My Family and Other Animals

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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!

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Summary: Way better than Croc Hunter
Review: In todays day and age of Steve Erwin and Jeff Corbin who go around hunting for animals, it is easy to forget where it all started. With people like Gerald, and the London zoo. In this book, he collects animals, deals with his demented siblings and his long suffering mother who has to raise four kids and fend off the advances of a really persistent Colonel who gets increasingly vulgar and `grabby' when he drinks. This is a rare story that combines a humorous story with humorous writing and I once caused passengers in a flight to turn around and give me strange looks, so hard was I laughing.

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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.