MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS

My first book for the year!and I am absolutely thrilled to have chosen it.I berated myself for not having read it earlier.

This one was top priority in my TBR pile and was waiting to be read.And what better time than now to pick it up.I read it through the weekend and have just finished reading it today.

This is a true account of the Durrell family narrated by naturalist Gerald Durrell telling us of a part of his childhood spent on the Greek island of Corfu between 1935 and 1939.The Durrell family consisting of the mother and her three sons,Larry,Leslie, Gerry and a daughter Margo are all eccentric and unconventional in a totally endearing way ,when they can no longer endure the damp cold English climate,they sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu.The island is wonderfully rich in flora and fauna.This is a delightful account of Gerrys uninhibited interest in all living thing be it puppies,toads,geckoes,scorpions,snakes,ladybugs,gloworms,octopuses,bats,magpies,gulls,pigs and calmly getting them home

My Views:

This book had my undivided attention ever since I started reading it.It is a delightful account of Gerry Durrell and his family during their stay in Corfu.This is a non-fiction novel and memoir and honestly I had not expected non-fiction to be so much fun.Gerald Durrell has impeccable comic timing.His life and time there is so vividly described that I was transported to Corfu along with his family.

I loved his fearlessness and uninhibited nature,the ability to keep an open mind while trying new things and just being so nature and animal friendly.His wit just shines through.The descriptions had me totally enraptured.This account was full of vivid descriptions about the island,the animals he caught and about his family.

Its such a mad family,the battle of wits amongst the brothers,especially Larry had me in splits.There is a cast of very interesting local characters and friends who are completely eccentric as well.

The moonlight picnic which eventually turns into a moonless midnight swim,with the flickering fireflies,the porpoises shimmering in the phosphorescence and the starlit sky was so incredibly beautiful,I read it twice and enjoyed it immensely.

Who wouldnt love a faithful companion like his dog Roger!He comes up with names for all his pets,so the pigeon is Quasimodo,the gecko is Geronimo ,the Owl named Ulysses and Widdle and Puke are the names of the puppies for obvious reasons.

And if thats not enough theres Spiro the local who is their guardian for the duration of their stay and who speaks the most outrageous English and his tutors Theodore and Kralefsky who have their strange ways as well.Im so glad he included the part about Kralefskys mother.I thoroughly enjoyed that bit too.

What do I say about this book!Im still basking in its afterglow having just finished reading it.I cannot find a single thing I did not like about it.It will be so hard to find another one as good now.I feel doomed.This is one of those books that will go at the very top on my shelf and someday when I am old and wrinkled,hopefully I will read it again and remember this day and all that I am feeling right now.I feel happy.I havent laughed like this in ages.I laughed out loud so many times unexpectedly even to myself that I had to stifle it when there were people around lest they thought im mental.

This book is simply awesome.

Of course I rate it a 5 out of 5.