National Bestseller: The complete trilogy that inspired Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu in one volume. The tales of a naturalist and his family, who left England for the Greek island of Corfu—where they interacted with fascinating locals of both human and animal varieties—these memoirs have become beloved bestsellers and inspired the delightful series that aired on PBS television. … aired on PBS television.
Included in this three-book collection are:
My Family and Other Animals: Ten-year-old Gerald Durrell arrives on sun-drenched Corfu with this family and pursues his interest in natural history, making friends with the island’s fauna—from toads and tortoises to scorpions and geckos—while reveling in the joyous chaos of growing up in an unconventional household.
Birds, Beasts and Relatives: Written after a boyhood spent studying zoology, this memoir is part nature guide, part coming-of-age tale, and all charmingly funny memoir.
The Garden of the Gods: In the conclusion of the trilogy, Durrell shares more tales of wild animals and his even wilder family, including his mother, Louisa, and his siblings Lawrence, Leslie, and Margo, in the years before World War II.
“[Durrell’s] books have an unfailing charm. . . . It is a tribute to his skill that one never tires of his accounts” (Chicago Tribune).
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.
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Perfect for nature lovers and for readers of the Alexandria Quartet
I really appreciated Kindle’s built in dictionary while reading this book. The descriptive vocabulary is part of the entertainment!
Thoroughly enjoyable series, in which the author’s English family are viewed with wry but loving amusement as they eke out a penurious existence on a Greek island.
The eccentric Durrell family’s vacation in Corfu, told from the point of view of young Gerald, whose chief interest is in observing and collecting animals.
Became interested after watching the TV series on PBS. The series caught the characters just right, although the specific episodes depicted were different from those in the book. I knew of Lawrence Durrell, of course, because of the Alexandra Quartet, but this was my first acquaintance with Gerald. My rating really should be read as 4.5. The family anecdotes were priceless, but the overly detailed descriptions of the island’s wildlife left me less enthused.
A fabulously entertaining read! Gerald Durrell had a real gift for words and an observational eye that accurately caught the behavioral nuances of both animals, friends and family. Its often uproariously funny and I would read this book to my wife every time we went on a long drive.
Wonderful descriptions of the Corfu landscape through the seasons. Lots of informative tidbits on animals. I did get a bit tired of the family’s idiosyncrasies. I saw season 1 of the story on PBS.
I loved this seemingly unloveable family. The quirkiness was so fun. I had previously seen the series based on it on PBS so I was already familiar with them. It takes awhile but they grow on you.
This was interesting and easy to read but just way too long. The details about bugs and animals the young boy found on the island would go on for pages. I wish there had been an edited short version of the book because once I skipped over the pages of bug details it was entertaining. I finally quit reading it because I got tired of skipping over pages. If you are a science/biologist buff, you would probably enjoy it more than I did.
These books set in a far distant time and place are a fun escape. A very quirky family indulges the son’s passion for nature. There are lots of interesting people and animals. It makes you reminisce about summers when you could run and play all day in a less dangerous world.