What do you think?
Rate this book
A Smile in the Mind's Eye
Lawrence Durrell (1912?1990), author of "The Alexandra Quartet," was a writer with a foot in two worlds. His childhood in India and life in France and Greece provided him with an ability to absorb many traditions, all of which are evident in his work. Proficient in several forms of the written word ? novels, poetry, travel writing, essays, drama ? Durrell's best-known work fused Western notions of time and space with Eastern metaphysics. Very little has been written about Durrell's work before the Second World War. With "A Smile in His Mind's Eye," Ray Morrison seeks to redress this neglect. While French symbolism and the writings of Remy de Gourmont and Arthur Schopenhauer were important to the development of Durrell's writing, it was his embrace of Taoism that truly illustrated a shift from a Western, patriarchal consciousness to that of an Eastern, feminine-centred one and marked Durrell's coming into his own as a writer. In the years before Durrell's death, Morrison became a close acquaintance of the writer, giving "A Smile in His Mind's Eye" a personal element unseen in most other scholarly analyses. The work is essential to understanding one of the twentieth century's most original and eclectic minds.
95 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1982
41 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Durrell
324 books891 followersLawrence George Durrell was a critically hailed and beloved novelist, poet, humorist, and travel writer best known for The Alexandria Quartet novels, which were ranked by the Modern Library as among the greatest works of English literature in the twentieth century. A passionate and dedicated writer from an early age, Durrell’s prolific career also included the groundbreaking Avignon Quintet, whose first novel, Monsieur (1974), won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and whose third novel, Constance (1982), was nominated for the Booker Prize. He also penned the celebrated travel memoir Bitter Lemons of Cyprus (1957), which won the Duff Cooper Prize. Durrell corresponded with author Henry Miller for forty-five years, and Miller influenced much of his early work, including a provocative and controversial novel, The Black Book (1938). Durrell died in France in 1990.
The time Lawrence spent with his family, mother Louisa, siblings Leslie, Margaret Durrell, and Gerald Durrell, on the island of Corfu were the subject of Gerald's memoirs and have been filmed numerous times for TV.
The time Lawrence spent with his family, mother Louisa, siblings Leslie, Margaret Durrell, and Gerald Durrell, on the island of Corfu were the subject of Gerald's memoirs and have been filmed numerous times for TV.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 21, 2013
I always get a feeling of anticipation whenever I begin one of Lawrence Durrell’s works as I never know what new surprise will appear in his artistic writing. I’ve had this book for a long time, and never really appreciated it at the time as it was about Taoism, and so it has been sitting on the bookshelves waiting to be read when I was mentally ready for it.
I’m still not too sure if I am ready for the author’s thoughts on Taoism but he was helped in this short, philosophical memoir by in-depth discussions and meetings he had with “Jolan Chang, a Chinese scholar and – as he would have it – gerontologist” and the Taoist, Chantal De Legume (that was indeed her name and Mr Durrell’s incredulity when he heard this name was somewhat amusing), who was to become Vega in their future correspondence. Durrell had been sneakily looking at a hotel register and saw only this name entered as an arrival on that day. He was being mischievous.
I had known about Durrell’s interest in Taoism, and also Buddhism, which had originated from his childhood in India. He had been shocked by Christianity whilst he was at a Jesuit school in Darjeeling when he saw the priests worshipping a life-size figure of Christ in the chapel. It’s odd that a religion, such as Christianity, could have had such a profound effect on a boy and remain with him throughout his life.
The part that delighted me though was when Durrell was:
"In Paris, sauntering the 'quais' ,I came cross a Collected Oscar Wilde and to my astonishment saw in it a review of the Tao Te Ching by his hand...And Wilde’s sympathetic little notice suggested that he had thoroughly understood the doctrines of the old sage.”
Chang had sought Durrell’s help, as he had heard of the latter’s interest in Taoism and wanted his opinion, in fact a review, “about a work of scholarship he had completed”. Durrell was immediately flattered by this and stated that he was certainly no expert but nevertheless Mr Chang was very welcome to spend a long weekend with him at his home in Provence. No sooner said than done and within two days, and at dawn, his house guest was at the little nearby station of Lunel to begin their discussions:
“He (Chang) seemed somewhat anxious to underline the fact that though vegetarian and teetotal himself, it was by deliberate personal choice and not in obedience to some abstruse conviction".
