My Family and Other Animals (The Corfu Trilogy) Hardcover – 29 Sept. 2016

I first read this, Volume 1 of Durrell’s Corfu Childhood books, when I was probably around the same age as the period of his life he is describing. The book absolutely resonated with me, with its love of landscape. Durrell rather ascribes almost a sentience, not only towards the ‘other animals’ which this book is largely about, but to the very mountains, vegetation, winds, waves, sunlight and rain. This was very much my own view of the natural world, so reading Durrell, as a child, was a kind of coming home to how I felt about ‘nature’However……..at the time I read this, Durrell’s sensibilities gave me clear indication that I was, after all, not going to be cut out to be a naturalist myself. Although a clear lover of the wild, unconfined, natural world, and of the animal kingdom, he quickly made me realise that I was a definitely restricted speciesist – plants were wonderful, but my real love was for the warm-blooded furred and feathered creatures. Durrell delights in all of it, the slithering, the buzzing, the finny, the scaled, and anything which scuttles on somewhere between 6, 8 and a multiplicity of uncountable legs.I had utterly forgotten (carefully buried the memory) from whence my shrieking horror of a species I have never met, in the flesh, came from:“Up on the hills among the dark cypress and the heather shoals of butterflies danced and twisted like wind-blown confetti, pausing now and then on a leaf to lay a salvo of eggs. The grasshoppers and locusts whirred like clockwork under my feet, and flew drunkenly across the heather, their leaves shining in the sun. Among the myrtles the mantids moved, lightly, carefully, swaying slightly, the quintessence of evil. They were lank and green, with chinless faces and monstrous globular eyes, frosty gold, with an expression of intense, predatory madness in them. The crooked arms, with their fringes of sharp teeth, would be raised in mock supplication to the insect world, so humble, so fervent, trembling slightly when a butterfly flew too close”It is (I hope) clear what a wonderfully observant, carefully crafting writing Durrell is, as well as, of course, ditto, a naturalist. He regarded his older brother, Laurence, as the writer of the family, and only began his own (highly successful) books about his idyllic, (in his eyes, as a young naturalist) eccentric, anarchic time on Corfu, and his later books about his zoological expeditions around the world as an adult, in order to make money to finance them, and his own zoo.That quoted paragraph shows also a rather assured and filmic, dramatic sense. He surely knows how to craft a scene, to build narrative, climax, change of pace and mood. I was lulled into a deceptively tranquil, dreamy, Edenic scene, with those wafts of butterflies, before the scene darkens, and the reader can almost feel a tension rising mood music, ratcheted up to the insecty equivalent of that shower scene in Psycho!Durrell is a wonderful writer. Here there is a mixture of no doubt absolutely precise observation of the natural world and a certain amount of writerly shaping to emphasise the entertaining aspect provided by his strongly defined, individual, family members: remarkably tolerant Mother, the almost comically artistic/intellectual elder brother Larry, with his equally Bohemian ‘set’ paying visits to what Larry was offering as open house artistic colony with sunshine, vino, and food on tap. Gerry’s other brother Leslie, the practical one, happily tinkering with building boats, cleaning guns, and shooting the wildlife, and sister Margo, defined as romantic and a bit of a magnet for local and visiting swains. There are various brilliantly structured set pieces around Gerry and a succession of arriving and departing tutors, vainly trying to find ways to teach the budding naturalist the basics of an academic syllabus, spicing the dull stuff, ‘If it takes x number of men x hours to dig a trench’ with inserts culled from the natural world – forget men and trenches, substitute tortoises looking to safely lay their eggs.Best of all is an extended dramatic French farce sketch, involving snakes and renegade birds discovered in unlikely places, during a huge all day party, for family, visiting friends and locals. This had me snorting, chuckling and guffawing in an otherwise silent tube carriage. Irrepressibly joyous writing.“Tea would arrive, the cakes squatting on cushions of cream, toast in a melting shawl of butter, cups agleam, and a faint wisp of steam rising from the teapot spout”This book, and its sequels, was turned into a successful TV mini-series in the late 80s. One I felt unable to watch. The power of Durrell’s writing creating those images of mantid malevolence meant I was scared in case they featured in the natural history bits!There is such joy, such delight, such warmth in the writing, and, like the family, falling under the spell of the landscape, the reader falls in love with Durrell’s gloriously unclichéd, visceral evocation“Gradually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen. Each day had a tranquillity, a timelessness, about it, so that you wished it would never end. But then the dark skin of night would peel off and there would be a fresh day waiting for us, glossy and colourful as a child’s transfer and with the same tinge of unreality”

