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Corfu Trilogy #1

袦芯械褌芯 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 懈 写褉褍谐懈 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈

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"袦芯械褌芯 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 懈 写褉褍谐懈 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈" 械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹 蟹邪 锌械褌褌械 谐芯写懈薪懈, 锌褉械蟹 泻芯懈褌芯 屑邪谢泻懈褟褌 袛邪褉褗谢 芯褌泻褉懈胁邪 锌褉懈褉芯写邪褌邪 薪邪 褋褉械写懈蟹械屑薪芯屑芯褉褋泻懈褟 芯褋褌褉芯胁 袣芯褉褎褍. 小 懈褋泻褉褟褖 褏褍屑芯褉 懈 薪邪斜谢褞写邪褌械谢薪芯褋褌 褌芯泄 芯锌懈褋胁邪 褋胁芯懈褌械 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔械薪懈褟 锌芯 胁芯写邪 懈 褋褍褕邪 胁 懈蟹褍褔邪胁邪薪械 薪邪 褔褍写薪懈褟 褋胁褟褌 薪邪 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈褌械.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

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About the author

Gerald Durrell

209books1,664followers
Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. His elder siblings are Lawrence Durrell, Leslie Durrell, and Margaret Durrell. His family settled on Corfu when Gerald was a boy and he spent his time studying its wildlife. He relates these experiences in the trilogy beginning with My Family And Other Animals, and continuing with Birds, Beasts, And Relatives and The Garden Of The Gods. In his books he writes with wry humour and great perception about both the humans and the animals he meets.

On leaving Corfu he returned to England to work on the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. His adventures there are told with characteristic energy in Beasts In My Belfry. A few years later, Gerald began organising his own animal-collecting expeditions. The first, to the Cameroons, was followed by expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina and Sierra Leone. He recounts these experiences in a number of books, including The Drunken Forest. Gerald also visited many countries while shooting various television series, including An Amateur Naturalist. In 1958 Gerald Durrell realised a lifelong dream when he set up the Jersey Zoological Park, followed a few years later by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.

Gerald was married twice; Jacquie Durrell (1951-1979), Lee Durrell (1979-1995).

Gerald Durrell's style is exuberant, passionate and acutely observed. He died in 1995.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,368 reviews
Profile Image for Kevin Ansbro.
Author听5 books1,690 followers
February 9, 2020
A delightful, lyrical and altogether MAGICAL read.
*ADVANCE WARNING*
Review includes mention of tortoise sex!


It's usually a huge mistake to return to a childhood favourite, imagining it would be just as good the second time around. So when I found this book in the attic, with its dog-eared cover held together with Sellotape and pages jaundiced with age, I had mixed feelings about reading it again.
(A side note to any fellow Brits who once strode majestically in platform shoes: the price on the book was a nostalgic three shillings and sixpence).

My Family and Other Animals is the semi-autobiographical account of prepubescent Gerald's expat life on the Greek island of Corfu with his upper crust, eccentric, English family.
Happily, this entertaining book far-exceeded my expectations. I rediscovered the same Mediterranean island from my boyhood wish list; a sun-drenched idyll of olive groves, cypress trees and hidden coves.


Durrell was better known as a leading naturalist and conservationist, but it would be a huge mistake to disregard his skill as an author.
Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a formidable storyteller and his command of the English language would shame most of our modern-day scribblers. Not only this; his human imagery is up there with the best.
Durrell generates genuinely laugh-out-loud moments with his impish descriptive humour: his sister Margot's acne-ridden face, for example, is described as being "swollen up like a plate of scarlet porridge".
Animals on the island are cheerfully anthropomorphised, including Geronimo the gecko, Quasimodo the pigeon, plus Widdle and Puke, the gambolling puppies.
Durrell's overuse of similes and adjectives might cause some readers to grind their teeth to powder, but I personally adore this overkill of descriptive imagery.

The author's personification of animals extends to goats, whose "udders swing like bagpipes" and also in respect of some tortoise-shagging (the tortoises with each other, not any deviant behaviour on Durrell's part).


Set in the 1930s, before the hedonism of mass tourism had descended upon the Greek islands, Gerald Durrell puts the 'Cor!' into Corfu.
This is not just a novel for bookish school kids. I enjoyed it as a boy and I relished it even more as an adult.
Methinks it was three shillings and sixpence well spent!

Profile Image for Candi.
692 reviews5,336 followers
April 6, 2019
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian someday. I loved learning about animals. We were never without a cat and a dog. We were the proud owners of some clever parakeets. One of them would perch on the back of the dog and hitch a ride around the living room. Hobie the poodle was less enthused than Cocoa the bird. I loved reading books about four-legged critters. Looking back, none of these things were all too astonishing 鈥� didn鈥檛 every little kid have pets and a desire to be a vet? However, my parents drew the line at these domesticated, household pets. Certainly a tortoise was out of the question, as was a lizard or a gecko. A scorpion would not even have crossed my mind. In fact, about five years ago I was cleaning out the basement, yanking down boxes that had traveled with my husband from his childhood home to his first home to the home we now share together. There was a curious little wooden box among some of his old letters and cards to and from old teen aged flames (yes, I peeked at these!) I opened the wooden box expecting to see a piece of jewelry or some curious memento from one of these girls. Instead, what I found was the shell of a scorpion! I鈥檓 certain this would not have fazed Gerry Durrell in the least; I, however, ceased my snooping for the day. I later found out that this had been a treasured pet while my husband was away at college. Cats and dogs weren鈥檛 allowed in the dormitory, but apparently there were no rules about keeping a scorpion. Gerry would have approved.

This book is the first in Gerald Durrell鈥檚 Corfu trilogy. It鈥檚 a memoir of his time as a youngster spent on that enchanting Greek island along with his mother and siblings. It highlights his love for wildlife, his affinity with the natural world. We get a glimpse of this conservationist and writer鈥檚 first encounters with the animals he grew to cherish and protect on a professional level. He tells his story with clarity and humor. His family gets mixed up in the stories along the way, and this just added to the charm of the book. I love the way he explains his intentions in the introduction:

"It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite various friends to share the chapters. It was only with the greatest difficulty, and by exercising considerable cunning, that I managed to retain a few pages here and there which I could devote exclusively to animals."

I laughed at so many of the personal anecdotes, savored the beautiful descriptions of the island, and was entertained by his interactions with many of the island locals. The encounter with the Rose-beetle Man (what a fantastic figure this man must have been!), a meeting with a convict let out for a temporary jaunt, and the appointments with various tutors (including one with quite the impressive bird collection) all pointed to the fact that Gerry lived quite an extraordinary young life. I expected to be amused by and pleased with this story, but what I found to be a pleasant surprise was that Gerald Durrell could really write! I didn鈥檛 just highlight the funny stuff (although there are loads of those bits marked up too), but passages like this one left me gaga over his choice of words:

"Gradually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen. Each day had a tranquility, 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鈥檚 transfer and with the same tinge of unreality."

Naturally, the stars of this memoir were the animals 鈥� from Roger his faithful dog, to a pair of water snakes, to a tortoise 鈥榳edding鈥� and 鈥榟oneymoon鈥� (rated PG-13), to a ferocious battle to the death between a praying mantis and a gecko, Gerry鈥檚 descriptions are hilarious and compelling. I loved the way he personified all of his creatures. You can tell instantly that these are not 鈥榡ust animals鈥� but an important and vibrant part of his life. Don't forget that Roger is a dog:

"Roger and I would squat by the hour in the heather, watching the tortoise knights in their ill-fitting armour jousting for the ladies, and the contests never failed to entertain us. Sometimes we would lay bets with each other as to which one was going to win, and by the end of the summer Roger had backed so many losers that he owed me a considerable amount of money."

Check out this rendezvous with a pair of toads:

"They squatted there like two obese, leprous Buddhas, peering at me and gulping in that guilty way that toads have. Holding one in each hand, it was like handling two flaccid, leathery balloons, and the toads blinked their fine golden filigreed eyes at me, and settled themselves more comfortably on my fingers, gazing at me trustfully, their wide, thick-lipped mouths seeming to spread in embarrassed and uncertain grins."

There are plenty of other tales for you to discover on your own, should you choose to pick up this book 鈥� which I highly recommend! It鈥檚 a wonderful diversion and was just what I needed at the moment. It may be considered 鈥榣ight鈥� reading 鈥� yes, it is 鈥� but it is certainly not without value! I was rather interested to learn that Gerald Durrell was dedicated to protecting endangered species during his adult life. An admirable endeavor indeed.
Profile Image for dream.
10 reviews12 followers
May 31, 2015
The first from the trilogy and the first of Durrel's I've ever read. No words can express my love for this author and his immense sense of humor, pure and light, nothing topical or scathing beneath. I remember vividly laughing out loud on the streets and on buses while reading it, so wisely consider your reading spot! Howling with laughter in public places might cause you troubles, but the best part - you won't care a bit and will always consider it worthy!
Profile Image for Kimber Silver.
Author听2 books417 followers
March 7, 2025
"This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I and my family made on the Greek island of Corfu. It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite various friends to share the chapters."

I say, Mr. Durrell, introducing your wildly entertaining family was the icing on the cake to this spectacular tale!

The things I've seen, heard and experienced in the pages of this novel could hardly be put into words without the picturesque writing skills that Gerald Durrell possessed. However, if I could pick a family to call my own, it would be the Durrells. With Gerry鈥檚 siblings, Larry, Leslie, and Margo, the amusement is endless! Their unflappable mother is adorable: so calm and collected considering she lived in a home that had become a cross between a madhouse and a zoo! And the supporting characters are every bit as lovable. Spiro, a local taxi driver, takes the family under his wing and becomes an integral part of their daily lives.

One of my favorite scenes, which I've aptly named 鈥榯he flinging of the scorpions鈥�, follows:

"Then one day I found a fat female scorpion in the wall, wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat. Closer inspection proved that this strange garment was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother鈥檚 back. 鈥 made up my mind to smuggle them into the house 鈥�"

Gerry placed his new find in a matchbox and left it on the mantle while they all sat down to lunch. As luck would have it, brother Larry was a smoker. I yelled at my Kindle to warn Larry of the hidden danger inside the matchbox he was about to open, but of course, they never listen to me!

"He uttered a roar of fright that made Lugaretzia drop a plate and brought Roger out from beneath the table, barking wildly. With a flick of his hand, he sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti 鈥�"
The ensuing chaos had me doubled over with laughter!

I also giggled as the 鈥榤agenpies鈥� 鈥� the name Spiro gives to magpies - destroyed Larry鈥檚 manuscript; and again when a snake-filled bathtub sent Leslie streaking into the midst of a party with only a small towel for covering. In fact, I hooted aloud so often that my own dogs would watch me with rapt attention, perplexed by my sudden outbursts.

