Peter Porter has drawn on the full range of the published work, from "A Private
Country" (1943) to "Vega" (1973), and has provided a long overdue revaluation of
Durrell's poetic career. In his detailed introduction, Porter makes the case fo
r "A Private Country" as one of the most accomplished debut collections of the t
wentieth century, and traces Durrell's preoccupations and poetic personality wit
hin the wider scene. The selection of poems makes its own strong case for the co
ntinuing power of this attractive, and wholly individual body of work.
