My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
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Book Reviews of My Family and Other Animals
Book Review: Immense fun, perfect for the budding naturalist
Summary: 5 Stars
Gerald Durrell's comic account of living on Corfu with his family as a child is as much fun as you will ever read. At 10 (and 60, if you read his other books) Durrell had a mind for little but the animals in the environment around him. In one episode he relates how his tutor was only able to get him interested in history by adding in "anecdotes" such as Nelson's collection of birds, including detailed lists of what species and who got the birds after Trafalgar.
If you have a 10 year old who is only interested in collecting snakes and butterflies, this will be immensely enjoyed (the story of the geckos living in his room alone will surely be worth hours of wide-eyed fun)...but you may not want to encourage full Durrell emulation (such as when he saved a bunch of baby scorpians in the house, until discovered by his long-suffering brother Larry).
Book Review: One of the funniest books of all time.
Summary: 5 Stars
I usually only have time to read at night. I keep a book by my bedside and if I awaken in the middle of the night, instead of worrying, I read. This isn't the best book to use in this fashion. I have, on several occasions, awakened and thought, "I'll just read a few pages" only to find myself engulfed in oxygenated laughter that has kept me up for the duration of the night. I don't know when I've laughed out loud so often at a book. The mother is the mother we've all always wanted...and she was no doubt the perfect mother for this child. Who else could take in stride the unleashing from a matchbox of a small cache of scorpions during dinner. I will reread this book again and again. Such light hearted appreciation of nature is a rare find. This would be a great gift for any child or adult who loves the outdoors. Very special and very rare.
Book Review: Absolutely side-splitting
Summary: 5 Stars
This book, ironically, was on one of those horrible "summer reading" lists so many of us are forced to do in high school. It's the only one I was ever forced to read that I truly, genuinely loved. I laughed out loud literally every two or three pages, and though I have no natural interest in animals (especially insects), Durell makes his descriptions of the nature on Corfu as gripping and as touching as his descriptions of his family.
It's been ten years since I first read this book, and when I get together with my old friends, we STILL argue about our favorite scenes, the best character, the most troublesome pet. This is a book you won't be able to put down the first time you read it, and will want to re-read the moment you finish it.
Book Review: I wish I could give it 6 stars!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read!
Reviewed by David Lundberg, author of Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece
Book Review: lovely but the language is rich
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of Gerry Durrell and his family, who decides to move to Corfu in order to escape the inclement British weather. This book follows Gerald as he explores the island, fascinated by creatures great and small. We also get to know his family and their different quirks.
It is a lovely book, but beware: the language is richer, far richer than most books today. There isn't a lot of action, as the book is more like a memoir than a novel (ie it meanders, aiming at creating a picture, not following a tight plot).
If you keep those two things in mind, you'll enjoy it greatly, and feel as if you'd want to move to Corfu -but, alas, I went there in 2005, and Durrell's Corfu seems to have been replaced by mass tourism.