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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
“Each day had a tranquility a timelessness about it so that you wished it would never end. But then the dark skin of the night would peel off and there would be a fresh day waiting for us glossy and colorful as a child's transfer and with the same tinge of unreality.”
If idyllic escapism in nature were a book, it'd be this one. Locus amoenus at its BEST. It has the most stunning descriptions I've ever had the pleasure of reading, it makes you feel the summer heat on your skin, makes you feel the sun rays warming you up, makes you feel the salty corfu breeze in your hair... with words.
I see a lot of my summers lost in Girona in this book, and it makes it that much more of an important book for me. This book is my mum's favourite, and for that I'll always hold it close to my heart.
This book feels like watching a sunset by the beach, sand on your toes, eyes closed, salty warm breeze in your face. It's an amazing feeling, its my comfort book.
5/5
NOTABLE QUOTES
“Gradually the magic of the island [Corfu] settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen.”
“I can't be expected to produce deathless prose in an atmosphere of gloom and eucalyptus.”
“The gold and scarlet leaves that littered the countryside in great drifts whispered and chuckled among themselves, or took experimental runs from place to place, rolling like coloured hoops among the trees. It was as if they were practising something, preparing for something, and they would discuss it excitedly in rustly voices as they crowded round the tree trunks.”
“Breakfast was, on the whole, a leisurely and silent meal, for no member of the family was very talkative at that hour. By the end of the meal the influence of the coffee, toast, and eggs made itself felt, and we started to revive, to tell each other what we intended to do, why we intended to do it, and then argue earnestly as to whether each had made a wise decision.”
If idyllic escapism in nature were a book, it'd be this one. Locus amoenus at its BEST. It has the most stunning descriptions I've ever had the pleasure of reading, it makes you feel the summer heat on your skin, makes you feel the sun rays warming you up, makes you feel the salty corfu breeze in your hair... with words.
I see a lot of my summers lost in Girona in this book, and it makes it that much more of an important book for me. This book is my mum's favourite, and for that I'll always hold it close to my heart.
This book feels like watching a sunset by the beach, sand on your toes, eyes closed, salty warm breeze in your face. It's an amazing feeling, its my comfort book.
5/5
NOTABLE QUOTES
“Gradually the magic of the island [Corfu] settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen.”
“I can't be expected to produce deathless prose in an atmosphere of gloom and eucalyptus.”
“The gold and scarlet leaves that littered the countryside in great drifts whispered and chuckled among themselves, or took experimental runs from place to place, rolling like coloured hoops among the trees. It was as if they were practising something, preparing for something, and they would discuss it excitedly in rustly voices as they crowded round the tree trunks.”
“Breakfast was, on the whole, a leisurely and silent meal, for no member of the family was very talkative at that hour. By the end of the meal the influence of the coffee, toast, and eggs made itself felt, and we started to revive, to tell each other what we intended to do, why we intended to do it, and then argue earnestly as to whether each had made a wise decision.”
Loved it!! I think to truly get the humor out of this trilogy you really need to watch the tv series on PBS. The characters and acting is superb and really loans an essence and flavor to the stories!!
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
reflective
slow-paced
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
I absolutely enjoyed this wonderful memoir by Gerald Durrell. The years the Durrell family spent on Corfu is presented to us like a idyllic time, a time of innocence and simple joys.
I had read the first book in the trilogy, My Family and Other Animals, as a standalone book many years ago when I was studying biology and I remember being fascinated by Durrell' s descriptions and the minute details he notices in the world around him. This time round, it took me a while to become so engrossed in the natural world. However his sharp observations of his family and the often hilarious situations they ended up in often had me laughing out loud.
Perhaps some of the words and phrases he uses will sound old-fashioned and mildly offensive but I always try to remember when a book was written before becoming too critical of the author. I've always been of the opinion that books are a project of their times and tend to keep an open mind.
4.5 stars for all the giggles Durrell's writing was able to elicit.