Every page is filled with dreamily descriptive writing so remarkable that I feel as if I鈥檝e experienced the entire book first hand. I would urge anyone, no matter your age, to give this heart-warming, hilarious romp a go. Gerald Durrell is one of the most gifted writers I鈥檝e ever had the pleasure of reading.
Profile Image for Ahmad Sharabiani.
9,562 reviews573 followers
May 1, 2022
My Family and Other Animals (Corfu Trilogy, #1), Gerald Durrell

My Family and Other Animals (1956) is an autobiographical work by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It tells of the years that he lived as a child with his siblings and widowed mother on the Greek island of Corfu between 1935 and 1939. It describes the life of the Durrell family in a humorous manner, and explores the fauna of the island.

It is the first and most well-known of Durrell's Corfu Trilogy, together with Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (1969) and The Garden of the Gods (1978).

鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 爻丕賱1996賲蹖賱丕丿蹖

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讴鬲丕亘 芦禺丕賳賵丕丿賴鈥� 賲賳 賵 亘賯蹖賴鈥� 丨蹖賵丕賳丕鬲禄 乇丕 芦噩乇丕賱丿 丿丕乇賱禄貙 亘丕 丕賱賴丕賲 丕夭 蹖丕丿賲丕賳賴丕蹖 倬賳噩 爻丕賱 夭賳丿诏蹖 禺賵蹖卮貙 丿乇 噩夭蹖乇賴鈥� 芦讴賵乇賮賵蹖 蹖賵賳丕賳禄 亘賳賵卮鬲賴 丕爻鬲貨 丿乇 賲蹖丕賳 丕蹖賳 蹖丕丿賲丕賳賴丕貙 毓賱丕賯賴 蹖 賮乇丕賵丕賳 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘賴 胤亘蹖毓鬲貙 賵 噩丕賳賵乇丕賳 亘爻蹖丕乇 賳賲丕蹖丕賳 丕爻鬲貨 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 芦丿丕乇賱禄 丕夭 丕賯賱蹖賲 賳賲賳丕讴 賵 禺丕讴爻鬲乇蹖 丕賳诏賱爻鬲丕賳 亘賴 爻鬲賵賴 賲蹖鈥屫③屬嗀� 禺丕賳賴鈥� 卮丕賳 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屬佖辟堌促嗀� 賵 乇丕賴蹖 噩夭蹖乇賴 丌賮鬲丕亘蹖 芦讴賵乇賮賵禄 丿乇 芦蹖賵賳丕賳禄 賲蹖鈥屫促堎嗀�

讴鬲丕亘 芦禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 賲賳 賵 亘賯蹖賴 丨蹖賵丕賳丕鬲禄 賯乇丕乇 亘賵丿賴貙 讴鬲丕亘蹖 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺 胤亘蹖毓蹖 噩夭蹖乇賴 蹖 芦讴賵乇賮賵禄 亘丕卮丿貙 丕賲丕 丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳貙 亘賴 讴鬲丕亘蹖 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 鬲噩乇亘賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 亘蹖鈥屬囐呚з嗁嗀� 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 芦丿丕乇賱禄 亘丕 芦毓賯乇亘鈥屄毁囏ж� 芦讴賮卮丿賵夭讴鈥屄毁囏ж� 芦賱丕乇賵賴丕蹖 卮亘鈥屫ж� 丨卮乇丕鬲禄貙 芦丕禺鬲丕倬賵爻鈥屄毁囏ж� 芦禺賮丕卮鈥屄毁囏ж� 芦賵夭睾鈥屄毁囏ж� 芦倬乇賵丕賳賴鈥屄毁囏� 賵 芦賲丕乇賲賵賱讴鈥屄毁囏� 丿乇 禺丕賳賴鈥� 卮丕賳貙 賵 丿乇 噩夭蹖乇賴貙 亘丿賱 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 芦噩乇丕賱丿禄 丿賴 爻丕賱賴貙 爻賮乇卮 亘賴 芦讴賵乇賮賵禄 乇丕貙 亘丕 鬲賲丕賲 賵爻丕蹖賱蹖 讴賴 亘賴 賳馗乇卮 亘乇丕蹖 趩賳蹖賳 爻賮乇蹖 賱丕夭賲 丕爻鬲貙 丌睾丕夭 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀�: 蹖讴 鬲賵乇 丨卮乇賴鈥� 诏蹖乇蹖貙 蹖讴 爻诏貙 賵 蹖讴 卮蹖卮賴 倬乇 丕夭 讴乇賲 倬乇賵丕賳賴貙 讴賴 賴乇 賱丨馗賴 賲賲讴賳 丕爻鬲 倬蹖賱賴 亘亘賳丿賳丿貨 丿乇 夭賲丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿乇 噩夭蹖乇賴貙 芦噩乇丕賱丿禄 趩賳丿丕賳 亘乇賴丕賳 睾乇睾乇賴丕蹖 亘乇丕丿乇賴丕貙 賵 禺賵丕賴乇 亘夭乇诏鈥屫必� 乇丕貙 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 倬蹖丿丕 卮丿賳 芦賲丕乇禄 丿乇 賵丕賳 丨賲丕賲貙 蹖丕 芦毓賯乇亘禄 乇賵蹖 賲蹖夭 睾匕丕禺賵乇蹖貙 丿乇讴 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴鬲丕亘 芦禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 賲賳 賵 亘賯蹖賴 丨蹖賵丕賳丕鬲禄 讴鬲丕亘蹖 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 賱丨馗丕鬲 禺賳丿賴貙 丕夭 賲賵丕噩賴賴 蹖 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 蹖 芦丿丕乇賱禄 亘丕 胤亘蹖毓鬲 噩夭蹖乇賴 蹖 芦讴賵乇賮賵禄 丕爻鬲貨

鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 20/03/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 10/02/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Profile Image for Jola.
184 reviews430 followers
August 18, 2017
I loved 'My family and Other Animals'(1956) by Gerald Durrell from start to finish, thoroughly and in detail. That's why I will tell you about it from A to Z.

A is for animals
The way Gerald Durrell describes them is unbeatable. He casts a spell on you not only when he portrays quite spectacular species but also quite prosaic ones.


Gerry Durrell.


B is for bathing-costume
The chapter in which mother purchases an extravagant garment, 'covered from top to bottom with hundreds of frills and pleats and tucks', is one of my absolute favourites. Just to give you a foretaste:
鈥榃hat is it?鈥� asked Larry at length.
鈥業t鈥檚 a bathing-costume, of course,鈥� said Mother. 鈥榃hat on earth did you think it was?鈥�
鈥業t looks to me like a badly skinned whale,鈥� said Larry, peering at it closely.


C is for Corfu
'Here in Corfu,鈥� said Theodore, his eyes twinkling with pride, 'anything can happen.' A picturesque Greek island Gerry (aged ten) and his family (mother, two older brothers and one sister) moved to from Britain. They lived there from 1935 to 1939. The beauty of the place depicted by Durrell is dazzling, in all seasons, in all times of the day. Nowadays Corfu probably looks quite different, with thousands of tourists, but I鈥檓 sure the magic captured in 'My Family and Other Animals' still lingers there: 'Outside, the island was striped and patched in black and silver by moonlight. Far down in the dark cypress trees the owls called to each other comfortingly. The sky looked as black and soft as a mole-skin covered with a delicate dew of stars. The magnolia tree loomed vast over the house, its branches full of white blooms, like a hundred miniature reflections of the moon, and their thick, sweet scent hung over the veranda languorously, the scent that was an enchantment luring you out into the mysterious, moonlit countryside.' The enchantment really works. Since I finished 'My family and Other Animals', I have been dreaming of going to Corfu.


Herbert List, Ionian island of Pondikoisi seen from Kanoni, Corfu. 1937.


D is for Dandy Dinmont Terrier
Mother's dog. Dodo constantly challenges beauty standards. Affectionately called by Larry 'that canine Frankenstein'.

E is for education
Gerry doesn鈥檛 attend any schools on Corfu, he has lessons with tutors. I鈥檓 sure you will be astonished by the gallery of his eccentric teachers.

F is for family
The most obvious thing you are attracted to are the adventures of the Durrells and their portrayals but there is something not so obvious worth exploring also. I mean the relationships between the members of the family, full of warmth and tolerance. One of the keys to the success is probably the fact that they are communicating almost all the time: 'we seemed unable to extract the full flavour of our letters and magazines unless they were shared.' The siblings are nasty to each other at times but even the most malicious remarks have a cordial lining.


Gerry Durrell and a part of his family, 1936. The Daffodil Yellow Villa in the background.


G is for guests
Mostly neurotic artists and writers. Invited spontaneously, in large amounts: 'Sometimes the fresh load of guests would turn up before we had got rid of the previous group, and the chaos was indescribable'.

H is for humour
Ubiquitarian! It's one of the most hilarious books I鈥檝e ever read. I would have never guessed that Durrell was seriously ill while writing 'My family and Other Animals' - he was recovering from jaundice. If you think it's sensible enough not to read this book in public places to prevent bursts of uncontrollable laughter, you are wrong. And I'm speaking from experience. It is enough to recall some scenes to get hysterical while you are for example travelling on a bus or doing shopping. You will encounter various kinds of humour: funny situations, chucklesome comments, cranky personalities, elements of black humour or a comedy full of gags: 'Living in Corfu was rather like living in one of the more flamboyant and slapstick comic operas.'

I is for I am grateful!
Three 欧宝娱乐 friends inspired and convinced me to read this ludicrous book. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to Jennifer B., Julie and Roman Clodia. I will always associate them with this uproarious, amazing read and it will make my memories even lovelier. If you check the 欧宝娱乐 shelves of these three exceptional ladies 鈥� which I strongly recommend - the first thing you will probably notice is the diversity of their literary tastes. It goes to show that Durrell adequately caters for a variety of readers' needs and preferences.


Gerry Durrell.


J is for just perfect
...for a rainy day. Or a day when you want to forget about your worries. Or a day when you get bad news. Or a day when you are just feeling blue with no reason. From now on 'My family and Other Animals' will make an indispensable part of my bookish first aid kit. Durrell takes care of his readers' well-being in a truly touching way: the real cause why the family decided to come back to Britain was the war, while it's not mentioned in the story even once.

K is for Kralefsky
Gerry's teacher. One of the most comical characters in the book. Known for his chivalry and wrestling skills. Which turned out to be quite virtual.

L is for Lugaretzia
A Greek housekeeper who continuously moans and entertains the Durrells鈥� guests with generous displays of her gums. 'There was only one thing in life that could bring a smile to Lugaretzia鈥檚 gloomy countenance, a glint to her spaniel eyes, and that was a discussion of her ailments.'

M is for Mother
Patient. Practical. Sane which seems to be quite an exception in this family. Adorable. You might try not to love her but you won't stand a ghost of a chance. Her hobbies are cooking and gardening.


Gerald (aged eight) and Mother.


N is for Nirvana
The state Mother has gradually reached: 'that happy Nirvana where nothing shocks or startles is exemplified by the fact that one weekend recently, when all alone in the house, she was treated to the sudden arrival of a series of crates containing two pelicans, a scarlet ibis, a vulture, and eight monkeys. A lesser mortal might have quailed at such a contingency, but not Mother.'

