The Red Limbo Lingo by Lawrence Durrell is a lesser-known but striking collection of poetry that showcases the author’s linguistic virtuosity and fascination with the intersections of sensuality, myth, and existential reflection. Published in 1971, the poems oscillate between lush, Mediterranean-inspired imagery and darker, more fragmented meditations on time, desire, and the elusive nature of meaning. Durrell, best known for his Alexandria Quartet, here distills his signature lyricism into compact, evocative verses that blur the boundaries between eroticism and metaphysics.
The title itself suggests a dance on the edge of comprehension—limbo as a space of suspension, “red” with passion or danger, and “lingo” as the slippery medium of language. A haunting, experimental work, The Red Limbo Lingo offers a glimpse into Durrell’s poetic obsessions, where every line thrums with the tension between flesh and spirit.