I had read the first book in the trilogy, My Family and Other Animals, as a standalone book many years ago when I was studying biology and I remember being fascinated by Durrell' s descriptions and the minute details he notices in the world around him. This time round, it took me a while to become so engrossed in the natural world. However his sharp observations of his family and the often hilarious situations they ended up in often had me laughing out loud.
Perhaps some of the words and phrases he uses will sound old-fashioned and mildly offensive but I always try to remember when a book was written before becoming too critical of the author. I've always been of the opinion that books are a project of their times and tend to keep an open mind.
4.5 stars for all the giggles Durrell's writing was able to elicit.
I seem to be in a minority of readers who didn't rate this book very highly. I found myself ambivalent about the story as I was reading. I wanted to like it better than I did.
Overall the book is very well written it terms of composition and structure. The descriptions of Corfu and daily life made everything come to life - you could see, hear, and taste what was going on. The vignettes about the family were funny and human. One could see any of us in that situation either tearing our hair out and giving up, or else rolling with reality and enjoying life.
So what was my problem? I guess I'm not a naturalist. I got bored quickly with the endless description of the non-human animals and their habitats. I understand that was Gerald Durrell's love and what drove him. I admire him for his work conserving animals and their habitats. However, after hundreds of pages I just couldn't read any more of it.
So knowing something about Gerald Durrell, why did I decide to read this? It was the recent PBS series "The Durrells in Corfu"that sent me to this book. I loved the family, the calamity, the way they battled and fought, and their wonderful friends. I want an adventure like that! Because of the TV show and reading more about him, I've now added Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and Avignon Quintet to my "to read" pile .
Would I recommend the book - yes - it just wasn't for me.
Overall the book is very well written it terms of composition and structure. The descriptions of Corfu and daily life made everything come to life - you could see, hear, and taste what was going on. The vignettes about the family were funny and human. One could see any of us in that situation either tearing our hair out and giving up, or else rolling with reality and enjoying life.
So what was my problem? I guess I'm not a naturalist. I got bored quickly with the endless description of the non-human animals and their habitats. I understand that was Gerald Durrell's love and what drove him. I admire him for his work conserving animals and their habitats. However, after hundreds of pages I just couldn't read any more of it.
So knowing something about Gerald Durrell, why did I decide to read this? It was the recent PBS series "The Durrells in Corfu"that sent me to this book. I loved the family, the calamity, the way they battled and fought, and their wonderful friends. I want an adventure like that! Because of the TV show and reading more about him, I've now added Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and Avignon Quintet to my "to read" pile .
Would I recommend the book - yes - it just wasn't for me.
Gerald Durell is a world famous naturalist who spent his childhood in the beautiful Greek island of Corfu with his family that consisted of his Mom,his brothers Lawrence (a writer himself) and Leslie , sister Margaret and not to mention also the menagerie of animals they kept as pets😃.This trilogy consists of his famous ,"My Family and other Animals", and it's sequels ,"Birds,Beasts and Relatives " and "The Garden of the Gods ".
Gerald Durell's writing shows us that this man loves nature and all its creations especially the animals with all his heart.There is so much he writes about them that as a reader ,you will find yourself marvelling at Gods creations and the wonder and complexity that nature is.I loved the part where he talks about two birds building nests and the different fashions in which they forage for food to feed their young ones.The stories have many humorous anecdotes about his family members that will keep you smiling throughout.
If you love stories about animals and if you are a nature lover ,don't miss this one❤️
Gerald Durell's writing shows us that this man loves nature and all its creations especially the animals with all his heart.There is so much he writes about them that as a reader ,you will find yourself marvelling at Gods creations and the wonder and complexity that nature is.I loved the part where he talks about two birds building nests and the different fashions in which they forage for food to feed their young ones.The stories have many humorous anecdotes about his family members that will keep you smiling throughout.
If you love stories about animals and if you are a nature lover ,don't miss this one❤️