From what I can glean about Taoism, is that life as we know it on earth is a Paradise and so one has to get as much out of it before one’s own death. This, according to Mr Chang included sexuality amongst other things:
“For the Chinese mind, sexuality was the rarest flower of the spiritual ‘gai savoir’ (Gay science – Did Nietzsche take his title from the Provençale expression of the same name?) – and compared to the odious prurience and brutality of the western attitude, it is difficult to situate it clearly for what it is – the meeting ground of two perfections.”
That all said and done in this “cosmic process”, our Chinese protagonist:
“…had adopted the ancient technique. He limited himself to one orgasm per one hundred love-encounters, approximately, and he managed to make love to several girls in the same day!”
And what a splendid house guest Mr Chang turned out to be. It transpires that Taoists believe in immortality within their own life (I must confess I don’t really understand this if we’re all eventually going to die), and “everything was connected to his diet, both spiritual and physical.” By ensuring there was no waste of materials (all items of food were cut into small pieces and totally consumed); plus there was no alcohol… and Mr Chang at the age of sixty had hoped to live to at least 120. Amazing – was I impressed and now I want to follow the Taoist route but I have to understand it first.
There’s a marvellous section of the Tibetan New Year celebrations in early February. It was very noisy there, bongo drums, triangles, drums, guests, monks, prayer wheels whirring and:
“Then there was an Australian who apparently found some special virtue in whirling a prayer-wheel as he ate – he looked like a mentally deficient potboy. ‘You can buy electric ones now.’ I told him. ‘They run off a torch battery.’ He looked at me with unfeigned disgust. I could almost hear him whisper to himself: “Mechanized Buddhism! What next?’ ”
As for Vega (Chantal De Legume), she and Durrell met by chance. Every year she chose an author and read all of their works and this was the year of Nietzsche. As a result she was planning to go to Lake Orta, just west of Lake Maggiore in Italy, where “the thirty year old philosopher proposed to the eighteen year old girl, it was here that he outlined the whole scenario of Zarathustra.” When they met and Vega found out that Durrell was also planning to go to Lake Orta, they planned to meet up and had a continuing friendship.
For Durrell, Jolan Change and Vega “embodied for him this elusive quality of the Tao.”
Another delight in this book is that it’s peppered with French words/phrases. I know that I’ve added quotes but the book is full of so many delightful turns of phrase.
In conclusion, this book was written about ten years before the author’s death and he had “slowed down” somewhat – well that’s perfectly understandable; but nevertheless, it’s a good starting off point for those readers who have never read his works, be it from the point of view of his novels, essays, letters, poetry or, not forgetting, his wonderful travel books. He was a sublime all-rounder. My type of author; and one who never disappoints. He only disappointed me by his death.
I’m still not too sure if I am ready for the author’s thoughts on Taoism but he was helped in this short, philosophical memoir by in-depth discussions and meetings he had with “Jolan Chang, a Chinese scholar and – as he would have it – gerontologist” and the Taoist, Chantal De Legume (that was indeed her name and Mr Durrell’s incredulity when he heard this name was somewhat amusing), who was to become Vega in their future correspondence. Durrell had been sneakily looking at a hotel register and saw only this name entered as an arrival on that day. He was being mischievous.
I had known about Durrell’s interest in Taoism, and also Buddhism, which had originated from his childhood in India. He had been shocked by Christianity whilst he was at a Jesuit school in Darjeeling when he saw the priests worshipping a life-size figure of Christ in the chapel. It’s odd that a religion, such as Christianity, could have had such a profound effect on a boy and remain with him throughout his life.
The part that delighted me though was when Durrell was:
"In Paris, sauntering the 'quais' ,I came cross a Collected Oscar Wilde and to my astonishment saw in it a review of the Tao Te Ching by his hand...And Wilde’s sympathetic little notice suggested that he had thoroughly understood the doctrines of the old sage.”
