This book was an absolute delight to read, and a real blast from the past reminding me of the animal adventure stories I devoured as a child, particularly the Willard Price books. Before David Attenborough entered the natural history scene, Gerald Durrell was my favourite naturalist, and the man who inspired me most as a child. My Family and Other Animals is his semi autobiographical account of a five year sojourn on Corfu with his family, vividly painting the beautiful Greek island environs and the many animals he tries to tame and keep as pets during this period. The genre is part wild writing, part comedy, as he treads the line between affection and gentle mockery of his family members. It's pretty obvious which parts are exaggerated or made up for comedic effect, but it never detracts from the fun. After all, who doesn't embellish childhood memories or imperfectly remember the exploits of their youth?
The book shines most when Durrell goes into lengthy accounts of his eccentric extended family - the animals themselves. He has a real knack for making commonplace creatures extremely interesting, unique, and well drawn. He can write pages and pages on familiar creatures yet never be boring, displaying them in ways you've never imagined, and leaving you wanting more. Of particular note is the battle between a gecko and a praying mantis in his bedroom. The human characters are no less interesting, as he meets a myriad of eccentric personages who end up becoming close family friends. His environments are also superbly realised, so much so that he became responsible for a surge in Corfu tourism, which quite sadly, probably contributed to ruining many of his Edenic locations. A very human, spirited, and often hilarious book, I'd recommend this read to anyone with even a passing interest in nature.
Rating: 5/5
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