O is for other family members
We meet only Gerry, his siblings and mum but no doubt other family members are remarkable too, for instance 'Aunt Bertha, keeping flocks of imaginary cats' or 'Great-Uncle Patrick, who wanders about nude and tells complete strangers how he killed whales with a penknife鈥�'

P is for pink
Strawberry pink, to be exact. The colour of the first house the Durrells rented on Corfu. The villa had an air of pink-faced determination.

Q is for quirky
Most people would probably find the Durrells and their pets quite bizarre. When they were coming to England by train a 鈥榙isgracefully efficient official鈥� at the Swiss frontier described them in a form: 'One travelling Circus and Staff'.

R is for Roger
Gerry鈥檚 dog and companion. One of the most candid and poignant canine portraits I have encountered in literature so far.

S is for Spiro
A taxi driver, devoted friend of the Durrells who speaks unconventional English, adding 's' at random.

Gerry and Spiro.


T is for tortoise
Achilles, one of the first pets the Durrells had on Corfu. A connoisseur of wild strawberries.

U is for universal
Chances are this book will be loved by readers from about 9 years old to infinity. Most children will probably focus on crazy adventures while more mature audience will indulge in Durrell's irony and beauty of his writing style. I think the omnipresent humour is the strength of the book but its weakness at the same time: if it's not compatible with yours, you will probably get bored and frustrated.

V is for veracity
According to Gerald Durrell 'all the anecdotes about the island and the islanders are absolutely true'. Am I the only one who has the impression that the author is winking now? The sad part is that the idyllic image of his family in the book seems to be highly idealised.


Gerry and Roger, 1935.


W is for writer
Larry, up-and-coming man of letters, one of Gerry鈥檚 brothers, later famous for 'Alexandria Quartet'. Twenty-three years old, dreaming of literary career. He considers himself a genius who has to cope with cruel reality and is not always successful: 'I assure you the house is a death-trap. Every conceivable nook and cranny is stuffed with malignant faunae waiting to pounce. How I have escaped being maimed for life is beyond me. A simple, innocuous action like lighting a cigarette is fraught with danger. Even the sanctity of my bedroom is not respected. First, I was attacked by a scorpion, a hideous beast that dripped venom and babies all over the place. Then my room was torn asunder by magpies. Now we have snakes in the bath and huge flocks of albatrosses flapping round the house, making noises like defective plumbing.' I was surprised when I found out that real Lawrence, was married and lived on Corfu with his wife. There鈥檚 no trace of her in the book.

X is for xenophobia
Fortunately not present at all! The hospitality of Corfiots was really moving. Kind and generous, they offered delicious food to Gerry and made his family feel at home.

Y is for yes
Yes, I鈥檓 definitely going to read the other two parts of 'The Corfu Trilogy'.

Z is for Zatopec
An elderly Armenian poet, one of the peculiar guests: 'His voice shook the house like a sirocco as he swept into it, his cloak rippling, his arms full of bottles'. Notorious for his enthusiasm for the opposite sex, forlorn Lugaretzia included.

Now you know my ABC,
Next time won't you read with me?


Gerry Durrell.
Profile Image for Cheri.
2,034 reviews2,902 followers
August 8, 2019
4.5 Stars

鈥滻 should like to pay a special tribute to my mother, to whom this book is dedicated. Like a gentle, enthusiastic, and understanding Noah, she has steered her vessel full of strange progeny through the stormy seas of life with great skill, always faced with the possibility of mutiny, always surrounded by the dangerous shoals of overdraft and extravagance, never being sure that her navigation would be approved by the crew, but certain that she would be blamed for anything that went wrong.鈥�

There鈥檚 a charm in this semi-autobiographical tale of Gerald Durrell鈥檚 family鈥檚 life after moving from England to the Greek island of Corfu as a young, inquisitive lad at the age of ten, surrounded by nature and discovering the wildlife of his new surroundings. His nature, from his youth through his entire life, seems to center around the bond between man, the natural world and animals, and he quickly gathers new 鈥減ets鈥� to bring home to his less than enthusiastic family over entertaining some of these species. And while I can completely understand not wanting to find some of these critters have been released into my home, in his skillful hands these stories are charmingly humorous, and I loved every second of his escapades, especially since all of these anecdotes are true.

鈥滸radually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen. Each day had a tranquility, 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鈥檚 transfer and with the same tinge of unreality.鈥�

Shortly before I was born, my parents were gifted an Irish Setter puppy from a family two houses away, they owned the sire of the litter, and the puppy had originally been briefly owned by another couple who had it sent straight off to some Edgar-Sawtelle-like intense training camp without ever interacting with it. He arrived at our house, essentially, as perfectly behaved a dog as possible 鈥� especially for an Irish Setter. I took my naps on him, while my mother was busy with other things. There鈥檚 been very few days, months, years since then that I have lived without a dog or cat in my home. I grew up wanting to become a veterinarian, as well, and couldn鈥檛 imagine anyone not wanting to do something where you could interacts with dogs and cats. Certainly there were other critters in my neighborhood, where we spent our days exploring, catching pollywogs and traipsing through the woods or swinging on vines all while trying to avoid snakes and such, or catching lightning bugs at night (but then releasing them back to the darkening skies), but I can鈥檛 imagine bringing home even a snake, let alone some of the creatures young Gerald brought home.

But it isn鈥檛 just his love of these creatures, or his love of nature in general that moves this story along, it鈥檚 this delightfully quirky family he happens to belong to, and their various reactions to coming home to yet another new strange 鈥減et鈥� that he has brought home. A curious boy and a lenient, loving mother together make this a wildly eccentric ride, in the best way. Shared with a sprinkling of nostalgia, a love of family and a captivating humour throughout, he managed to make me wish I鈥檇 been there through it all (well, almost all鈥� I think I would take a pass on the incident with the scorpions.)

鈥滻t was no half-hearted spring, this: the whole island vibrated with it as though a great, ringing chord had been struck. Everyone and everything heard it, and responded. It was apparent in the gleam of flower petals, the flash of bird wings and the sparkle in the dark, liquid eyes of the peasant girls. In the water-filled ditches the frogs that looked newly enameled snored a rapturous chorus in the lush weeds. In the village coffee shops the wine seemed redder and, somehow, more potent. Blunt, work-calloused fingers plucked at guitar strings with strange gentleness, and rich voices rose in lilting, haunting song.鈥�

Many thanks to Candi whose review prompted me to add this:
/review/show...

Many thanks, as well, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
Profile Image for Robin.
551 reviews3,478 followers
December 22, 2017
This is a perfectly charming memoir written by Gerald Durrell, a well known British naturalist and zookeeper. It's charming because it chronicles his experiences with his family on Corfu, as a 10-year-old animal enthusiast. It's charming because it is beautifully written. It's charming because it is humorous. It's charming because his family is so colonial and ooze Englishness but at the same time are quite unconventional.

For all those reasons, I would recommend this book and indeed, I had a few chuckles over the antics of the various animals. I had more chuckles when the humans were involved, though, as I found the family dynamics really funny, if not entirely realistic.

It's a lovely palette cleanser between the heavy literary fiction I've been reading, that is certain. It's an escape to not only another country and time, but also from reality. This story, while having a certain truth that comes with memoirs, has been distinctly sanitised. If this is to be believed, this family's biggest troubles are that one of their dogs' hips comes out of place from time to time, or that they've argued over the naming of a homemade boat, or that they had too many guests to comfortably accommodate.

It's a sweet, Winnie-The-Pooh world. It's an uncomplicated, kind rendering of all characters and animals within. If you can settle into this, you will no doubt enjoy yourself. If you are looking for anything beyond, you'll find yourself looking longingly over your TBR list, where the complexities of Updike, Franzen, Laurence, Atwood, and many others beckon.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Margitte.
1,188 reviews646 followers
January 17, 2018
"I would like to make a point of stressing that all the anecdotes about the island and the islanders are absolutely true. Living in Corfu was rather like living in one of the more flamboyant and slapstick comic operas." - thus claims Gerald Durrell in his Speech of Defense - or as other authors would prefer to call it: The Foreword or Introduction.

Gerard Durrell: My grateful thanks then to:
My wife, who pleased me by laughing uproariously when reading the manuscript, only to inform me that it was my spelling that amused her.

Sophie, my secretary, who was responsible for the introduction of commas and the ruthless eradication of the split infinitives


Split infinitives was a popular vice for authors such as Daniel Defoe, Benjamin Franklin, William Wordsworth, Abraham Lincoln, George Eliot, Henry James, and Willa Cather.


And so begins a memoir spanning over the five years of living on the Greek island of Corfu pre WWII, by the author and his family. A slapstick, comic opera it was for sure. The author was a young boy of around ten years old when his widowed mother with her four children, three boys and a girl, decided to leave Britain for a place with sunshine, clean air and open spaces. What ensued made great fodder for several books, an opera and ultimately a CBS series (The Durrells) in the end. I briefly watched a few episodes, but turned back to the books. The series captured the atmosphere and background of the Corfu trilogy well, but lost the soul of the author's writing completely. It is challenging to get animals to do on film what they did in the book after all. The choice of actors did not represent the characters on the island quite the same, and that's a mild diplomatic statement.

Nevertheless, Gerry and his menagerie of fauna brought much laughter and mayhem into his family's life. The magpies had their moment of glory during a luncheon to which the family, who overflowed with human kindness invited everyone they could think of, including people they cordially disliked.
There was something decidedly queer about the culprits, I decided; instead of flying away as quickly as possible they remained squatting among the tattered flowers, swaying rhythmically, their eyes bright, uttering tiny chucks of satisfaction to each other. Having gazed at me with rapt attention for a moment, one of them walked very unsteadily across the table, a flower in his beak, lost his balance on the edge of the cloth, and fell heavily to the ground. The other one gave a hoarse cluck of amusement, put his head under his wing, and went to sleep. I was mystified by this unusual behaviour. Then I noticed a smashed bottle of beer on the flagstones. It became obvious that the Magenpies had indulged in a party of their own, and were very drunk. I caught them both quite easily, though the one on the table tried to hide under a butter-bespattered napkin and pretend he was not there.
It was also the day Dodo the other dog came into season and had just about the entire island's dogs bursting through the front door to be of service to her. There were the two water-snakes in the bath tub who needed resuscitation after being left out in the sun for too long. It resulted in Leslie almost losing the towel around his loins and his dignity running out the front door and in front of the guest as he tried to describe the size of the monsters in the bath. They were suffering from sunstroke, poor things, said Mrs. Durrell. The whole circus resulted from obtaining Old Plop, a regal and ancient terrapin, who did not do well residing with the snakes in the same pond. Old Kosti, the man who murdered his wife and who received only three years of imprisonment, was Gerry's fishing mate and partner in passion in collecting rare and endangered fauna species. So by the way, a five year prison sentence was regarded much more important and only meant for people who dynamited fish - a very serious offense.

The four siblings had a daunting task. As Larry, Gerry's oldest sibling put it, the four children had to bring up their mother. In the end she was a credit to them all. Mrs. Durrell, as she was addressed on the island, had a few mountains to climb, a number of surprises to address, and a hungry family to feed while establishing themselves in the Strawberry-pink villa. Life brought lessons for a courageous, even-tempered woman who brilliantly and successfully navigated through it all.