Chang had sought Durrell’s help, as he had heard of the latter’s interest in Taoism and wanted his opinion, in fact a review, “about a work of scholarship he had completed”. Durrell was immediately flattered by this and stated that he was certainly no expert but nevertheless Mr Chang was very welcome to spend a long weekend with him at his home in Provence. No sooner said than done and within two days, and at dawn, his house guest was at the little nearby station of Lunel to begin their discussions:
“He (Chang) seemed somewhat anxious to underline the fact that though vegetarian and teetotal himself, it was by deliberate personal choice and not in obedience to some abstruse conviction".
From what I can glean about Taoism, is that life as we know it on earth is a Paradise and so one has to get as much out of it before one’s own death. This, according to Mr Chang included sexuality amongst other things:
“For the Chinese mind, sexuality was the rarest flower of the spiritual ‘gai savoir’ (Gay science – Did Nietzsche take his title from the Provençale expression of the same name?) – and compared to the odious prurience and brutality of the western attitude, it is difficult to situate it clearly for what it is – the meeting ground of two perfections.”
That all said and done in this “cosmic process”, our Chinese protagonist:
“…had adopted the ancient technique. He limited himself to one orgasm per one hundred love-encounters, approximately, and he managed to make love to several girls in the same day!”
And what a splendid house guest Mr Chang turned out to be. It transpires that Taoists believe in immortality within their own life (I must confess I don’t really understand this if we’re all eventually going to die), and “everything was connected to his diet, both spiritual and physical.” By ensuring there was no waste of materials (all items of food were cut into small pieces and totally consumed); plus there was no alcohol… and Mr Chang at the age of sixty had hoped to live to at least 120. Amazing – was I impressed and now I want to follow the Taoist route but I have to understand it first.
There’s a marvellous section of the Tibetan New Year celebrations in early February. It was very noisy there, bongo drums, triangles, drums, guests, monks, prayer wheels whirring and:
“Then there was an Australian who apparently found some special virtue in whirling a prayer-wheel as he ate – he looked like a mentally deficient potboy. ‘You can buy electric ones now.’ I told him. ‘They run off a torch battery.’ He looked at me with unfeigned disgust. I could almost hear him whisper to himself: “Mechanized Buddhism! What next?’ ”
As for Vega (Chantal De Legume), she and Durrell met by chance. Every year she chose an author and read all of their works and this was the year of Nietzsche. As a result she was planning to go to Lake Orta, just west of Lake Maggiore in Italy, where “the thirty year old philosopher proposed to the eighteen year old girl, it was here that he outlined the whole scenario of Zarathustra.” When they met and Vega found out that Durrell was also planning to go to Lake Orta, they planned to meet up and had a continuing friendship.
For Durrell, Jolan Change and Vega “embodied for him this elusive quality of the Tao.”
Another delight in this book is that it’s peppered with French words/phrases. I know that I’ve added quotes but the book is full of so many delightful turns of phrase.
In conclusion, this book was written about ten years before the author’s death and he had “slowed down” somewhat – well that’s perfectly understandable; but nevertheless, it’s a good starting off point for those readers who have never read his works, be it from the point of view of his novels, essays, letters, poetry or, not forgetting, his wonderful travel books. He was a sublime all-rounder. My type of author; and one who never disappoints. He only disappointed me by his death.
January 30, 2023
Lawrence Durrell had a lifelong interest in and sympathy for the philosophy of Taoism. Since he read the Tao Te Ching which contains a description of the great motor of the universe and its works, he felt that it was what he believed in.
The first half of this short book covers the visit of a Chinese scholar called Jolan Chang to Durrell's home in the south of France. The two men discuss the Tao as well as cooking lots of meals and talking about Durrell's lifestyle especially the amount of wine he drinks.
The second half is sort of connected to the first half in that Durrell describes a winter visit to a Tibetan monastery near Autun, north of Lyons, where he's been invited to a Tibetan New Year celebration. The book also describes his visits to various places in Europe with a lady called Vega who's researching a book about Nietzsche and his infatuation with Lou Andreas-Salomé, a remarkable woman who had close friendships with Rilke and Freud.
