My Family and Other Animals

What a delightful surprise this book was! We loved the Durrells in Corfu on Masterpiece Theater, but it never occurred to me that little Gerry who spent much of his boyhood running wild around the island would be such a gifted writer. The language is beautiful and evocative without ever being pretentious. He has a wonderful talent for writing humor. Granted he, his family, and the inhabitants of Cordu provide ample source material for the humor but writing it down in a way that can delight a reader and inspire laughter takes talent. The book covers part of the time that the British Durrell family (widowed mother Louise and her four children) lived on the island of Corfu. It is charming, engaging, and highly diverting. The book is set in the middle 1930’s and that adds interest. It is not remotely dated. I can practically guarantee that you will finish this book and feel less stress and anxiety than you did before you read it. And, if you are like me, you will plunge forward into the rest of the trilogy.

Kudos to the seller. The book was even nicer than described. The condition is excellent. It arrived very quickly, just a few days after I ordered it, and I've just started to read it, but it's enjoyable already -- even the introduction is funny. I saw the Amazon Prime video series, so I know what to expect, and from what I've read so far, I am very pleased. Thank you !!!

This was a mostly entertaining read. I had co flicking feelings about Gerald’s fascination with animals. He loved them but (at this age anyway) in a very possessive way. It also made me wistful for the way the Island was when he lived there. The descriptions of the flora and fauna were incredible. The human characters weren’t as full as the natural history.

I was recommended this book to read on a trip to Greece. It has a number of hilarious anecdotes, and the author is very irreverent in descriptions of his family members, including his brother, author Lawrence Durrell. I laughed out loud many times. As a boy the author lived on the Greek island of Corfu for five years with his mother and three siblings. While he was there he spent most of his time studying and catching wild animals. The antics of his family and the animals are uproariously funny. Warning: some of the animals don't survive; such is life. Also, his brother Leslie is portrayed as an avid hunter and gun enthusiast, so if hunting shocks or offends you, it does occur in this book. The author grew up to be a respected wildlife advocate and conservationist, and this is a very fun memoir of his unorthodox childhood and the attempts of his various tutors to give him a solid educational grounding when all he wants to do is run around the island trying to catch animals. It is not meant to be a natural history of Corfu but more the adventures of a curious boy and his growing numbers of animal companions. It paints a glowing picture of the free rambles of a boy set loose on an unspoiled Greek island before 1939, when the family returned to England.

A friend told me of the author, Gerald Durrell, and his books. The friend remembered reading his novels when growing-up; Durrell was a favorite because of his descriptions of animals and places around the world. This novel is about his boyhood years with his family when they lived in Greece (he and the family are English). Durrell's writing is entertaining as well as vivid-- and the best, descriptive writing I have read in years. I look forward to reading more of his works.

Originally published in 1955, this is part of a group of books of that period that celebrated odd characters and an alternative childhood to the sterile conservative world of 1950s America and of course included "Auntie Mame", "Life With Father", and "Cheaper By The Dozen". LIke the others, although decades later, this first book of the "Corfu Trilogy" is now a British/PBS TV cooperative venture.While serving as much of the source for the TV show, this book alone still manages to be as different from the TV show as it is from the reality depicted in Haag's biography of the Durrell family "The Durrells In Corfu", which I bought along with "My Family And Other Animals". The writing is not great---apparently Gerry Durrell never went to school after the last effort, forced on him at age 9 or so, but it has a certain British sense of humor that is engaging. I enjoyed reading it, and am finding the biography just as entertaining.One can only wonder what might have happened if formal education and better discipline had played a greater role in the Durrell family's upbringing, but as they are all dead, and we are left with the rather fanciful story of their life on this enchanted island, in the sunset of it's pre-tourist idyll, we can only sit back and go along for the ride and it's a fun ride.

One of the very few times I've found a book advertised as funny truly is funny. The reader of today may find the flowery, descriptive writing a little old fashioned, but that eventually becomes part of the story and part of the joy of reading this wonderful book. I stumbled across this book reading reviews on Amazon. If I agree with what a reviewer says about a book I read I will often look to see what else he enjoyed and possibly buy it. That method usually works very well.A couple of things I learned elsewhere: Gerald Durrell is the younger brother of the famous writer, Lawrence Durrell who is "Larry" in this book. Apparently, during the time this book covers, Larry was married and eventually moved out of the house with his wife. Gerald never mentions any of that--he just makes Larry look like an overbearing, self involved jerk. Later, when Lawrence wrote a biographical book he rarely mentions his younger brother. Interesting.I have the two other books in the Corfu Trilogy, but will save them for the times I need to laugh while I read.

This has always been a great favourite . This particular edition is beautiful and has a lovely vintage look to it. Good for all ages.

había visto algunos episodios de la serie televisiva y me encantó....el libro igualmente. La presentación del este libro en especial me pareció excelente. Ando buscando otros de esta misma editorial porque valen la pena.

I read the book the first time drawn by the quirky title. Then the back cover told me that it was about animals. I had found a kindered spirit. That was way back in the early seventies.What the book gave me is, not only the animals, but also a crazy family, like most families are. Gerald brings all them to your drawing room, while taking you to the quaint Corfu.Really a great read. I was not so much impressed by Durrel's later books. May be because they don't have much of his family.

Molto utile per migliorare il proprio inglese per la grande varietà di vocaboli e modi di dire desueti e poco utilizzati nel linguaggio comune. Aggiungo che è una lettura gradevole e molto divertente.

Ce livre est un bijou de fantaisie British, d’émerveillement pour la nature, chaque page est un enchantement - à lire et relire (a été adapté en une série charmante également).