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|reviewer=Angus ReidLouise Jones

|summary=A book to feed classic, and apparently true, story of a boy, his family and their menagerie of creatures, living on the imagination beautiful isle of any teen or adult and highly recommended by Angus Reid (our first competition winner) and by BookbagCorfu in the 1930s.|rating=4.5|buy=Yesyes|borrow=Yesyes|pages=304400|publisher=Penguin Books LtdPuffin|date=February 1999July 2016|isbn=01402825999780141321875|website=www.durrell.org|video=v=8KPwCD8lObY|amazonuk=<amazonuk>01402825990141321873</amazonuk>|amazonus=<amazonus>01402825990141321873</amazonus>

'''A ''Times Educational Supplement'' Teachers' Top 100 Book'''

I remember when reading was Meet the Durrells, a necessity rather than quintessentially eccentric English Family. We have Larry, the luxury time affords me these days. Back when reading two or three books lazy and pompous eldest; Leslie, who loves hunting and the outdoors; Margo, a week was normal for mesulky teenage girl at the mercy of her hormones; Mother, I had my favouriteswho seems unflappable, Blytoneven in the most extreme situations; Roger the loyal family dog and finally Gerry, Tolkien who is 10 years old and Adams to name a fewhas an obsession with the natural world. Yet “My Family and Other Animals” is Gerry's story of what happened when the only authors I could have claimed family decided to uproot to have read all their books were Herriot and Durrellescape the drab monotony of England for the sunnier climes of Corfu.

I always wanted With a penchant for collecting animals, the Durrell family is about to get much, much bigger, as we are introduced to be a vet but gave up when I realised seeing animals suffering was not menagerie of characters including two pups called Puke and Widdle, a pair of cheeky, thieving 'Magenpies', a murderous gull, a tortoise, a terrapin, a glamorous occupationgecko, two toads, (Thanks to All Creatures Great two water snakes and Small many more unforgettable creatures who all become part of the family. The animals all have their own personalities and those bods down the BBC!) resulting anecdotes are very funny indeed. It has been a long time since I laughed so my next choice was to travel much whilst reading, much to the countries Gerald Durrell frequented annoyance of my children and to find those trap door spiders and fish that illuminated the waters of Corfu at nightarround me.

This short intro takes me The book is, of course, a classic and has not been out of print since it was first published in 1956. The book used to be required reading in schools and has found a new and eager audience with each subsequent generation. Not only is the book I am going to review for your perusalvery funny, My Family but it is also extremely well written. The prose is poetic and other Animals, by Gerald the scene-setting superb. Durrell. (This was made into a BBC series which really brings Corfu to life and I refused to watch as could almost feel the sunshine on my precious childhood memories were too important to be releasedskin and smell the Mediterranean lilies.)

As a childThere are so many highlights in this book, it is hard to pick one that stands out, young Gerald Durrell but the scene that made me laugh the most was removed from London for family health reasons and taking when Gerry brings home a scorpion with babies clinging to its back. He puts the Island of Corfu to be educated scorpion family in life by lifea matchbox and goes for his dinner, forgetting all about them. This book chronicles his early pubescent life from the ages of 10 When dinner is over, big brother Larry is keen to 14light up a cigarette and naturally, where all hell breaks loose when he nurtured his youthful enthusiasm reaches for nature to what was to evolve to possibly the best Zoo the world has ever seen and the safe existence of many threatened and endangered species of animalsmatches...

Gerald tells of his family and their eccentricity “My Family and Other Animals” is one of those classic books that you just “have to read,” The characters are larger than life, the people they acquaint themselves with over settings idyllic and the 4 year period they were in Corfustories are laugh-out-loud funny. He describes It's a heart-warming book for all ages and I'm keen to read the characters so well they come out rest of the pages and join you in an imaginary world which only certain authors can take you Corfu trilogy tosee what happened next. Durrell has a way of describing things almost optically and very little thought is needed Many thanks to visualise any scenario his somewhat eventful days would uncoverthe publishers for my review copy. I will treasure it.

He leaves no leaf unturned when he characterises his family and I shudder to think had he been my brotherThose who love animals will enjoy [[An Otter in the Aga by Rex Harper]], what he would have made of me. His family are larger than life and had that Victorian British stiff upper-lip aristocracy and Gerald was which features more the Attenborough type, adventures and an enjoyer of risk. The small creatures he came across from the now infamous Trap Door Spiders, Tortoises and lizards, to the less desirable scorpions he introduced to his suffering siblings, were described as if you had found them yourselfwith big personalities.

The book itself carries on through his adolescent years and enduring family fiascos but the most readable of all were the times he just packed a sandwich and explored Corfu for her natural beauty and animalistic treasures and took you with him. It's not the thinking mans book and certainly not for the lateral thinker, this book is an adventure of imagination and vision and if your children have an inkling for nature and reading, this book is the thinking child's Harry Potter. Treat your children to the pleasures of life and let them rediscover 70 years of history. {{amazontext|amazon=01402825990141321873}}{{amazonUStext|amazon=01402825990141321873}}