The Revolt of Aphrodite

Blurb

The Revolt of Aphrodite consists of two novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published in 1968 and 1970. The individual volumes, Tunc and Nunquam, were less successful that his earlier The Alexandria Quartet, in part because they deviate significantly from his earlier style and because they approach more openly political and ideological problems.
Critical responses to the work has varied. Several contemporary critics dismissed Durrell's works at the time, but current scholarship is examining the many ways in which The Revolt of Aphrodite fits into a genre of dystopic fiction.
The two novels are:
Tunc
Nunquam
The protagonist, Felix Charlock, finds himself increasingly tied to the multinational corporation Merlins, which is most often simply called The Firm. He is both contractually and maritally tied to the Firm. His rebellion and attempt to escape leads to the death of his son and his own incarceration in a mental asylum. His lover at the beginning of the novel, Iolanthe, is likewise captured by the Firm through its net of contracts and capitalist acquisitions, ultimately leading to her death.