Most of the animals became characters in the tale. Quasimodo, the pigeon, refused to inhabit the specially constructed pigeon-loft. He demanded to sleep on Margo's bed. When she turned in her sleep, he would hobble up the bed, perched on her face, cooing loudly and lovingly. Quasimodo became embittered, sullen and irritable when he woke up one morning and saw the egg he laid between the cushions during the night. When the same thing happened the next night, another egg, his personality changed completely...

Gerry was tutored by various men on the island. But the young boy did not deem education very important. In fact, he regarded education as an imminent danger.
I said I liked being half-educated, you were so much more surprised at everything when you were ignorant...
A family friend became the tutor and quickly realized that young Gerry is only willing to study anything if a zoological tinge is added to the lessons.
Geography:
We would draw giant maps, wrinkled with mountains, and then fill in the various places of interest, together with drawings of the more exciting fauna to be found there. Thus for me the chief products of Ceylon were tapirs and tea; of India tigers and rice; of Australia kangaroos and sheep, while the blue curves of currents we drew across the oceans carried whales, albatross, penguins, and walrus, as well as hurricanes, trade winds, fair weather and foul. Our maps were works of art...

History.
George discovered that by seasoning a series of unpalatable facts with a sprig of zoology and a sprinkle of completely irrelevant detail, he could get me interested. Thus I became conversant with some historical data which, to the best of my knowledge, have never been recorded before. Breathlessly, history lesson by history lesson, I followed Hannibal鈥檚 progress over the Alps. His reason for attempting such a feat, and what he intended to do on the other side, were details that scarcely worried me. No, my interest in what I considered to be a very badly planned expedition lay in the fact that I knew the name of each and every elephant. I also knew that Hannibal had appointed a special man not only to feed and look after the elephants, but to give them hot-water bottles when the weather got cold. This interesting fact seems to have escaped most serious historians...
The lectures were attended by Gerry, his dog Roger, Achilles the tortoise and Quasimodo the pigeon. The four musketeers doted on the juicy big grapes of Corfu. Achilles loved the wild strawberries the best though.

Outdoor tutoring brought the best results. In the shallow water on the beach, lying spread-eagled in the sun, Gerry learnt:
'So the French and British Fleets were slowly drawing together for what was to be the decisive sea battle of the war. When the enemy was sighted. Nelson was on the bridge bird-watching through his telescope 鈥� he had already been warned of the Frenchmen鈥檚 approach by a friendly gull 鈥� eh? 鈥� oh, a greater black-backed gull I think it was 鈥� well, the ships manoeuvred round each other 鈥� of course they couldn鈥檛 move so fast in those days, for they did everything by sail 鈥� no engines 鈥� no, not even outboard engines 鈥� The British sailors were a bit worried because the French seemed so strong, but when they saw that Nelson was so little affected by the whole thing that he was sitting on the bridge labelling his birds鈥�-egg collection, they decided that there was really nothing to be scared about 鈥︹€�
The characters on the island were as picturesque as the prose. There was Yani, the goat shepherd.

The old shepherd, as I expected, was in the tattered shade of the vine that sprawled on its iron trellis-work above my head, but to my intense annoyance he had not woken up. He was sprawling in a plain deal chair, which was tilted back against the wall at a dangerous angle. His arms dangled limply, his legs were spread out, and his magnificent moustache, orange and white with nicotine and age, lifted and trembled with his snores, like some strange seaweed that is raised and lowered by a gentle swell.
'Today I should have taken my goats to Gastouri. But it was too hot, much too hot. In the hills the rocks will be so hot you could light a cigarette from them. So I went instead and tasted Taki鈥檚 new white wine. Spiridion! what a wine 鈥� like the blood of a dragon and as smooth as a fish 鈥� What a wine! When I came back the air was full of sleep, so here I am.鈥�
There was Spiros who took the family under his wing upon their arrival on the island and who would become a big influence in the author's life.
Yous English? Thought so 鈥� English always wants bathrooms 鈥� I gets a bathroom in my house 鈥� Spiro鈥檚 my name, Spiro Hakiapoulos 鈥� they alls calls me Spiro Americano on accounts of I lives in America 鈥� Yes, spent eight years in Chicago 鈥� That鈥檚 where I learnt my goods English 鈥� Wents there to makes moneys 鈥� Then after eight years I says: 鈥淪piros,鈥� I says, 鈥測ous mades enough 鈥︹€� sos I comes backs to Greece 鈥� brings this car 鈥� best ons the islands 鈥� no one else gets a car like this 鈥� All the English tourists knows me, theys all asks for me when theys comes here 鈥� Theys knows theys wonts be swindled 鈥� I likes the English 鈥� best kinds of peoples 鈥� Honest to Gods, ifs I wasn鈥檛 Greek I鈥檇 likes to be English.鈥�
Don't you just love the title of this book? It caused a few giggles on this side of the equation. Gerald Durrell wrote autobiographical accounts of his family and all the animals in his life. Wikipedia describes his work as of such kind 鈥� characterised by a love for nature and animals, dry wit, crisp descriptions, and humorous analogies of human beings with animals and vice versa.

I like the idea of 'crisp descriptions'. That it was for sure.

Gerald Durrell reminds me so much of William Smith as Smith is depicted in a biography: The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester. Smith spent twenty-two years piecing together the fragments of this unseen universe to create an epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map. His discoveries of fossils in 1793, while digging a canal in Britain, enabled (in a nutshell) for Charles Darwin(1809-1882) to become famous.

This memoir is the first in the Corfu trilogy:
My Family and Other Animals (Rupert Hart-Davis, 1956)
Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (Collins, 1969)
The Garden of the Gods (Fauna and Family) (Collins, 1978)

Did I mention that I LOVED this experience? Well, there you have it. Brilliant. The reader became part of the family, of the picturesque island, of all the peasant neighbors and every single adventure by the lure of the prose. One of the best memoirs I have read in a very long time. Poking fun at himself, first and foremost, and then at his nuclear blood relations, as well as his adopted island 'family', just made this an adorable, wonderful, charming, delightful read. I read the 2004 edition.

Gerald Durrell was an internationally well-known naturalist who spend his entire career in saving endangered animal species. He was way ahead of his times.

This spoiler contains all the honors bestowed on this remarkable man.
Profile Image for Jonathan Terrington.
596 reviews598 followers
May 28, 2012
I went back and decided to write a review on this non-fictional novel/memoir (not all events are fully true I believe) which is considered by some to be a modern classic.

I remember finding a box of Gerald Durrell stories on the shelf as a twelve year old and reading them in luxury. They captivated me as Durrell told the story of his childhood in Corfu hunting animals. Not only was it full of interesting facts about the animals he caught but also about the people in his life. Told with wit, humour and the pure ability of a natural storyteller this is a sort of autobiography that you can read as a novel full to the brim with short stories.

If there's one thing Durrell does exceptionally well it's write description. And my thought has always been that a gifted writer is a master of description. His descriptive writing almost drips from the page so that you feel every detail in your imagination as a real sense.

However I would recommend this book and his other works because of the memories they'll leave with you after reading. You'll laugh at the outrageous characters he meets, the wacky things his family gets up to and be fascinated by the details of everyday life magnified to an extraordinary degree.
Profile Image for Metodi Markov.
1,648 reviews407 followers
February 4, 2025
袧邪泄-卸懈蟹薪械褍褌胁褗褉卸写邪胁邪褖邪褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 褋褗屑 褔械谢 薪褟泻芯谐邪.

袟邪 屑芯泄 泻褗褋屑械褌, 斜褟褏 胁褉褗褋褌薪懈泻 薪邪 邪胁褌芯褉邪 芯褌 锌械褉懈芯写邪 胁 褌芯蟹懈 屑械屑芯邪褉 懈 斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯 谐芯 锌芯谐褗谢薪邪褏 锌褉懈 锌褗褉胁懈褟 屑懈 锌褉芯褔懈褌. 袟邪 写邪 褋械 胁褉褗褖邪屑 芯褖械, 懈 芯褖械 泻褗屑 薪械谐芯 锌褉械蟹 谐芯写懈薪懈褌械. 袠 褋褗胁褋械屑 械褋褌械褋褌胁械薪芯, 懈蟹褔械褌芯褏 芯褌 泻芯褉邪 写芯 泻芯褉邪 胁褋懈褔泻芯 锌褉械胁械写械薪芯 薪邪 斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈 芯褌 褔褍写械褋薪懈褟 锌褉懈褉芯写芯谢褞斜懈褌械谢 懈 褍屑械谢 锌懈褋邪褌械谢 袛卸械褉邪谢写 袛邪褉褗谢.

袛卸械褉懈 械 褏谢邪锌械, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褋械 屑械褋褌褟褌 褋 屑邪泄泻邪 屑褍, 写胁邪屑邪褌邪 屑褍 锌芯-褋褌邪褉懈 斜褉邪褌褟 懈 褋械褋褌褉邪 屑褍 薪邪 芯褋褌褉芯胁 袣芯褉褎褍, 胁 褌褗褉褋械薪械 薪邪 锌芯-写芯褋褌芯械薪 懈 械胁褌懈薪 卸懈胁芯褌. 袠 薪邪屑懈褉邪褌 褌邪屑 褋胁芯褟 褉邪泄.

袙泻褍褋薪邪 懈 芯斜懈谢薪邪 褏褉邪薪邪, 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪懈 薪芯胁懈 懈 褋褌邪褉懈 锌褉懈褟褌械谢懈, 卸懈胁芯锌懈褋薪懈褟褌 芯褋褌褉芯胁 懈 芯斜懈褌邪褌械谢懈褌械 屑褍 - 褏芯褉邪 懈 卸懈胁芯褌薪懈, 褌械 褋邪 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 褋褗褔械褌邪薪懈械, 泻芯械褌芯 褋械 锌邪写邪 胁械写薪褗卸. 袧械 懈屑 芯褋褌邪胁邪 薪懈褖芯 写褉褍谐芯, 芯褋胁械薪 写邪 谐褉械斜邪褌 褋 褕械锌懈 芯褌 薪邪褋谢邪写懈褌械 薪邪 卸懈胁芯褌邪.

袛卸械褉懈 屑邪泄褋褌芯褉褋泻懈 芯锌懈褋胁邪 褎谢芯褉邪褌邪 懈 褎邪褍薪邪褌邪 薪邪 芯褋褌褉芯胁邪, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 褔械褕懈褌懈褌械 芯褌 胁褋褟泻邪泻褗胁 褉芯写 懈 泻邪谢懈斜褗褉, 褋 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯褌芯 屑褍 胁谢懈蟹邪 胁 写芯褋械谐. 袛芯褌芯谢泻芯胁邪, 褔械 锌芯褔褌懈 写邪 谐懈 锌褉懈械屑邪 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械, 泻邪褌芯 褋胁芯械 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯.

袠 泻芯屑邪泄 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻懈 褋褗屑 蟹邪胁懈卸写邪谢 锌褉械蟹 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋懈 褋邪屑芯 薪械屑褍, 褋泻懈褌邪褖 薪邪 胁芯谢褟 懈蟹 袣芯褉褎褍 胁 泻芯屑锌邪薪懈褟褌邪 薪邪 胁械褉薪懈褟 锌械褋 袪芯写卸褗褉!