Finally, the book returns to Taoism and Lao Tsu's refusal to accept the limited concepts of language, he shows his wariness against the limiting effect of defintion:
It is when we come to speak of Beauty as a thing apart that we at once define Ugliness. So when goodness is seen to be good, then we become aware of what is evil...For this reason the Sage only concerns himself with that which does not give rise to prejudice.
The first half of this short book covers the visit of a Chinese scholar called Jolan Chang to Durrell's home in the south of France. The two men discuss the Tao as well as cooking lots of meals and talking about Durrell's lifestyle especially the amount of wine he drinks.
The second half is sort of connected to the first half in that Durrell describes a winter visit to a Tibetan monastery near Autun, north of Lyons, where he's been invited to a Tibetan New Year celebration. The book also describes his visits to various places in Europe with a lady called Vega who's researching a book about Nietzsche and his infatuation with Lou Andreas-Salomé, a remarkable woman who had close friendships with Rilke and Freud.
Finally, the book returns to Taoism and Lao Tsu's refusal to accept the limited concepts of language, he shows his wariness against the limiting effect of defintion:
It is when we come to speak of Beauty as a thing apart that we at once define Ugliness. So when goodness is seen to be good, then we become aware of what is evil...For this reason the Sage only concerns himself with that which does not give rise to prejudice.
January 15, 2013
An interesting little book, in two parts primarily with a short essay at the end. Durrell recounts a visit from a Taoist scholar and reawakens portions of his early life in India as he also re-investigates the health and healing philosophy of the visitor- with wonderful results for both. The other portion recounts a visit to a Normandy Tibetan temple, and a remembrance of a fond affair with a young woman who coincidentally is traveling to the same Italian lake as himself... The best writing of Durrell's is like this- spare, yet incredibly cogent in its use of words rare and barely common in the English language. "Gloze?"- I could not even locate it in my modern American Merriam-Webster's. and that's another reason I love this guy's books.
June 15, 2011
This is a wonderful little gem of a book. It is about Durrell's encounter with a man and woman who represent living examples of a taoist eastern way of life and mind.
September 4, 2022
A difficult book to review, if you have no background to Durrell or his philosophical musings. This seems to be 2 short essays in a single binding.
The first essay is about his meeting with the Tao expert who specailised in sexual relationships, Jolan Chang (this was a surprise to me) and his Taoist belief of living in harmony with the world. Or in other words, don't own a lot of things and don't use a lot of resources. A nice idea, but quite impractical in the 21stC.
The second essay is a memoir about meeting a woman called Vega, who was researching the life of Nietzsche, and about his infatuation her. You definately get the impression he was in love (and that this probably happened to him a lot), and there are clear references to circumstances in this relationship that found their way into his novels.
Although this book contains some interesting background to the author, it's one you should probably read after first reading his other biographies and definately after the Alexandria Quartet.
The first essay is about his meeting with the Tao expert who specailised in sexual relationships, Jolan Chang (this was a surprise to me) and his Taoist belief of living in harmony with the world. Or in other words, don't own a lot of things and don't use a lot of resources. A nice idea, but quite impractical in the 21stC.
The second essay is a memoir about meeting a woman called Vega, who was researching the life of Nietzsche, and about his infatuation her. You definately get the impression he was in love (and that this probably happened to him a lot), and there are clear references to circumstances in this relationship that found their way into his novels.
Although this book contains some interesting background to the author, it's one you should probably read after first reading his other biographies and definately after the Alexandria Quartet.
January 26, 2014
An enjoyable, brief trip into Zen philosophy with Durrell.
February 24, 2014
A delightful little memoir. A Taoist comes to visit Durrell, a man who had little use for the domination of rationality. Durrell observes his guest and gives a sympathetic portrait.
June 15, 2024
La rencontre de l'auteur avec deux personnes l'ayant marqué dans sa recherche sur le tao.
