I loved Gerald Durrell's books when I was a kid (I planned to be a zoologist), but I didn't read Lawrence until shortly after Monsieur was published. I was so attracted to the cover of the Faber edition and the title that I had to buy it. While I was waiting for the sequels, I read everything else I could find. A friend, who lived in Egypt on and off, was crazy about the Alexandria Quartet, and thinking about it now reminds me of our discussions and of the letters she sent from Cairo. I can't really detach the books from that particular time in my life.