In this volume of four short novels, Duras demonstrates her remarkable
ability to create an emotional intensity and unity by focusing on the
intimate details of the relationships among only a few cental
characters: from the park bench couple in "The Square" (1955) to the
double love triangle in "10:30 on a Summer Night" (1960), each novel
probes the depths and complexities of human emotion, of love and of
despair. Exceptional for their range in mood and situation, these four
novels are unparalleled exhibitions of a poetic beauty that is uniquely
Duras.