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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
One of my absolute favourite books, it feels like a warm hug. Every page is sun kissed and full of humour and incredible descriptions of nature and animals. ❤️❤️❤️
Review originally published at: https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-my-family-and-other-animals-by-gerald-durrell/
I have read this book numerous times in English and Spanish (my mother tongue). I also watched the several adaptations that were made for TV, being the one with Brian Blessed my absolute favorite, perhaps because it was my first encounter with Gerry and Corfu when I was a little child. I absolutely love the trilogy, and I have read more books by Gerald Durrell, finding them all absolutely endearing and funny, but the Corfu trilogy has a special place in my heart. I imagined myself being like Gerry when I went with my family to the beach or kept spiders in glass jars at home. This book is a hoot for any child that likes animals, and it is difficult not to feel envious of Gerry's childhood.
This review is about the audiobook released in 2010 and narrated by Hugh Bonneville. In hindsight, I should have looked harder and listened to the Nigel Davenport version, released in 2016, as Bonneville's version is abridged and it skips many passages, and even complete chapters like The Rose-Beetle, The Talking Flowers, The Chessboard Fields, and An Entertainment with Animals. To my disappointment, the part in which Margo kisses Saint Spiridioin's feet is also not included, as well as any mention of Lugaretza, Kralefsky, Kosti, or Dodo, among others. Yanni appears only once.
The spirit of the book is kept though, and Hugh Bonneville delivers a good narration with decent accents and characters' interpretations. It is just that an abridged version like this one does not make a lot of sense to me. I understand the existence of abridged versions for children, to make the book more easily digested, but this does not seem to be the goal of this version.
Some passages have triggered different emotions from me when reading them this time, probably due to my current vision regarding the protection of the fauna. I am not completely okay with the capture of the "Magenpies" and their posterior exportation, but I get that this may seem a harmless act to a child or to most people at the time.
I have read this book numerous times in English and Spanish (my mother tongue). I also watched the several adaptations that were made for TV, being the one with Brian Blessed my absolute favorite, perhaps because it was my first encounter with Gerry and Corfu when I was a little child. I absolutely love the trilogy, and I have read more books by Gerald Durrell, finding them all absolutely endearing and funny, but the Corfu trilogy has a special place in my heart. I imagined myself being like Gerry when I went with my family to the beach or kept spiders in glass jars at home. This book is a hoot for any child that likes animals, and it is difficult not to feel envious of Gerry's childhood.
This review is about the audiobook released in 2010 and narrated by Hugh Bonneville. In hindsight, I should have looked harder and listened to the Nigel Davenport version, released in 2016, as Bonneville's version is abridged and it skips many passages, and even complete chapters like The Rose-Beetle, The Talking Flowers, The Chessboard Fields, and An Entertainment with Animals. To my disappointment, the part in which Margo kisses Saint Spiridioin's feet is also not included, as well as any mention of Lugaretza, Kralefsky, Kosti, or Dodo, among others. Yanni appears only once.
The spirit of the book is kept though, and Hugh Bonneville delivers a good narration with decent accents and characters' interpretations. It is just that an abridged version like this one does not make a lot of sense to me. I understand the existence of abridged versions for children, to make the book more easily digested, but this does not seem to be the goal of this version.
Some passages have triggered different emotions from me when reading them this time, probably due to my current vision regarding the protection of the fauna. I am not completely okay with the capture of the "Magenpies" and their posterior exportation, but I get that this may seem a harmless act to a child or to most people at the time.
Review originally published at: https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-my-family-and-other-animals-by-gerald-durrell/
I have read this book numerous times in English and Spanish (my mother tongue). I also watched the several adaptations that were made for TV, being the one with Brian Blessed my absolute favorite, perhaps because it was my first encounter with Gerry and Corfu when I was a little child. I absolutely love the trilogy, and I have read more books by Gerald Durrell, finding them all absolutely endearing and funny, but the Corfu trilogy has a special place in my heart. I imagined myself being like Gerry when I went with my family to the beach or kept spiders in glass jars at home. This book is a hoot for any child that likes animals, and it is difficult not to feel envious of Gerry’s childhood.