This book is mesmerising, uplifting, and hilarious, I absolutely loved it. The descriptions of the nature and wildlife, landscape, and Gerry’s relationship with his dog Roger are really beautiful, and I love his crazy eccentric family. I can't believe I haven't read this until now, but am so glad I have! It does bother me slightly that Gerry captured wild birds (and other small animals) to keep as pets. On the other hand he did look after them very well, and he grew up to be a conservationist, so I guess it was all part of his education.

I was lucky enough to have been allotted this book as my 'O' level novel back in the sixties and loved it then and still reread it periodically ever since. I hope the TV adaptation encourages more people to pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did/do.The Corfu Tourist board must love this book......it really makes you want to jump on a plane!

I knew I loved it. When the Durrells appeared on television and charmed us on Sunday evenings. (Just right for Sunday evenings, before work on Monday), I had to buy a new copy of My Family and Other Animals. Whimsically written and with great atmosphere, it was a delight to re-read. These little Macmillan hardbacks are super to collect and just the right size to carry in your handbag. ( Some of use bookworms still love to turn a real page).

Very funny account of Gerald Durrell`s childhood in Corfu. The interest in animals that started there resulted in his career as an animal collector and untimately to his own zoo. One of my favourite books of all time, which is why I bought this copy for a friend who had only seen the TV series, which is not up the standard of the book, I feel.

This is an enchanting book, which shows among other things how Gerald Durrell eventually became a world-famous natuiralist and conservationist. Although he left school very young, he had excellent tutors; at least in Natural History and Literature! The animals and their behaviour are described in fascinating detail, as is the beautiful Greek landscape. His family, including his elder brother and fellow-author, Lawrence Durrell (Larry), are deftly sketched. The recent, truly awful TV adaptation of the book should not put off any reader; the book is miles better and far funnier. People of all ages will enjoy it, but especially young aspirant naturalists.

Being the wrong side of thirty, I'm ashamed to say I've only just discovered this book and I loved it!Gerald Durrell excels at transporting us to a world of childish innocence and wonder, and I found myself smiling and laughing as I read my way through.I loved the descriptions of the characters - pompous and irritating Larry, larger than life Spiro, hypochondriac Lugaretzia.... It felt as though you were there with them, and could feel Gerry's exasperation and fondness for them all.The animals, of course, play a major part in the tale and again the child like amazement at them all is wonderful and heart warming to read.Although the book is fairly old now, and set in a bygone era, it doesn't feel that way at all, and I am really looking forward to reading Durrell's other works.Some have said I should watch the TV adaptations of this book, but I doubt I will as I've enjoyed the book so much I don't want to tarnish what I have in my mind.I can't recommend this enough!

I first read this book doing it for my literature O level at school that was over 40 years ago but I can still read it with just the same joy as back then. Timeless full of wonderful descriptions of Corfu the locals,animals and Gerry family. Hilarious adventures and characters you would never meet anywhere else.Follow Gerry his mother, brothers Larry & Leslie & sister Margo and their many eccentric friends on their Corfu adventure. Having watched the Durrells on TV enjoying it but trying to explain the real stories and how some characters were changed I felt I wanted a copy on my Kindle to read again and relive the memories. Wonderful.