The first is Romain Rolland's "John Christopher", a fictionalized biography inspired by Beethoven. It comprises volumes titled "Dawn & Morning", "Storm & Stress", "In Paris" & "Journey's End." It comprises 1496 pages & was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature in 1915. Sir Edmund Gosse, the English poet, called it "The noblest work of fiction of the twentieth century."
The second is Lawrence Durrell's "The Alexandria Quartet" (1957-60) comprising Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive & Clea. The characters comprise a motley crowd of Jews, Christians & Muslims in Alexandria. Durrell said "Three sides of space & one of time constitute the continuum. The first three parts interlap in the spatial relation. The fourth part represents time & is a true sequel." Totalling 896 pages, it is considered a towering achievement.
The third is Paul Scott's "The Raj Quartet" comprising "The Jewel in the Crown", "The Day of the Scorpion", "The Towers of Silence" & "A Division of the Spoils". The subject matter is the tumultous time just before the end of the colonial rule in India. The set comprises 2239 pages & was written during 1965-75 & was awarded the Booker Prize. The Times Literary Supplement called it "A Veritable Taj Mahal of a Book."
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