T he Revolt of Aphrodite (two novels, Tunc, 1968 and Nunquam, 1970) presents a large and diverse cast of characters, many of them appearing and reappearing in the first and second volumes, many of them peripheral and little-developed as characters. In fact, if some readers find most of the characters scarcely credible, memorable, or individualized, that may well be Durrell's intention, an effect of his design which places the firm Merlin, "that seeks to control" everyone's destiny, at the center of everything, as a kind of central character in its own right. Commenting on his characters in this work, Durrell noted: "They will lose a little as individuals and gain as puppets; will be swallowed by the Firm . . ."

However, even if this applies to the major characters to some degree, there is much vivid characterization, of both major and minor figures.

The major character, and the narrator of the story...