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Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (Corfu Trilogy)
Part coming-of-age autobiography and part nature guide, Gerald DurrellÂ’s dazzling sequel to My Family and Other Animals is based on his boyhood on Corfu, from 1933 to 1939. Originally published in 1969 but long out of print, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives is filled with charming observations, amusing anecdotes, boyhood memories, and childlike wonder.
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
June 29th 2004
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
(first published 1969)
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It takes me awhile to finish Durrell's books. They're not meant to be hurried through. When I do finish I'm a little sad, because I want him to just keep telling me more and more stories!
I was afraid this one might not measure up to the first one, My Family and Other Animals. But this second one was every bit as enchanting and entertaining as the first. The two books give an account of the years the Durrell family spent living on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s.
...more
I was afraid this one might not measure up to the first one, My Family and Other Animals. But this second one was every bit as enchanting and entertaining as the first. The two books give an account of the years the Durrell family spent living on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s.
...more
Having read the first installment "My Family and other Animals" quite recently I was looking forward to reading more about the young Durrell and his hilariously eccentric family. Continuing the story of Gerry Durrells life on the island of Corfu` As with the first memoir Gerald Durrell demonstrates how his fascination - verging on obsession with all creatures began, and how it really is no surprise that he became the man that he did. His enthusiasm for even the most unappealing creatur...more
This book contains, for my money, quite possibly the funniest scene in the English language. The characters are the author's family and friends (and they are characters in every sense of the word) along with the various fauna of Corfu and, truthfully, the island itself.
Durrell used the proceeds from his writing to found and nurture the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, the first zoo in the world founded specifically for the breeding and conservation of endangered species. Should y...more
Durrell used the proceeds from his writing to found and nurture the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, the first zoo in the world founded specifically for the breeding and conservation of endangered species. Should y...more
There are few writers who are as skilled at relating an anecdote as Gerald Durrell. His writing has a way of capturing the people, animals and situations that he encounters perfectly; reading this book was almost as good as being in Corfu with Durrell and his madcap family. Reading about the family again was a welcome return after their absense in A Zoo in My Luggage. As the people that Gerals Durrell knows best, they all have well-developed and entertaining personae within the book and are f...more
c1969: I had been introduced to Mr Durrell's writing by a really great primary school teacher. I was also intrigued that books by his brother were highly regarded by my erudite father. This was a much easier read! I loved the individual family members and although widely known that the book was not strict with the time lines, it made no difference. In fact, I was rather pleased with that as I often wonder how everyone seems to remember conversations word for word, date for date, from so long ago...more
Gerald Durrell has got to be one of my favorite authors. He is an excellent writer. Not only is he extremely observant when it comes to nature, but it takes a great naturalist to observe how funny people are too.
As a boy growing up in Corfu, Gerald would rather be out studying beetles and birds and collecting wildlife. This book reminds me a lot of my experience growing up in Cote d'Ivoire as well. Just like him, we had lots of time to roam and study the jungle and its habits, and just lik...more
As a boy growing up in Corfu, Gerald would rather be out studying beetles and birds and collecting wildlife. This book reminds me a lot of my experience growing up in Cote d'Ivoire as well. Just like him, we had lots of time to roam and study the jungle and its habits, and just lik...more
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What a charming, witty and warm book.
I have loved 'My Family and Other Animals' now for so long I can hardly remember but oddly enough had never dipped into parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy so evocatively written by Gerald Durrell.
His sheer joy and love of life and his hugely eccentric family living in pre-war Corfu with seemingly no cares in the world comes through in waves of deliciously written prose. Its so gorgeous its a bit like treating yourself to a knickerbocker gl...more
I have loved 'My Family and Other Animals' now for so long I can hardly remember but oddly enough had never dipped into parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy so evocatively written by Gerald Durrell.
His sheer joy and love of life and his hugely eccentric family living in pre-war Corfu with seemingly no cares in the world comes through in waves of deliciously written prose. Its so gorgeous its a bit like treating yourself to a knickerbocker gl...more
Durrell's writing is so lovely that I remember wanting to visit Greece (specifically Corfu) solely because of My Family and Other Animals. Then I went to Athens when I was in college and found that it was extremely crowded and hot, hot, hot (even in October)... but I probably had the wrong company then and that coloured my view quite negatively.
This is the sort-of sequel to My Family and Other Animals, the latter of which I read as a young, young girl of 14 or 15. I can't tell if it's ...more
This is the sort-of sequel to My Family and Other Animals, the latter of which I read as a young, young girl of 14 or 15. I can't tell if it's ...more
This is the second in a trilogy of books about his childhood on Corfu that Gerald Durrell wrote in part to subsidize his collecting habit. Durrell, the brother of Lawrence Durrell, was an author, naturalist, and conservationist. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo.
