My Favourite Animal Stories

by Gerald Durrell

An anthology of animal stories, assembled by Gerald Durrell. The authors include David Attenborough, Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, Herman Melville, James Thurber and T.H. White.

Genres: Animals, Short Stories

Paperback

Published January 1, 1976

About the author

Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. His elder siblings are Lawrence Durrell, Leslie Durrell, and Margaret Durrell. His family settled on Corfu when Gerald 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 he meets.

On leaving Corfu he returned to England to work on the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. His adventures there are told with characteristic energy in Beasts In My Belfry. A few years later, Gerald began organising his own animal-collecting expeditions. The first, to the Cameroons, was followed by expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina and Sierra Leone. He recounts these experiences in a number of books, including The Drunken Forest. Gerald also visited many countries while shooting various television series, including An Amateur Naturalist. In 1958 Gerald Durrell realised a lifelong dream when he set up the Jersey Zoological Park, followed a few years later by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.

Gerald was married twice; Jacquie Durrell (1951-1979), Lee Durrell (1979-1995).

Gerald Durrell's style is exuberant, passionate and acutely observed. He died in 1995.

Reviews

[Misty Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another dusty volume from my shelves which I couldn't remember having read previously. I'm still not sure whether I ever did or not!

Some of the stories are classics. Some are still very readable and heartwarming. Some should almost certainly now carry 'trigger-warnings' as being outdated or even distressing.

I didn't read the Herman Melville story. Many years ago I started to read Moby Dick but within a few pages found myself too traumatised to continue, and decided that I would pass on this one. I am not particularly squeamish - I read through all of C J Sansom's Shardlake series without much trouble [I have to say I find cruelty to animals or even reading about an animal dying of natural causes far more upsetting than violence to humans!]

Overall this is probably not a good choice for a younger readership

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen stories, one by Durrell, featuring animals. I enjoyed the David Attenborough one. I had read some of the others already. Basically there was no connection between each story as the main character, animal, wasn't repeated. Except dogs.

[Josette Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, funny and refreshing

[Stargazer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a toss-up between buying this or James Herriot for a book on animal stories for the school library. Think I made the wrong choice, wouldn't read much of this book aloud, maybe one or two. More a book for adults in my opinion. My mistake, but love both authors.