4thace reviewed My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Malcolm Durrell
A fun tale with animals on a Greek island
4 stars
I listened to this light memoir of the author's experiences growing up on Corfu in the 1930s with his eccentric British family and menageries of animals he collected. I would say that it fits in the category of creative nonfiction with humorous anecdotes recounted with somewhat heightened details for comedic effect. He is sometimes mean to his family of mother, two brothers, and sister in the unflattering way he describes them, but the native Greek and Turkish characters he encounters on Corfu are all pretty much depicted with affection and appreciation for their qualities. He does not spare himself, either, with his impractical animal acquisitions that would have been trying for any family. It's a cozy way of life living on a sun-drenched Mediterranean island with only absurd (usually self-inflicted) cares without fears of European war or harsh treatment by the neighbors. It is just the right kind of story …
I listened to this light memoir of the author's experiences growing up on Corfu in the 1930s with his eccentric British family and menageries of animals he collected. I would say that it fits in the category of creative nonfiction with humorous anecdotes recounted with somewhat heightened details for comedic effect. He is sometimes mean to his family of mother, two brothers, and sister in the unflattering way he describes them, but the native Greek and Turkish characters he encounters on Corfu are all pretty much depicted with affection and appreciation for their qualities. He does not spare himself, either, with his impractical animal acquisitions that would have been trying for any family. It's a cozy way of life living on a sun-drenched Mediterranean island with only absurd (usually self-inflicted) cares without fears of European war or harsh treatment by the neighbors. It is just the right kind of story for someone who is crazy about nature and wildlife, whatever their age. The book was turned into a 1987 miniseries and a 2005 television movie.
The narrator had great fun coming up with the vocal mannerisms for the various characters as they spoke.
