“Monsieur, or the Prince of Darkness” (1974) is the first book in the “Avignon Quintet” series by the recognized classic of English literature of the twentieth century, Lawrence Durrell, whose work in recent years has found its many admirers in Russia. Using in his vivid, picturesque narrative certain techniques and motifs of the famous “Alexandria Quartet,” the author, this time, transfers the action to the south of France, to the Egyptian desert, to Venice. The mysterious event - the unexpected death of one of the heroes and everything that preceded it, is interpreted differently by other characters in the novel: a doctor, a historian, a writer. Just like the famous “Alexandria Quartet”, this, according to the author’s definition, is “a study of love in modern world." Traveling with his characters in space and time, Darrell created poetic, fascinating works. Complex, intertwining plots fascinate the reader, forcing him to follow the development of the action with excitement.