf like lanterns, flickering up there among the sunny woods. It was as if they were eager to celebrate our departure from the little island -- for at last the long-awaited message from Nessim had come, like a summons back to the Underworld. A message which was to draw me back inexorably to the one city which for me always hovered between illusion and reality, between the substance and the poetic images which its very name aroused in me… Alexandria, the capital of memory!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Alexandria Quartet, 1962
The passage evokes a vivid, almost mythic memory of Alexandria, blending sensory detail with a sense of destiny and longing for a place that exists between reality and imagination.
In simple terms: Alexandria is portrayed as a luminous, memory‑laden city that calls the narrator back.
Key Takeaway
Embrace places that stir deep personal memory.
Themes
memory
place
longing
myth
identity
Mood
reflective
poetic
nostalgic
Type
literary
descriptive
evocative
When to use this quote
- travel writing
- personal reflection
- creative inspiration
Key Concepts
nostalgia
mythic imagination
urban symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does Alexandria symbolize for you personally?
- How does memory shape our perception of place?
A Different Perspective
The romanticized view may overlook the city's complex history and present realities.