小械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 袛邪褉褗谢 锌褉械写 袞褗谢褌邪褌邪 胁懈谢邪, 械写薪邪 芯褌 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯褌芯 薪邪械屑邪薪懈 芯褌 褌褟褏 蟹邪 锌褉械褋褌芯褟 懈屑 薪邪 芯褋褌褉芯胁邪:



袠 褋薪懈屑泻邪 芯褌 褋懈屑锌邪褌懈褔薪懈褟 褋械褉懈邪谢 薪邪锌褉邪胁械薪 锌芯 褌褉懈谢芯谐懈褟褌邪 薪邪 袛邪褉褗谢:



P.S. 袘褉褗屑斜邪褉 薪芯褋芯褉芯谐 泻邪褌芯 褌芯蟹懈 薪邪 泻芯褉懈褑邪褌邪 褋褗屑 薪邪屑懈褉邪谢 胁 写褗斜芯胁懈褌械 谐芯褉懈 芯泻芯谢芯 袠褉邪泻谢懈, 薪械 蟹薪邪屑 写邪谢懈 芯褖械 谐懈 懈屑邪...
Profile Image for Chrissie.
2,811 reviews1,430 followers
August 17, 2016
I just finished . It's VERY, very good. It's light, it鈥檚 fun and in fact what it teaches about animals, human beings included, is absolutely spot-on! It teaches about animals which a lay person doesn't usually get all that inspired about - snakes and lizards and turtles and bugs. Some special birds too. I was running to Wiki time and time again to see these creatures. One can't help but be drawn in because the stories about the strange bugs and beasts are so bizarre! Fun stories based on the author鈥檚 own diaries, begun when he was ten, visiting Corfu with his family for the first time. Stories both about his strange pets and the bedlam that repeatedly arises in this very special family. The eruptions of total bedlam will surely have you reminiscing about your own familial calamities.

OK, so have your read books by Gerald鈥檚 brother, ? These two brothers don鈥檛 write the same at all! I was curious to see the two authors side by side. Larry/Lawrence is drawn by Gerald as a younger brother might. Lawrence is thirteen years Gerald鈥檚 senior and not the naturalist or conservationist his brother came to be! The tone never gets nasty; the ensuing events are simply related as they happened. The whole family, quirks and all, is viewed through the author鈥檚 observant ten-year-old eyes. Lawrence was highbrow even back then, always giving advice, inviting friends over, eating and drinking and telling others what they should do. I think I see the Lawrence Gerald draws in Lawrence鈥檚 own books; I think he has drawn him to a tee. I read the first two books of Lawrence鈥檚 well-known and decided I had had enough. Too highbrow for me.

I think this, the first of the author鈥檚 Corfu Trilogy is better than the second, . In the near future I will be picking up the third, . I simply have to check it out. What if it is as good as the first?! Don't get me wrong, the second is good too, but just not as good as this.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Nigel Davenport. It is easy to follow and very well done.

This is really a very good light read. Everyone needs books like these on and off. Lots to laugh about - concerning both humans and animals. Don鈥檛 disregard the interesting details on flora and fauna. Look at the title. It鈥檚 a perfect fit for the book. Some of the writing is simply gorgeous. You will want to visit Corfu.
Profile Image for Johanna.
86 reviews198 followers
March 8, 2019
Hay tres ingredientes que hacen esta lectura exquisita: naturaleza, sensibilidad y humor. Los animales son personajes principales a los que el narrador les atribuye motivaciones, intenciones y personalidad. Terminas encari帽谩ndote con ellos y disfrutando la divertida fabulaci贸n que Gerald va mezclando con apuntes cient铆ficos y tiernas descripciones. De esa manera, hacen parte del escenario termitas, tortugas, escarabajos, escorpiones, aves, delfines, urracas e innumerables especies que habitan Corf煤. Por supuesto, tambi茅n est谩 Roger, ese can que como actor principal se roba los focos de atenci贸n y el lector espera atento su pr贸xima aparici贸n, porque Gerald hace de 茅l todo un personaje.

Lo he le铆do despacio, consumiendo solo un par de cap铆tulos diarios y asegurando de esa manera mi dosis cotidiana de humor. No recuerdo haber re铆do tanto con un libro en toda mi existencia lectora. Me he visto soltando sonoras carcajadas y marcando las p谩ginas para volver a ellas cuando necesite nuevas risas. Gran parte de la responsabilidad recae sobre la familia, ese grupo heterog茅neo y exc茅ntrico due帽o de un mordaz humor ingl茅s. Es envidiable la incondicionalidad que profesan, en medio de alaridos por alacranes sueltos en la casa, reproches por los bichos que Gerald sol铆a recolectar, se percibe respeto y una hermosa comuni贸n con la naturaleza. Tambi茅n resulta envidiable la posibilidad de disfrutar la ni帽ez en un lugar m谩gico, un ed茅n para cualquier ni帽o, sin restricciones ni limites que le permitieran explorar y aprender de la naturaleza. Justamente, una ni帽ez en ese espacio y ese entorno familiar, hicieron posible el magn铆fico naturalista en el que Gerald Durrell se convirti贸. Como habr谩n imaginado Mi familia y otros animales es uno de esos libros que te llevan inmediatamente a leer sobre la vida de su autor, a preguntarte cuanto de real y cuanto de ficci贸n habr谩 en lo narrado, a incluir en los planes futuros de viaje a Corf煤 como infaltable destino, porque despu茅s de la lectura quedan ganas de conocer esa estupenda isla, y por supuesto, queda esa avidez por devorar los otros dos libros que componen la trilog铆a, que bueno que escribi贸 mucho y que hay Gerald Durrell para rato.
Profile Image for Julie G.
983 reviews3,710 followers
August 14, 2023
Imagine that you receive a phone call that your eccentric uncle has passed away and you, his niece or nephew who barely knew him, have been tasked with the dreaded job of wading through some eighty years of his belongings.

Days later, you find yourself in his dusty home, making piles of old pants for Goodwill, and in doing so, you discover a tall column of meticulously organized journals. What's this?

Next thing you know, you're down on the floor, reading through page after page of fascinating notes about creatures from the island of Corfu, in Greece, and, even though you've never been particularly interested in the mating habits of the scorpion, you can't stop reading. And, it turns out. . . Uncle wasn't merely a dedicated observer of the natural world of animals, he was a keen recorder of his family of origin as well.

And it's freaking hilarious.

Like, when the family moves into a new villa on the island, and they inherit a Greek housekeeper named Lugaretzia, who is known for her ailments, and your Uncle writes:

Shortly afterwards, to our relief, Lugaretzia's stomach got better, but almost immediately her feet gave out, and she would hobble pitifully round the house, groaning loudly and frequently. Larry said that Mother hadn't hired a maid, but a ghoul, and suggested buying her a ball and chain. He pointed out that this would at least let us know when she was coming, and allow us time to escpe, for Lugaretzia had developed the habit of creeping up behind one and groaning loudly and unexpectedly in one's ear.

Your Uncle didn't write with cliff hangers or drama, and his style and wit are subtle and soft and so very welcome in this fast-paced world. His stories unfold in the style of Enchanted April or Under the Tuscan Sun and, it turns out, you'll treasure his words for years to come.
Profile Image for Nandakishore Mridula.
1,306 reviews2,596 followers
June 14, 2019
Gerald Durrell is pure pleasure to read - the ideal medicine if you are stressed out or down in the dumps. Like P. G. Wodehouse, he is guaranteed to lift up your spirits.

This book is slightly different from his usual tales about zoos and animal collecting, though - humans actually take up a large part of it. As Durrell says in the introduction:
This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I and my family made on the Greek Island of Corfu. It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made the grave mistake of introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite various friends to share the chapters. It was only with the greatest difficulty, and by exercising considerable cunning, that I managed to retain a few pages here and there which I could devote exclusively to animals.
Well I, for one, am not complaining. Durrell's family is as funny and eccentric as his animals; and even the friends they pick up seem to inhabit the twilight zone between amusing eccentricity and brilliant lunacy.

The Family
Larry, the eldest brother (the famous author Lawrence Durrell), who is so puffed up with importance about his literary talents that he cannot avoid behaving like a pompous ass;

Leslie, the typical gun-toting, empire-building Englishman whose life revolves around guns and shooting;

Margo, whose interests centre exclusively around her well-being and looks, and (of course!) the young men who wander into her sphere of attraction;

Gerry, interested only in filling up the domicile with various types of fauna; and

Mother, obsessed with herbs and cooking, who loves her family unconditionally with all their eccentricities.

The Friends
Spiro, the brutally efficient taxi-driver who "adopts" the Durrell family the moment they land on Corfu, who can even steal goldfish from the King's house to satisfy Gerry;

Theodore, an "expert" on most sciences, but more importantly, Gerry's mentor on zoology and botany;

George, Gerry's first tutor who converts each lesson into a zoological adventure to keep his pupil interested, and practices his fencing as his charge is wrestling with arithmetic;

Kafelsky, another one of Gerry's tutors who is an ornithologist too in his spare time - and his old mother, who talks to flowers...

...and many more.

The Animals
Quasimodo the pigeon who later turned out to female; Achilles the tortoise who met his sad demise at the bottom of a well; the dog contingent - Roger, Widdle, Puke and Dodo, always ready for a bit of adventure; the redoubtable "Magenpies" who play havoc with Larry's literary efforts; Alecko the ill-tempered gull who, Larry insists, is an albatross...

...and many, many more.

The story is filled with exciting happenings. The fight between Geronimo the gecko and Cicely the praying mantis; Larry's attempt to do some hunting which lands him head first in the swamp; the love-sick Margo, trying to row a boat in a sirocco with eyes swollen shut by sunburn; a drunken Larry almost setting fire to the house... all these and many more, most of them triggered by Gerry's ever-increasing animal collection. The fitting finale is provided by a sort of "Mad Tea Party", where most of the islanders congregate at the Durrell household for a day of festivities which are duly disrupted by the household menagerie.

Gerald Durrell uses the time-tested technique of underplaying the momentous and exaggerating the humdrum to brilliant effect. We know that this is a fictionalised account and has to be taken with a large lump of salt - yet we feel it should be like this: that even if such an eccentric family didn't exist, it should.
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,050 reviews2,307 followers
August 19, 2021
My Family and Other Animals
(Corfu Trilogy #1)
by Gerald Durrell

This is supposed to be about the author's life growing up so, as expected, his family is quirky but wonderful and he is just a fun kid loving animals. The reader doesn't get a real sense of the family characters but other peculiar people are described. Mostly it's about the author as a boy and his love of animals.
He does go into a lot of detail about many animals and how how they interacted with the family, home, and his feelings towards them.
It's a cute book but it's mainly a boy that loves animals in a strange British family in Greece.
Profile Image for Annelies.
162 reviews3 followers
August 14, 2018
Never before were animals (and yes, also insects) as funny and interesting as in this book. Insects will never be boring again after reading this book. Nor will birds or frogs or... Durrell handles them all with a lot of humour in the stories in this book. Exhilarating!
Profile Image for Magrat Ajostiernos.
693 reviews4,686 followers
September 6, 2017
隆Me ha encantado! Es entra帽able, evocador y MUY divertido, hac铆a tiempo que no me re铆a a carcajada limpia con un libro pero Durrell lo consigue con una facilidad envidiable.
Esta familia y su peculiar zoo ambulante se ha quedado conmigo, por supusto leer茅 las secuelas 鈾�
Profile Image for Diane Barnes.
1,530 reviews446 followers
April 1, 2025
5 stars for pure enjoyment!

I spent the last few weeks reading this at bedtime, chuckling and going to sleep with visions of sunny Corfu in my head. Such an eccentric family, choosing to live on a beautiful island to escape England's bleak weather. They collect eccentric friends, youngest son Gerald collects all sorts of animals, and the Greeks on the island accept them with no questions asked.

Imagine being 10 years old and allowed the run of an entire island. Imagine a mother who thinks anything her children do is fine and, with a few exceptions, supports all their ambitions. Oldest son Larry is an arrogant intellectual, but in the author's hands has some of the funniest lines. Leslie is a gun nut, and lives to hunt and shoot, Sister Margo is a teenage girl with all the angst that goes along with that, need I say more. Then we have a supporting Greek cast with Spiro, taxi driver extraordinaire, a doctor who shares Gerald's love of the natural world, and a tutor who does his best at educating Gerald, but is easily sidetracked by birds and stories.

This was so much fun to read and I'm delighted to know it's just the first of a trilogy about their time on Corfu. I can continue my bedtime reading, then rewatch the PBS series, The Durrells on Corfu. Assuming PBS still exists in the future.
Profile Image for Laysee.
604 reviews319 followers
June 29, 2019
My Family and Other Animals (The Corfu Trilogy Book 1) is a delightful memoir by Gerald Durrell, a British naturalist, conservationist, and author. It documented with hilarity the Durrell family鈥檚 five-year sojourn on the Greek island of Corfu, a magical island paradise that I would love to visit one day. I read it rapturously over a few days and learned so much about the flora and fauna while vicariously tromping all over the island with the enthusiastic child botanist the author was at that time. Amongst other things, I learned that crab spiders can change color just as effortlessly as any chameleon and that lacewing flies lay eggs on stilts. I looked up pictures of yellow crocuses and majenta or wine-colored cyclamen.

Gerry, as he was affectionately known, was only ten years old when his family made a spontaneous decision to quit the dismal rainy weather in Bournemouth located at the southern coast of England for Corfu with its startling blue skies and glittering sea. The greatest pleasure was reading about Gerry鈥檚 unbridled fascination with the amazing world of insects and animals that were right at his doorsteps. I marveled at his compulsive effort in collecting an incredible range of living creatures that he merrily carted home to the consternation of his longsuffering family. At the Yellow Daffodil villa in which the family lived, Gerry recalled: 鈥業n the crumbling walls of the garden lived dozens of little black scorpions, shining and polished as if they had been made out of Bakelite; in the fig and lemon trees just below the garden were quantities of emerald-green tree-frogs, like delicious satiny sweets among the leaves; up on the hillside lived snakes of various sorts, brilliant lizards, and tortoises.鈥� Alongside rose-beetles, blue carpenter-bees, lady-birds, and trapdoor spiders, these creatures were Gerry鈥檚 constant companions.

You have to love a child who put this as a label on a tortoise egg shell: 鈥楨gg of Greek Tortoise (tesudo graeca), laid by Madame Cyclops.鈥� In fact, Gerry wrote about his pets with great affection; they had names and each its own personality. This was especially true of his adorable dog, Roger, who went everywhere with him. I loved that episode which recorded the titanic fight between Geronimo, the gecko and Cicely, the mantis.

For a precocious child with a burgeoning interest in natural history, that time in Corfu was an exhilarating immersion in the richness nature had to offer. Gerry also had the benefit of being mentored by Dr. Theodore Stephanides, a Greek doctor, naturalist, poet, and author. Those years, I surmised, laid a firm foundation for Gerry鈥檚 pioneer work in zoo biology years later. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1959.

Gerry wrote beautifully. Here is a description of spring: 鈥業t was no half-hearted spring, this: the whole island vibrated with it as though a great, ringing chord had been struck. Everyone and everything heard it and responded. It was apparent in the gleam of flower petals, the flash of bird wings and the sparkle in the dark, liquid eyes of the peasant girl鈥檚. In the water-filled ditches the frogs that looked newly enamelled snored a rapturous chorus in the lush weeds. In the village coffee shops the wine seemed redder and, somehow, more potent. Blunt, calloused fingers plucked at guitar strings with strange gentleness, and rich voices rose in lilting, haunting song.鈥�

It was fun getting to know the zoo that characterized Durrell鈥檚 family: Louisa, his widowed mother and her bemused tolerance of her children鈥檚 antics; Larry, aspiring writer and adult brother with his pompous know-it-all attitude, hysterical theatrics, and murderous intent toward Gerry鈥檚 collection of strange creatures; Leslie, the gun-loving, hunter brother who built him a boat, and Margo, his sister with her enthusiasm for all things salubrious to health and beauty. The Durrell family would host a party 鈥榓t a moment鈥檚 notice, and for no other reason other than we suddenly felt like it.鈥� Their parties never ever went as expected, but that was part of the charm. It was also lovely to hear of friendships forged with the Corfu peasants who had the gift of hospitality, and the Durrells鈥� special bond with Spiros, the Greek taxi driver who became a trusted guide and close family friend.

My Family and Other Animals (The Corfu Trilogy Book 1) is a magical read and promises to be a treat for individuals who love animals and sunny days on a Greek island. Many thanks to Candi, whose lovely review lit the way to this charming memoir.
Profile Image for Antoinette.
985 reviews182 followers
April 11, 2023
This audiobook was perfectly narrated by Hugh Bonneville!
A delightful, humorous book about Gerald Durrell ( Gerry) and the 5 years he spent on the island of Corfu with his family. Apparently, from the age of 2, Gerry has loved the outdoors, insects and animals. At the age of 10, he finds himself in his kind of paradise- an island filled with so many wonders. He had freedom to roam and explore. This was 1935, when Corfu was not so populated with tourists. Gerry was a patient boy- he often just sat observing and then documenting All that he observed. I couldn鈥檛 believe how many insects there are on Corfu.

I must admit my favourite parts in the book were the interactions within the family. He is there with his widowed mother, his brothers Laurence(Larry) and Leslie and his sister Margot. The conflicts that arose thanks to Gerry鈥檚 finds were laugh out loud funny. All those family moments were just brilliant.

One thing I was not expecting but received was an education in tortoise mating. Amazing to think of this young boy taking it all in.

A perfect listen if you are needing a few laughs and Hugh Bonneville鈥檚 voice in your life!

Published: 1956.
Profile Image for Ilenia Zodiaco.
277 reviews16.9k followers
December 24, 2022
L鈥檌nfanzia magica trascorsa a Corf霉 di uno zoologo in erba, all鈥檌nterno di una famiglia bizzarra. La prosa esilarante, la passione strabordante per il mondo naturale e un talento esagerato per la ritrattistica, rendono questo un libro da tenere sotto il cuscino per i momenti di sconforto.
Profile Image for Eyl眉l G枚rm眉艧.
670 reviews4,038 followers
December 5, 2024
Ay, bay谋ld谋m! Durrell ailesi beni farkl谋 bi莽imlerde b眉y眉lemeyi s眉rd眉r眉yor resmen.

Lawrence Durrell'谋n k眉莽眉k karde艧i Gerald Durrell'谋n, ailece Korfu Adas谋'nda ya艧ad谋klar谋 d枚nemi anlatt谋臒谋 Korfu 脺莽lemesi yaz ba艧谋nda yay谋nland谋臒谋nda m眉thi艧 heyecanlanm谋艧t谋m. Sonra hayat bu yaz beni adadan adaya s眉r眉kledi, Midilli, Sicilya, G枚k莽eada, Rodos... Adalara adad谋臒谋m 2024 bitmeden okuyaca臒谋m bu 眉莽lemeyi demi艧tim, ba艧lad谋m. 陌yi ki ba艧lam谋艧谋m!

陌nan谋lmaz bir aile Durrell'lar, "陌ngiltere'nin havas谋 bize iyi gelmiyor yaa" diyip tas谋 tara臒谋 toplay谋p 4 莽ocuk bir de dul anne kalk谋p daha 枚nce hi莽 g枚rmedikleri Korfu'ya ta艧谋n谋yorlar. 脟ocuklar谋n e臒itimi ne olacak filan, kimsenin enine boyuna d眉艧眉nd眉臒眉 yok. Elbette maddi a莽谋dan epey rahat olmalar谋 sayesinde bunu yapabiliyorlar ama her zenginin b枚yle delilikler yapacak cesareti olmad谋臒谋n谋 da unutmayal谋m ve haklar谋n谋 teslim edelim derim.

Annem ve babam, ben tam da Gerry'nin ya艧谋ndayken benzer bir delilikle beni al谋p Ayval谋k'a ta艧谋m谋艧t谋. 脺stelik zengin filan da de臒ildik, nitekim 眉莽 senenin sonunda paras谋z kal谋p geri d枚nd眉k ama neyse, kendimi apans谋z Ege k谋y谋s谋nda bulmu艧tum ben de t谋pk谋 Gerry gibi - dolay谋s谋yla bu kitapla bamba艧ka bir ba臒 kurdum. Burada anlatt谋臒谋 艧eylerin baz谋lar谋 o kadar tan谋d谋k ki, g枚zlerim doldu okurken. D眉nyam birden turunculara, mavilere, ye艧illere b眉r眉nm眉艧, u莽suz bucaks谋z geni艧lemi艧ti, akl谋m 莽谋kacak sanm谋艧t谋m.

Ve tabii ki hayvanlar! Yery眉z眉nde bu kadar 莽ok 莽e艧it hayvan oldu臒unu bilmiyordum oraya gidene dek. Ben Gerry kadar cesur de臒ildim; uzun bir s眉reyi b枚ceklerden ka莽arak ge莽irmi艧tim. Fakat o 枚yle yapm谋yor (ki nitekim sonradan do臒abilimci oluyor) ve kitap boyunca tan谋艧t谋臒谋 her t眉r canl谋yla ili艧ki kuruyor. Mart谋lar, kaplumba臒alar, peygamberdeveleri... Evdeki d枚rt 莽ocu臒un hepsinin ayr谋 bir karakter olmas谋 gibi, bu hayvanlar da ayr谋 bireyler olarak ev ahalisine kat谋l谋yor.

"Misafir a臒谋rlar谋z" diyerek daha b眉y眉k bir eve ta艧谋nan, sonra "ay misafir gelmesin, yerimiz yok deriz" diye minik bir eve ge莽en, be艧 y谋lda adada 眉莽 ev de臒i艧tiren inan谋lmaz, deli gibi bir aile bu. S谋kl谋kla kahkahalar atarak, atmad谋臒谋mda da kontrols眉zce g眉l眉mseyerek okudum, o kadar iyi geldi ki.

脟ok mutluyum.
Profile Image for Sara.
Author听1 book860 followers
September 12, 2024
When Gerald Durrell was a young boy, his family picked up stakes in England and set them down again on the island of Corfu in Greece. A born naturalist, Gerald roamed the island, exploring nature and observing animal behavior, and while doing so, he also chronicled the antics of his family (which consisted of his mother, a sister and two brothers). To say that Mrs. Durrell was avant garde is understatement. She must have been a fearless individual, as well, because she sailed through the craziness of her children, the strangeness of her environment and the menagerie of wildlife, including scorpions, that Gerald thrust upon her, with total aplomb.

Lest you think the only interesting bits of this memoir are those concerning the family, let me assure you that you will be beguiled by things as foreign to you and fascinating as a battle between a mantis and a gecko, the rearing of an owl, and the mingling of porpoises and fireflies in an evening.

With the fireflies above and the illuminated porpoises below it was a fantastic sight. We could even see the luminous trails beneath the surface where the porpoises swam, in fiery patterns across the sandy bottom, and when they leaped high in the air the drops of emerald glowing water flicked from them, and you could not tell it was phosphorescence or fireflies you were looking at.

You will laugh aloud at the scrapes Gerald gets into with the animals, and you will realize how much the world has changed by the way he is allowed to capture and keep them. While I have no desire to find a pair of water snakes in my bath, I think it might be fun to attend a party in which a huge gull nibbles at your knees under the table.

I was a bit sad when Spiro and Theodore saw the family off to return to England, but I was heartened by the promise that they would return to Corfu. I鈥檝e no doubt of the truth in the promise, because there are two sequels to this book.
Profile Image for Anne .
458 reviews438 followers
November 22, 2019
Laugh out loud funny and endearing. Gorgeous setting beautifully described. Wish I could take a trip to Corfu now. Can't do that but at least I have the next two books in the trilogy to read. :)). Watched the BBC adaptation first which was wonderful.
January 11, 2019
螚 伪蟺慰纬慰萎蟿蔚蠀蟽畏 蠈蟿伪谓 伪纬慰蟻维味蔚喂蟼 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 渭蔚 蟿畏 尾蔚尾伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟺蠅蟼 胃伪 蟿慰 伪蟺慰位伪蠉蟽蔚喂蟼 伪位位维 蟽蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 蟽蔚 伪蠁萎谓蔚喂 渭蔚 伪谓维渭蔚喂魏蟿伪 伪喂蟽胃萎渭伪蟿伪. 螘委谓伪喂 蟿慰 蟺蟻蠋蟿慰 渭苇蟻慰蟼 渭喂伪蟼 蟿蟻喂位慰纬委伪蟼.
韦伪 维位位伪 未蠉慰 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿伪:
Birds, Beasts, and Relatives
The Garden of the Gods.

螒位位维 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 蟽伪谓 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蔚委谓伪喂 魏伪位慰纬蟻伪渭渭苇谓畏 魏伪喂 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿畏 魏伪喂 苇蠂蔚喂 渭蔚纬维位慰 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓 慰 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰蟼 蟺慰蠀 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 味蠅谓蟿伪谓蔚蠉蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺慰蠂萎 (螝苇蟻魏蠀蟻伪 1935) 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀 尾维味蠅 蟺苇谓蟿蔚. 螁位位蠅蟽蟿蔚 未蔚谓 蠁蟿伪委蔚喂 慰 螡蟿维蟻蔚位 蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 蟿慰 蟺伪喂未委 渭苇蟽伪 渭慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂. 螤喂蟽蟿蔚蠉蠅 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蟿慰 伪蟺慰位伪蠉蟽蔚喂 魏伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻伪 苇谓伪 蟺伪喂未委 畏位喂魏委伪蟼 伪蟺蠈 8 蠅蟼 14 蔚蟿蠋谓.

螤蟻蠋蟿伪 伪蟺蠈 蠈位伪 慰 韦味苇蟻伪位谓蟿 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 伪未蔚蟻蠁蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 螞蠋蟻蔚谓蟼 螡蟿维蟻蔚位 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 纬蟻维蠄蔚喂 蟿慰 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓慰 渭慰蠀 鈥溛懳晃滴疚蔽轿聪佄刮较� 螝慰蠀伪蟻蟿苇蟿慰鈥�. 螝伪喂 渭慰蠀 苇未蠅蟽蔚 蟿畏谓 蔚谓蟿蠉蟺蠅蟽畏 蟺蠅蟼 蟽魏蠈蟺喂渭伪 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽喂维味蔚喂 渭喂伪 魏伪蟻喂魏伪蟿慰蠉蟻伪 蟿慰蠀 伪未蔚蟻蠁慰蠉 蟿慰蠀, 蠅蟼 蔚魏魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂 蔚谓慰蠂位畏蟿喂魏慰蠉, 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽渭苇谓慰蠀 魏伪位位喂蟿苇蠂谓畏, 纬蔚渭维蟿慰蠀 苇蟺伪蟻蟽畏 蟺蟻慰蟽蠁苇蟻慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟺蟻慰蠁伪谓蠋蟼 蟿畏谓 伪蟺伪蟻伪委蟿畏蟿畏 未蠈蟽畏 未喂伪魏蠅渭蠋未畏蟽畏蟼, 蔚魏渭蔚蟿伪位位蔚蠀蠈渭蔚谓慰蟼 蟿慰 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓 渭蔚蟻委未伪蟼 蟿蠅谓 伪谓伪纬谓蠅蟽蟿蠋谓 纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 未喂维蟽畏渭慰 伪未蔚蟻蠁蠈 蟿慰蠀, 蟿蠉蟺慰蠀: "螘, 蟺伪喂未喂维 蔚位维蟿蔚 谓伪 蟽伪蟼 蟺蠅 渭蔚蟻喂魏维 伪谓蔚魏未慰蟿维魏喂伪 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟺蠈蟽慰 魏蠈蟺伪谓慰蟼 萎蟿伪谓 蟽蟿伪 谓喂维蟿伪 蟿慰蠀, 慰 伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓慰蟼 蟽伪蟼 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼鈥�.

螤委蟽蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟺伪蟻伪蟺苇蟿伪蟽渭伪 蟿蠅谓 伪蟽蟿蔚委蠅谓, 畏 慰喂魏慰纬苇谓蔚喂维 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 渭喂伪 慰喂魏慰纬苇谓蔚喂伪 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎. 螆蠂慰蠀谓 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏维 蟺蟻慰尾位萎渭伪蟿伪, 畏 蠂萎蟻伪 渭畏蟿苇蟻伪 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 蟽蠀渭渭伪味苇蠄蔚喂 蟿伪 伪蟽蠀渭维味蔚蠀蟿伪, 畏 魏蠈蟻畏 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽喂维味蔚蟿伪喂 蟽伪谓 蟻畏蠂萎 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂蠁伪谓蔚喂伪魏萎 bimbo, 魏伪喂 慰 韦味苇蟻蠀 未蔚谓 苇蠂蔚喂 魏伪谓苇谓伪 蟺蟻蠈尾位畏渭伪 谓伪 味蔚喂 魏维蟿蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 蟽蟿苇纬畏 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 维位位慰 伪未蔚蟻蠁蠈 蟿慰蠀 蟿慰谓 螞苇蟽位喂 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 伪蟻蟻蠅蟽蟿畏渭苇谓畏 渭伪谓委伪 渭蔚 蟿伪 蠈蟺位伪 魏伪喂 蟽魏慰蟿蠋谓蔚喂 伪蟽蟿伪渭维蟿畏蟿伪 味蠋伪, 未蔚喂谓蠈蟼 魏蠀谓畏纬蠈蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪蟿蠀渭蟺伪谓委味蔚喂 蟿伪 魏伪蟿慰蟻胃蠋渭伪蟿维 蟿慰蠀.

危蠀谓蔚蠂蠋蟼 魏伪蠀纬维未蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪谓喂魏伪谓蠈蟿畏蟿伪 谓伪 蟻喂味蠋蟽慰蠀谓 魏维蟺慰蠀, 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 蟽蟿畏谓 螝苇蟻魏蠀蟻伪 伪谓伪纬魏维味慰谓蟿伪喂 谓伪 渭蔚蟿伪魏慰渭委味慰蠀谓 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂蠋蟼 (蠀蟺慰蟿委胃蔚蟿伪喂 位蠈纬蠅 蠂蠋蟻慰蠀) 伪位位维 蟽蟿畏谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪 位蠈纬蠅 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏蠋谓 蟺蟻慰尾位畏渭维蟿蠅谓 蠀蟺慰胃苇蟿蠅. 韦慰谓 未蔚 韦味苇蟻伪位谓蟿 未蔚谓 蟿慰谓 蟽蟿苇位谓慰蠀谓 魏伪谓 蟽蟿慰 蟽蠂慰位蔚委慰 蔚谓蠋 蔚委谓伪喂 萎未畏 未苇魏伪 蔚蟿蠋谓 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 渭蠈蟻蠁蠅蟽萎 蟿慰蠀 蟿畏谓 伪谓伪位伪渭尾维谓慰蠀谓 未喂维蠁慰蟻慰喂 伪位位蠈魏慰蟿慰喂 蟿蠉蟺慰喂. 危伪谓 蟺伪喂未委 胃伪 蔚谓胃慰蠀蟽喂伪味蠈渭慰蠀谓 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 喂未苇伪. 危伪谓 蔚谓萎位喂魏畏 蟿畏谓 尾蟻委蟽魏蠅 蔚谓蟿蔚位蠋蟼 伪谓蔚蠉胃蠀谓畏.

螝伪喂 慰 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟼 蟽伪谓 蠁蠀蟽喂慰未委蠁畏蟼 未蔚谓 位苇蔚喂 魏伪喂 蟺慰位位维. 螆谓伪 维蟽蠂蔚蟿慰 蟺伪喂未委 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺慰蠀 尾伪蟽伪谓委味蔚喂 蟿伪 味蠋伪 蟺伪委味慰谓蟿伪蟼, 渭慰蠀 蠁伪委谓蔚蟿伪喂. 围蠅蟻委蟼 魏伪魏苇蟼 蟺蟻慰胃苇蟽蔚喂蟼 尾苇尾伪喂伪 魏伪喂 渭蔚 渭蔚纬维位畏 蟺蔚蟻喂苇蟻纬蔚喂伪 伪位位维 蟽蠀蠂谓维 蟿伪 伪喂蠂渭伪位蠅蟿委味蔚喂 魏伪喂 蟿伪 蔚尉慰谓蟿蠋谓蔚喂, 蟿伪 尾伪位蟽伪渭蠋谓蔚喂 魏蟿位. 螁位位蔚蟼 蔚蟺慰蠂苇蟼 维位位伪 萎胃畏. 韦蔚位慰蟽蟺维谓蟿蠅谓 渭伪渭维未蔚蟼 , 渭蟺伪渭蟺维未蔚蟼, 魏伪喂 位慰喂蟺慰委 蟽蠀纬纬蔚谓蔚委蟼 伪谓 苇蠂蔚蟿蔚 魏伪谓苇谓伪谓 蟺蟻慰苇蠁畏尾慰 蟺慰蠀 伪纬伪蟺维蔚喂 蟿畏谓 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏 未蠋蟽蟿蔚 蟿慰蠀 维蠁慰尾伪 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蠅蟼 未蠋蟻慰. 螒位位维 胃伪 蟽伪蟼 蟽蠀渭尾慰蠉位蔚蠀伪 谓伪 渭畏 蟿慰 未喂伪尾维蟽蔚蟿蔚 慰喂 委未喂慰喂. 螌蟽伪 渭慰喂维味慰蠀谓 慰谓蔚喂蟻慰 蟽蟿伪 渭维蟿喂伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟺伪喂未喂慰蠉 蟽蟿伪 渭维蟿喂伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 蔚谓畏位委魏慰蠀 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蠁伪谓慰蠉谓 蟽伪蠂位维. 螤喂魏蟻蠈. 螒位位维 伪位畏胃喂谓蠈.

危蟿伪 渭蔚委慰谓 畏 苇魏未慰蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 螝伪位蔚喂未慰蟽魏慰蟺委慰蠀. 螠喂伪 胃蔚蟻渭慰魏蠈位位畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 魏伪魏喂维蟼 蟽蠀渭蠁慰蟻维蟼 渭蔚 蠂伪蟻蟿慰谓苇谓喂慰 蔚尉蠋蠁蠀位位慰 魏伪喂 蟽蔚位委未蔚蟼 蟿蠉蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻慰蟽蠁慰蟻维蟼 蔚蠁畏渭蔚蟻委未伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟺慰蠀位维谓蔚 魏伪喂 15 蔚蠀蟻蠋; 螘谓蟿维尉蔚喂 蟺伪喂未喂维 蠂伪位伪蟻蠋蟽蟿蔚 位委纬慰. 螠苇蠂蟻喂 谓伪 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位蔚喂蠋蟽蠅, 畏 魏蠈蟺喂伪 渭慰蠀 苇纬喂谓蔚 魏慰蠀蟻苇位喂.

(惟蟻伪委伪, 蟺苇谓蟿蔚 伪蟽蟿蔚蟻喂伪 伪蟻谓畏蟿喂魏萎 魏蟻喂蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿蠈蟽慰 胃维蠄喂渭慰 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺伪纬魏蠈蟽渭喂伪 蟺蟻蠅蟿慰蟿蠀蟺委伪 蟺维谓蟿蠅蟼. 螒蟺位蠋蟼 未喂伪蠂蠅蟻委味蠅 蟿畏谓 伪谓蟿喂魏蔚喂渭蔚谓喂魏萎 蟺慰喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟿慰蠀 苇蟻纬慰蠀 (苇谓伪 苇蟻纬慰 蟺位苇慰谓 魏位伪蟽喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 蟺慰位蠀伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓慰) 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 未喂魏萎 渭慰蠀 蠀蟺慰魏蔚喂渭蔚谓喂魏萎 维蟺慰蠄畏).
Profile Image for Melody.
2,668 reviews300 followers
January 4, 2011
1/2010 Review:
I inhabit this book. I walk through the olive groves and swim in the crystal seas of pre-war Corfu. I think I can never go to Greece because of this book. I would want the taxis to be horse-drawn, and the small boys to be ranging freely about the island.

I love so much about this book it's hard to pick and choose. I love that Gerry was so devoted to animals from the very beginning. I love the self-centered, irascible Larry (who grew into the genius Lawrence Durrell). I love Mother, in all her well-meaning but vague glory. And who can forget Theo, the natty naturalist? The people are hilarious, and then just when one is weak from laughing, the viewpoint shifts, and there's a tortoise to observe, a cyclamen to watch bloom or a scorpion to secrete in a matchbox.

This is such a gem.

2/2006 Review:
Perhaps my favorite comfort read. This is the book I turn to when I'm blue and need to laugh. Hilarious chronicle of a budding naturalist and his eccentric family when they are living on the lovely island of Corfu. My favorite part, the part that reminds me most of my own house, my own boy is this:

"Then one day I found a fat female scorpion in the wall wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat. Closer inspection proved that this strange garment was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother's back. I was enraptured by this family, and I made up my mind to smuggle them into the house and up to my bedroom so that I might keep them and watch them grow up. With infinite care I manoeuvred the mother and family into a matchbox, and then hurried to the villa. It was rather unfortunate that just as I entered the door lunch should be served; however I placed the match box carefully on the mantelpiece in the drawing-room, so that the scorpions should get plenty of air, and made my way to the dining-room and joined the family for the meal. Dawdling over my food, feeding Roger surreptitiously under the table and listening to the family arguing, I completely forgot about my exciting new captures. At last Larry, having finished, fetched the cigarettes from the drawing-room, and lying back in his chair he put one in his mouth and picked up the matchbox he had brought. Oblivious of my impending doom I watched him interestedly as, still talking glibly, he opened the matchbox.

Now I maintain to this day that the female scorpion meant no harm. She was agitated and a trifle annoyed at being shut up in a matchbox for so long, and so she seized the first opportunity to escape. She hoisted herself out of the box with great rapidity, her babies clinging on desperately, and scuttled on to the back of Larry's hand. There, not quite certain what to do next, she paused, her sting curved up at the ready. Larry, feeling the movement of her claws, glanced down to see what it was, and from that moment things got increasingly confused.

He uttered a roar of fright that made Lugaretzia drop a plate and brought Roger out from beneath the table, barking wildly. With a flick of his hand he sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti as she thumped on the cloth. Thoroughly enraged at this treatment, the creature sped towards Leslie, her sting quivering with emotion. Leslie leapt to his feet, overturning his chair and flicked out desperately with his napkin, sending the scorpion rolling across the cloth towards Margo, who promptly let out a scream that any railway engine would have been proud to produce. Mother, completely bewildered by this sudden and rapid change from peace to chaos, put on her glasses and peered down the table to see what was causing the pandemonium, and at that moment Margo, in a vain attempt to stop the scorpion's advance, hurled a glass of water at it. The shower missed the animal completely, but successfully drenched Mother, who, not being able to stand cold water, promptly lost her breath and sat gasping at the end of the table, unable even to protest. The scorpion had now gone to ground under Leslie's plate, while her babies swarmed wildly all over the table. Roger, mystified by the panic, but determined to do his share, ran around and round the room, barking hysterically.

"It's that bloody boy again ..." bellowed Larry.

"Look out! Look out! They're coming!" screamed Margo.

"All we need is a book," roared Leslie; "don't panic, hit 'em with a book."

"What on earth's the matter with you all?" Mother kept imploring, mopping her glasses.

"It's that bloody boy ... he'll kill the lot of us ... Look at the table ... knee deep in scorpions ..."

"Quick ... quick ... do something ...Look out, look out!"

"Stop screeching and get me a book, for God's sake ... You're worse than the dog ... Shut up, Roger ..."

"By the Grace of God I wasn't bitten ..."

"Look out ... there's another one ... Quick ... quick..."

"Oh, shut up and get me a book or something ... "

"But how did the scorpions get on the table, dear?"

"That bloody boy ... Every matchbox in the house is a deathtrap ..."

"Look out, it's coming towards me ... Quick, quick, do something ..."

"Hit it with your knife ... your knife ... Go on, hit it ..."

Since no one bothered to explain things to him, Roger was under the mistaken impression that the family was being attacked, and that it was his duty to defend them. As Lugaretzia was the only stranger in the room, he came to the logical conclusion that she must be the responsible party, so he bit her on the ankle. This did not help matters very much.

By the time a certain amount of order had been restored, all the baby scorpions had hidden themselves under various plates and bits of cutlery. Eventually, after impassioned pleas on my part, backed up by Mother, Leslie's suggestion that the whole lot be slaughtered was quashed. While the family, still simmering with rage and fright, retired to the drawing-room, I spent half an hour rounding up the babies ..."

MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS 漏 Gerald Durrell 1956
Profile Image for Carlo.
85 reviews118 followers
August 18, 2024
One of my favorite books since I was a teenager. The fictionalized childhood adventures of the man who would become a famous naturalist are as fresh as ever, almost a century after the events narrated. In the words of his brother, the writer Lawrence, "this is a very wicked, very funny, and I'm afraid rather truthful book". 5 stars confirmed and well deserved.
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Uno dei miei libri preferiti fin dall'adolescenza. Le avventure infantili romanzate di quello che sarebbe diventato un noto naturalista non perdono di freschezza a quasi un secolo di distanza dai fatti narrati. Prendendo a prestito le parole del fratello, lo scrittore Lawrence, "questo 猫 un libro molto malizioso, molto divertente e, temo, alquanto veritiero". 5 stelle confermate e ben meritate.
Profile Image for Dagio_maya .
1,045 reviews325 followers
June 30, 2022

Pubblicato nel 1956, 鈥淟a mia famiglia ed altri animali鈥� 猫 un testo autobiografico del naturalista inglese Gerald Durrell.
Una narrazione talmente romanzesca che, spesso, leggendo si fatica a ricordarsi la vera natura del testo.
Insomma, sembra tutto inventato ma non lo 猫.

Siamo tra il 1935 ed il 1939 a Corf霉 dove i Durrell si trasferiscono per fuggire dall'inclemente tempo inglese.
Assieme a Louise, la madre, ci sono Larry e Leslie (i due fratelli) e Margo la sorella, il piccolo Gerry di dieci anni.
L'arrivo sull'isola 猫 da subito sbalorditivo.
Gerald si ritrova a contatto con una natura incontaminata dove pu貌 esercitare la sua grande passione, ossia quella di scovare animali di ogni tipo e osservare il loro comportamento.

La famiglia vivr脿 in tre diverse case da favola: la villa color rosa fragola, la villa giallo narciso e la villa bianca come la neve.

description
il piccolo Gerald Durrell assieme al fedele Roger: pronti per una nuova avventura

Un racconto esilarante ai limiti del grottesco nel dipingere la famiglia in modo eccentrico:
un circo ambulante al completo, come li definir脿 un funzionario della dogana svizzera.

Meravigliose descrizioni del paesaggio e curiose scoperte nel mondo degli animali.

Veramente pi霉 che un testo autobiografico sembra un romanzo di formazione dove la natura 猫 un libro aperto da cui imparare ogni giorno.
Profile Image for Christy.
713 reviews
January 29, 2020
This one took me a long time to read, but I'm not sure why. I really enjoyed it for the most part each time I picked it up. This is basically the recollection of Gerald Durrell's early childhood when his family picked up and moved to the island of Corfu. I had never heard of this place before and was super intrigued. There were some parts I found a little boring when it talked about some of the nature parts. I loved hearing about the different animals Gerald came across and learning right along with him. You could really tell how passionate he was about this subject matter. Every single character in this book was amazing and all the shenanigans that continually happened!! Any part involving his family or conversations they had were HILARIOUS. If that would of been more of the book it definitely would of been a 5 star read for me. His mother and brother Larry in particular.... classic!!! =) =)
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