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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
The Corfu Trilogy consists of the three volumes of Gerald Durrell's memoirs of his childhood on Corfu, an island paradise off the coast of Greece. Durrell grew up to be a renowned naturalist and conservationist, founding the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. But as a boy, he joined his family in moving to Corfu, a place where he began his career. The three books of The Corfu Trilogy (My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives, and Garden of the Gods) describe his time there, though in (one suspects) a rather fictionalized account.
I was inspired to read the book after starting to watch "The Durrells in Corfu" on PBS (which is currently still being aired). The programme is so enjoyable, I wanted to read the inspiration behind it. I wasn't disappointed. The Corfu Trilogy is humourous--to the point that I laughed out loud many times, and had to stifle giggles in public spaces. The books that make up the trilogy are classics, and deservedly so. I highly recommend them to readers from young to old.
I was inspired to read the book after starting to watch "The Durrells in Corfu" on PBS (which is currently still being aired). The programme is so enjoyable, I wanted to read the inspiration behind it. I wasn't disappointed. The Corfu Trilogy is humourous--to the point that I laughed out loud many times, and had to stifle giggles in public spaces. The books that make up the trilogy are classics, and deservedly so. I highly recommend them to readers from young to old.
enjoyed but has some offensive moments due to the time period this was written in - i.e the n word is used and there’s also a little section on homosexuality, though while Mrs. Durrell showed her concern i was surprised by how well the rest of them took it !
Very funny, a wonderful insight into 1930s Corfu. Made me want to go and lie in my garden looking at wildlife.
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
I watched and loved The Durrells so I was excited to read the source material. There's no question that it's dated a little bit this is still a fantastic piece of writing. The descriptive sections are breathtaking and really capture the beauty of Corfu and the natural world within, but they are very long and could get a bit repetitive.
But the mastery in these books is the way Durrell described his family. Every story about the Durrells' escapades would eclipse all the beauty and the wonderful animal stories. I found myself skimming the nature stories in favour of another farcical anecdote because they were so utterly delightful. Having watched the series I could see where all the character inspiration came from and it was wonderful to see how much love (and irritation) there was between the family and their Greek friends.
This may be a bit long-winded but it's also delightful and I'm so glad I read it; I may have to go back and watch the series again!
But the mastery in these books is the way Durrell described his family. Every story about the Durrells' escapades would eclipse all the beauty and the wonderful animal stories. I found myself skimming the nature stories in favour of another farcical anecdote because they were so utterly delightful. Having watched the series I could see where all the character inspiration came from and it was wonderful to see how much love (and irritation) there was between the family and their Greek friends.
This may be a bit long-winded but it's also delightful and I'm so glad I read it; I may have to go back and watch the series again!
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
Amusing and eloquently written tales of island life, littered with beautiful passages detailing the wonders of nature Greece has to offer
My new favorite! The first one is the best. He's very reminiscent of James Herriot for me, animals+humor+a certain kind of warmth that is very comforting. Books for when you are sick or sad or just need to feel good. Will definitely be buying a copy and re-reading through the years!
My ten-year-old son and I read this book aloud together and we both enjoyed it immensely. Durrell captures the focused interests of a ten-year-old who loves the natural world and along the way presents the delightful, quirky family that he was so fortunate to be a part of. We laughed aloud a good many times.
Book One of the trilogy was great fun to read (My Family and Other Animals). I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, and rather surprisingly, all the pages devoted to Jerry's examination of Greek flora and fauna was consistently fascinating and entertaining.
(I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed My Family and Other Animals as much if I had not already watched the PBS three-season presentation of the trilogy. Having watched the series, it was very easy for me to picture the various members of the Durrell family and all of their friends and relatives as I encountered them in print, an advantage that made it easy to get into the book quickly and to stay engaged with the adventures of the Durrells.)
(I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed My Family and Other Animals as much if I had not already watched the PBS three-season presentation of the trilogy. Having watched the series, it was very easy for me to picture the various members of the Durrell family and all of their friends and relatives as I encountered them in print, an advantage that made it easy to get into the book quickly and to stay engaged with the adventures of the Durrells.)