I was first introduced to him by my Seattle grandparents, Wayne and Lorene, who I remember sitting up in their big king-sized bed with me, all of us reading Gerald Durrell books and laugh...more
I was first introduced to him by my Seattle grandparents, Wayne and Lorene, who I remember sitting up in their big king-sized bed with me, all of us reading Gerald Durrell books and laugh...more
This is the sequel to _My Family and Other Animals_ and though I did not enjoy it quite as much, it still made me laugh out loud. I think the novelty of Durrell's style and his Corfu experiences had worn off to some degree with the first book, but this one also had some good tales and was worth the read. I still want to visit Corfu as Durrell makes it sound like the most beautiful place on earth. I think the tales in this one were more family based than animal based, but I am not entirely sure.
These are the rest of the stories the author didn't include in his My family And Other Animals. Hope the rest of the author's family didn't feel so bad after he published it? The stories are great, very funny, but were probably too embarssing for the rest of the author's family...;). I bet every nature lover could appreciate it!
Daniel
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who felt My Family and Other Animals was too short
Recommended to Daniel by:
Mia B
Shelves:
nature
More of the same from My Family and Other Animals, but doesn't live up to its predecessor
This book takes you to the island of Corfu. You meet the people and the wildlife pre-WWII. I love all the personalities observed through the eyes of a 10 year old naturalist.
After "My Family and Other Animals", Gerald Durrel books like this one became too self-conscious, I think. Still zoologically intriguing though.
Again, Durrell's beautiful luscious writing, and his ability to describe things so clearly and yet originally makes this book a gem.
He describes both his menagerie and his family with a cruel and biting pen, and brings the whole island of Corfu to life. I was *in love* with Gerry when I was a kid, ever since I got one of his books as a present for my tenth birthday. I used to read and reread his books again and again and take notes.
If you read his later books, you'll lear...more
He describes both his menagerie and his family with a cruel and biting pen, and brings the whole island of Corfu to life. I was *in love* with Gerry when I was a kid, ever since I got one of his books as a present for my tenth birthday. I used to read and reread his books again and again and take notes.
If you read his later books, you'll lear...more
over the years I've probably read this book and many of the other Durrell stories many times. I just loved this one in particular and his description of life on Corfu as a child with his zany family and the many other characters that they met - extremely amusing.
Couldn't get enough of this at the time. I spent one summer reading as many of his books as I could get.
Non-stop humour and laughs. Any family would be flattered to be painted with such colours!
Best book I've read all summer. Good book to read out loud to groups.
Birds, beasts and relatives by Gerald Durrell (1971)
Very funny. I love the childlike perspective.
sequel to 'My Family and Other Animals'- more anecdotes from Gerald Durrell's idyllic childhood in Corfu, with - no doubt - significant poetic license. Amusing family conversations, bizarre friends who come and go, and an astounding collection of wildlife which Gerry collects. Slightly more detail in the natural history descriptions than I really like, but overall a very enjoyable book.
Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as its precursor (My Family and Other Animals), it still managed to touch that place in my heart that longs for a boyhood like Durrell describes. His family's experiences, the people he meets, and his fascination with animals are all written and will take one back to that child-like view of the world I miss so much...
Another delightfully humorous story of the Durrell family while living on the Greek Isle of Corfu when the author was around ten years old and constantly in pursuit of learning more about birds, other animals, and fish. He weaves scientific facts with the escapades of his family and acquaintances. What a riot it must have been.
Moderately funny. The descriptions can sometimes get a little boring, but its a good light read if you like animals and natural history.
Revisiting the family with all its quirkiness is always a treat, the incident of the turtle dissection on the veranda had my in hysterics the first time I read this. Gerald Durrell has an easy to read style that doesn't lack in detail and affection for the subject matter.
What a super book... funny, preoccupying, relaxing, adventuresome. Makes you want to pack your family up, sell everything you don't really need, and move off to Greece as quickly as possible. Check out G. Durrell's other books as well if you liked this one!
I adore Gerald Durrell. This is definitely on the list of Books That Have Made Me Emit Embarrassingly Loud Snorting Noises in Public. And I'm probably in the minority here, but I actually like this one more than My Family and Other Animals.
durrell's books are all extremely readable - like a piece of candy. he combines an excellent sense of storytelling with information about the animal kingdom in this book about his family's life on corfu in the late 1930s.
The second one from the trilogy. I can only back up my own thoughts on the first part, and re-apply them on this one.
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Gerald Durrell was born in India in 1925. His family settled on Corfu when Durrell was a boy and he spent his time studying its wildlife. He relates these experiences in the trilogy beginning with My Family and Other Animals, and continuing with Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods. In his books he writes with wry humour and great perception about both the humans and the animals ...more
More about Gerald Durrell...
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