Un livre mi-figue mi-raisin: d'un côté, un journal un peu foutoir mais sympathique, des rencontres intéressantes, quelques indices sur le tao qui ont éveillé ma curiosité ; de l'autre, un journal quand même bien foutoir, ce qui fait qu'on ne sait plus trop où on va, qu'on a un peu l'impression que l'auteur se perd lui-même dans ses histoires, surtout dans la deuxième partie du livre, et puis, surtout, un sexisme léger mais persistant, une homophobie tout à fait assumée, un esprit assez réac - tout cela a le don de me crisper pas que légèrement.
Au final, on reste un peu sur sa faim concernant la connaissance du tao, mais ça a eu le mérite de m'ouvrir l'appétit, si j'ose dire...
Mise à jour 2024: bon ben maintenant que j'ai lu le Tao-tô king, je ne trouve pas d'autre métaphore gustative, mais disons que bof pour le tao.
Un livre mi-figue mi-raisin: d'un côté, un journal un peu foutoir mais sympathique, des rencontres intéressantes, quelques indices sur le tao qui ont éveillé ma curiosité ; de l'autre, un journal quand même bien foutoir, ce qui fait qu'on ne sait plus trop où on va, qu'on a un peu l'impression que l'auteur se perd lui-même dans ses histoires, surtout dans la deuxième partie du livre, et puis, surtout, un sexisme léger mais persistant, une homophobie tout à fait assumée, un esprit assez réac - tout cela a le don de me crisper pas que légèrement.
Au final, on reste un peu sur sa faim concernant la connaissance du tao, mais ça a eu le mérite de m'ouvrir l'appétit, si j'ose dire...
Mise à jour 2024: bon ben maintenant que j'ai lu le Tao-tô king, je ne trouve pas d'autre métaphore gustative, mais disons que bof pour le tao.
August 18, 2024
Lawrence Durrell is my favorite author. It is not just about his way with words or unique life experiences. There is a way he thinks about the world that he expresses in his work that I could always relate to, to the extent that no other author ever came close.
This book illustrates that point beautifully. The theme is mostly Taoism explored through his encounters with a couple of interesting people; the Chinese scholar Jolan Chang and a Nietzsche scholar called Vega (the description of the reasoning for her nickname is gorgeous - and by chance, corresponds to the reasons I named my cat that name before reading this book).
The thing with Durrell's non-fiction is that it gives a window into his worldview and it is always so refreshing. This is a great read for fans of Durrell and people nostalgic for the intellectual aspirations of the 20th century.
This book illustrates that point beautifully. The theme is mostly Taoism explored through his encounters with a couple of interesting people; the Chinese scholar Jolan Chang and a Nietzsche scholar called Vega (the description of the reasoning for her nickname is gorgeous - and by chance, corresponds to the reasons I named my cat that name before reading this book).
The thing with Durrell's non-fiction is that it gives a window into his worldview and it is always so refreshing. This is a great read for fans of Durrell and people nostalgic for the intellectual aspirations of the 20th century.
July 25, 2018
Durrell is by far my favorite writer over my long life. My shelf devoted to him is one of the longer ones, but I had to add this almost as an afterthought. I was not expecting a lot from this little book, but still his skill humbles, even when he hardly tries. This book is a good example of this. On the level of a discussion of Tao it is more than I can easily get to, but on the other hand it gave me a different look at his everyday mindset. The simple act of spending a weekend with a new and intelligent friend opens up the vista of how he pulls it off, and then a day or two with Buddhists at a monestery in the winter mountains of France is another opening to the man. For those who have a previous acquaintance with Durrell this is a furtherance of that relationship. Others are advised to start with earlier works in the oeuvre.
August 26, 2022
“Las grandes verdades no son Hechos necesariamente: los hechos son sueños”
Read
April 14, 2023Somebody left this book behind on a bench so I read it. It's about Taoism I think. And sex.
July 17, 2023
Tem várias partes. Algumas do meu género, mas as mais filosóficas nem por isso
June 28, 2021
A wonderful subtle exploration of a friendship between the writer Lawrence Durell and The Taoist master Jolan Chang. Durrell was contacted by Chang and he was then invited to stay in the writers French countryside house. A rich exchange takes place and both part richer for their shared meals and much good conversation.
December 28, 2008
Un breve pero rico relato. Excelentemente escrito. Hay detalles que uno no se los olvida.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews