Rating: 
Summary: I may read it again next week
Review: I cannot remember when I enjoyed reading a book so much as this one. It is about the five years the author (Lawrence Durrell's younger brother) spent living on the island of Corfu as a youngster and budding naturalist. It is full of anecdotes about collecting animals and about the family that delight the heart and tickle the funnybone. His collection of animals includes snakes, birds, furry things. There is a collection of dogs with peculiar names. Theodore Stephanides, a real life person, a doctor who helps Gerald organize his collection in more or less scientific fashion, figures in some of Lawrence Durrell's writings. He was apparently a wonderful and possibly brilliant person. Concerned over the young boy's education, or lack of it, his mother sends him a few times a week to the Belgian consul, who tries to teach him French by reading out of the dictionary, starting with ''A''. Of course he learns no French. The consul spends most of the lesson time shooting mangy cats on neighboring roofs. This is not an act of cruelty: the town is overpopulated by cats and they are mostly ill and dying and spreading disease. Then Mother sends him to a British person with a Slavic surname for lessons in just about everything. This strange looking man has a collection of rare birds and a mother who never leaves her bed but has wonderful fantasies about her own lost beauty. Older brother Lawrence is, of course, a writer still learning his craft. Leslie is the gun expert who builds the youngster a strange boat for use in collecting marine specimens. Margo is the sister who cares for little in life but how she looks in a bathing suit. Spiro is a hefty Greek with a big belly who drives the family around in his car and helps them in unexpected ways, even getting them out of innocent scrapes with police and customs officials. The mother is a marvelously sensible English lady who behaves very properly and cooks up a storm, almost constantly. The author's language and style are elegant, and one gets the sense of looking at the world through the wondering eyes of a young boy, but always with the idea that behind him there is the mature and accomplished writer. Yes, reading this one again next week would not be a bad idea.
Rating:
Summary: You don't need to be interested in animals to love this book
Review: After reading Gerald Durrell at school (it was probably "Menagerie Manor"), I was put off reading his books for over 10 years. One of my friends recommended this as a wonderfully cute book about how a young boy perceives the world and his eccentric family and after hearing descriptions of Larry, the (then) aspiring novelist, acne-ridden Margo and gun-obsessed Leslie, how could I resist? It is a beautifully written book of short stories chronicling Durrell's magical childhood in Corfu, with a kaleidoscope of characters ranging from the human to the animal, all drawn with great affection. The stories are often hilarious and this is definitely one you will want to read again. And for those who are put off by too many descriptions of animals, the descriptions here aren't too long (and they are described charmingly, with Durrell attributing human characteristics which are very amusing) and most of the book focuses on his family. Sequels are "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" and "Garden of the Gods".
Rating: 
Summary: Skeleton of a Plot embellished with tonnes of vocab
Review: My Family and Other Animals is a bare-bones story in terms of plot. The Durrell family goes to Corfu, lives through what could be termed as a soap opera, and leaves. It's humourous, but not particularly challenging. However, the older Gerald Durrell utilises vivid vocabulary over and over when describing the setting and people of Corfu. Fifteen-letter words that paint a crystalline picture are used frequently, relieving the never-ending roller coaster that is the life of the Durrells. Overall, this is a highly entertaining book that will keep you engaged for the week or so that you will spend reading it every spare second you have.
Rating:
Summary: Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
Review: This book is my secret weapon against depression and the blues. I have never been able to read it without collapsing into helpless laughter (and I have lost count how many times I have read it!). In the book, GD describes his boyhood sojourn on the Greek island of Corfu and while the various animals and birds are fun, the most interesting specimens are the humans. Start with GD's own family, a wonderfully eccentric English mother, his 3 siblings with their own peculiar foibles, the innumerable friends on Corfu who add their own twists to the story and you have a bubbling cauldron indeed. The humor ranges from the tongue in cheek to the cannonball but it never lets up. The episode of the scorpions is my personal favorite but it is hard to pick a favorite when there are so many contenders. GD's descriptions of the various personages is superb and his retelling of anecdotes very good indeed. His particular gift is to make the non-human creatures interesting. Both human and non-human characters alike come alive and seem to spring from the pages. And GD's love for nature comes through in his descriptions of the surroundings; you can almost feel yourself in the story. One realizes that not only was GD a first rate naturalist, he was a very good writer as well. This book is a guaranteed pick-me-up; it will bring a smile to your face no matter how tired or sad you may be. A warning though: it is very dangerous to read this book in public. Before long you will be chuckling away to yourself as you turn the pages and people in your vicinity will start to harbor grave doubts as to your sanity!
Rating:
Summary: True, FUNNY, story of eccentric English family in 1933 corfu
Review: Do you adore British wit? True English eccentrics? The REAL story behind Great Writers? Books that make you laugh out loud again and again? This is a warm autobiographical remembrance by famed Zoo-Keeper Gerald Durrell, of the years in his childhood in the 1930s when the entire family took off on a whim to live in the Island of Corfu, Greece. It is quite simply such a wonderful -- fun -- read that it promptly went to the best-sellers lists round the world when it was first published more than 35 years ago. Which enabled Gerrald to realize his life-long dream of building his own zoo for endangered species -- and annoyed the daylights out of his very SERIOUS novelist and writer older Brother, the award-winning Lawrence Durrell. (Poor Larry, not only to be beat at your own game by a kid brother who doesn't even care about writing, but to have the follys of your own early 20s exposed to the literate world just when you hoped to be taken seriously by everybody!) Read this book. Buy this book! I guarantee you'll find yourself laughing out loud uproariously and then you'll rush out to buy extra copies for all your friends!
Rating:
Summary: You don't need to be interested in animals to love this book
Review: After reading Gerald Durrell at school (it was probably "Menagerie Manor"), I was put off reading his books for over 10 years. One of my friends recommended this as a wonderfully cute book about how a young boy perceives the world and his eccentric family and after hearing descriptions of Larry, the (then) aspiring novelist, acne-ridden Margo and gun-obsessed Leslie, how could I resist? It is a beautifully written book of short stories chronicling Durrell's magical childhood in Corfu, with a kaleidoscope of characters ranging from the human to the animal, all drawn with great affection. The stories are often hilarious and this is definitely one you will want to read again. And for those who are put off by too many descriptions of animals, the descriptions here aren't too long (and they are described charmingly, with Durrell attributing human characteristics which are very amusing) and most of the book focuses on his family. Sequels are "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" and "Garden of the Gods".
Rating:
Summary: A Critique of "My Family and Other Animals" For Class
Review: Author Gerald Durrell continues his fascination with animals in "My Family and Other Animals." The true, personal narrative discusses the adventures that take place as ten-year old Gerald finds a family of scorpions in a plaster wall. The settings are full of frenzy as Durell becomes captivated with his new friends. The series of events show a typical family's response to the antics of the "Dennis the Menace" in the family.
As the story proceeds, Gerald is ripping sections of plaster away from a decaying wall in order to capture his new-found friends. Finding a female scorpion with masses of babies clinging to her, the young boy decides to give them a new home. He sneaks the arachnids into his family's home by means of a matchbox. As the twenty-three year old brother, Larry, starts to light up a cigarette, the story becomes explosive. Even though the female scorpion means no harm, she hoists herself up and scuttles onto the back of Larry's hand as he slides open the matchbox. His scream of horror terrifies Lugaretzia, the maid, and she drops a plate, which in turn brings Roger, the family's black woolly dog, out from under the table. Larry flicks the enemy between Margo and Leslie, Gerald's older sister and brother. Margo swirls a glass of water towards the scorpion, but instead drenches Mother. In a comical sequence, the Durrell family exchanges a series of terrified comments.
"Look out! Look out! They're coming!"
"Quick...quick...do something!"
"Look out...there's another one!"
In the mean time, Roger the dog assumes the family is being threatened. Since Lugaretzia is the only stranger in the room, he feels it is his responsibility to attack. And, so, she receives a nice bite to the ankle. As the story draws to an end, the pandemonium stops, and the family retires to the drawing room. Gerald conjures up all his spider friends and take them on a one-way flight to the garden wall. The only repercussion for the ten-year old comes from Mother as she procees to update his education by means of the belt. The author's purpose to enact an entertaining event in the lives of the Durrells is met.
The author moves form character to character in a spordic chain of events. What begins as a typical evening at home with the whole family ends in a total uproar in the household. The scenes definitely show the expressiveness Durrell is trying to present. From one character to another, each action produces a reaction. The auther presents great visual imagery concerning the chaotic nature of the whole affair. The personal narrative being told by Gerald, the ten-year old, adds an additional amount of humor.
Durrell does an exceptional job in depicting a typical family and its struggles to survive. The character portrayed by Gerald shows the immense imagination and curiousity that most children of that age have. Gerald's nature of learning and growing could be overlooked by the reader, but a lot has to be said about his meantality. He discovers scorpions like to eat bluebottles, grasshoppers, moths, and lacewing flies. He even notices one scorpion eating another! At night he takes a flashlight and delves into the walls of plaster and catches the scorpions in their sexual acts. Mother fails to see that the best education Gerald is receiving is the one about life.
The results of the events were many. Brother Larry developes a phobia about matchboxes. Lugaretzia walks with a limp due to the dog bite. Margo and Leslie wants to slaughter the whole batch of baby scorpions, but Mother allows me to release them in the garden. The author uses lively verbs and comical sequences in allowing the reader to enjoy the confusion of the Durrell family. My personal views on "My Family and Other Animals" include a pronounced invitation for others to read and enjoy its contents.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing anecdotes of animals and an eccentric family
Review: Bit of a classic. Recollections through the eyes (but not the vocabulary) of a ten year old of family and insects/snakes/birds on Corfu. Funny characterisations, well retold anecdotes of eccentrics (including this biology mad kid). Similarities to Herriot. Interesting that the animal obsessed writer, inspirer of many of today's naturalists, is still of his generation enough to see no tension between being fascinated by animals in this idyllic setting - or going out shooting with his brother.
Rating:
Summary: Compressed joy and mediterrenean sunlight.
Review: Upon the recommendation of a good friend, I picked up this book - and was never disappointed. In fact, when I read the table of contents, listing the names of the chapters, I knew that this book was something extraordinary. It showed that the book lived up to my initial anticipation.
Unlike most of the books ever written, there's not a single cloud in here to shadow the reader's mood. It's a delightful, warm, comfortable read, a mix of exceedingly beautiful landscape (I HAVE to go to Corfu, one day *sigh*) and hilarious family affairs. Add some animals and their interactions with the highly peculiar family, and that's what the book is all about. Thank God! Any attempt to insert a serious matter, or something sad, would fail because of the lightness and litheness of the narration.
After reading this book, you might dream of shady olive tree orchards, of turquoise ocean, of age-old walls slumbering in the heat of noon. It's one of those books (at least for me) that made me long for being the narrator, young Gerald Durrell.
Rating:
Summary: i like.
Review: the innocent curiosity of the main character inspired me to become a biology major.
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