This review is about the audiobook released in 2010 and narrated by Hugh Bonneville. In hindsight, I should have looked harder and listened to the Nigel Davenport version, released in 2016, as Bonneville’s version is abridged and it skips many passages, and even complete chapters like The Rose-Beetle, The Talking Flowers, The Chessboard Fields, and An Entertainment with Animals. To my disappointment, the part in which Margo kisses Saint Spiridioin’s feet is also not included, as well as any mention of Lugaretza, Kralefsky, Kosti, or Dodo, among others. Yanni appears only once.
The spirit of the book is kept though, and Hugh Bonneville delivers a good narration with decent accents and characters’ interpretations. It is just that an abridged version like this one does not make a lot of sense to me. I understand the existence of abridged versions for children, to make the book more easily digested, but this does not seem to be the goal of this version.
Some passages have triggered different emotions from me when reading them this time, probably due to my current vision regarding the protection of the fauna. I am not completely okay with the capture of the “Magenpies” and their posterior exportation, but I get that this may seem a harmless act to a child or to most people at the time.
I have read this book numerous times in English and Spanish (my mother tongue). I also watched the several adaptations that were made for TV, being the one with Brian Blessed my absolute favorite, perhaps because it was my first encounter with Gerry and Corfu when I was a little child. I absolutely love the trilogy, and I have read more books by Gerald Durrell, finding them all absolutely endearing and funny, but the Corfu trilogy has a special place in my heart. I imagined myself being like Gerry when I went with my family to the beach or kept spiders in glass jars at home. This book is a hoot for any child that likes animals, and it is difficult not to feel envious of Gerry’s childhood.
This review is about the audiobook released in 2010 and narrated by Hugh Bonneville. In hindsight, I should have looked harder and listened to the Nigel Davenport version, released in 2016, as Bonneville’s version is abridged and it skips many passages, and even complete chapters like The Rose-Beetle, The Talking Flowers, The Chessboard Fields, and An Entertainment with Animals. To my disappointment, the part in which Margo kisses Saint Spiridioin’s feet is also not included, as well as any mention of Lugaretza, Kralefsky, Kosti, or Dodo, among others. Yanni appears only once.
The spirit of the book is kept though, and Hugh Bonneville delivers a good narration with decent accents and characters’ interpretations. It is just that an abridged version like this one does not make a lot of sense to me. I understand the existence of abridged versions for children, to make the book more easily digested, but this does not seem to be the goal of this version.
Some passages have triggered different emotions from me when reading them this time, probably due to my current vision regarding the protection of the fauna. I am not completely okay with the capture of the “Magenpies” and their posterior exportation, but I get that this may seem a harmless act to a child or to most people at the time.
Quirky, descriptive stories with a strong sense of place, about growing up in Corfu
It took me a bit too long to read this but the blame falls on me - with my reading slump and lack of attention the long chapters and descriptions proved hard to get into at the time I started so the first 230 pages were read over 3-4 months in tiny bits and pieces here and there. Now with my new reading groove I finished the final 120 pages in one evening and a newly found appreciation and sense of wonder for what was written. It was a cute read.
funny
lighthearted
DNF- I think this book was beautifully written. The authors way of describing things is almost poetic. However, this book felt more like a collection of descriptions than a novel with a plot. I was excited to learn more about the family, but they and the narrator are frankly background characters compared to the wildlife of Corfu. I also think the author could utilize more breaks in his text. Paragraphs flow without much connection between them. And then the chapter breaks seem random too. So while beautifully written, it really didn’t pique my interest and I don’t feel like finishing it lol.
The IMAGERY in this book is PHENOMENAL! I just... can't put into words how much I enjoyed this lovely memoir. It's lighthearted and whimsical, funny and touching. 5 stars, Mr. Durrell! Going to dive into the next in this beautiful series right now.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Read this a long time ago when i was a child & loved it