Bitter Lemons Of Cyprus

“This is not a political book, but simple a somewhat impressionistic study of the moods and atmospheres of Cyprus during the troubled years 1953-6.” So wrote Lawrence Durrell in the preface to Bitter Lemons. Durrell, who lived abroad for much of his life, brilliantly captures the romance, beauty, excitement and sadness of the island, and the lives of the people of Bellapaix where he bought a house. In a compelling and atmospheric account beautifully suited to the Spoken Word medium, Durrell charts affectionately the romances and relationships of the many characters he befriended there.

Bitter Lemons of Cyprus is both an evocative and memorable picture of village life and a social and historical document of a lost community. Written during the gradual uprising of the Greek Cypriots who wanted union with Greece, Durrell observes the people’s struggles on an intimate and personal level. Sadly some fifty years later the Cypriot situation remains unresolved.
The reader Andrew Sachs is one of Britain’s best-loved actors, famous for playing the role of Manuel in Fawlty Towers.