Monday, February 21, 2005
Gerald Durell's "My Family and Other Animals"
In one word this book is superb! Brilliantly written, just the right length and teeming with personal experiences, anecdotes and beautiful imagery. Gerald Durrell's book is a fabulous first book of this author to begin.
Excerpt:
Spring had arrived and the island was sparkling with flowers. Lambs with flapping tails gambolled under the olives, crushing the yellow crocuses under their tiny hooves. Baby donkeys with bulbous and uncertain legs munched among the asphodels. The ponds and streams and ditches were tangled in chains of spotted toads' spawn, the tortoises were heaving aside their winter bedclothes of leaves and earth, and the first butterflies, winter-faded and frayed, were flitting wanly among the flowers.
A simple tale well told - well one can never have enough of it. Gerry, at ten years old, along with his entire family (though the father is of course absent) move to the sun soaked glory of Corfu. What then unfolds is an adventure interspersed with lessons from zoology, botany, ornithology and all other -ogies from various fields of science. Of course I have not had any such memorable lessons in science.
Gerry (though I have to say, I am astonished as his retentive power, to be able to write this book later on in life, for events he experienced when he was ten), his various animals all from Geronimo the gecko to Roger the biggest of them all dog, all aboard Bootle-Bumtrincket ( I kid you not!). His various teachers and the other myriad people who enter his life... its a delicious read.
Another excerpt (a particular favourite two lines of mine):
...the time had come, he thought, for me to go to somewhere like England or Switzerland to finish my education. In desparatation I argued against any such idea; I said i liked being half educated; you were so much more suprised at everything when you were ignorant.
There are moments in the book when you chuckle out loud and look around guitily, sure that people will write you off as a nutter but many a incident in the book are vivid and delightfully entertaining. Though more than once, whenever Gerry picked out a youngling from his nest and took it home, it would bother me. Why would he want to separate the little one from his mother, just so that his collection would prosper, I did not quite follow.
Another aspect of the book which is handled very well is the death of pets. It can often be a traumatic experience for a child and is it imbued with a lot of sensitivity and can easily be related to.
Excerpt:
Spring had arrived and the island was sparkling with flowers. Lambs with flapping tails gambolled under the olives, crushing the yellow crocuses under their tiny hooves. Baby donkeys with bulbous and uncertain legs munched among the asphodels. The ponds and streams and ditches were tangled in chains of spotted toads' spawn, the tortoises were heaving aside their winter bedclothes of leaves and earth, and the first butterflies, winter-faded and frayed, were flitting wanly among the flowers.
A simple tale well told - well one can never have enough of it. Gerry, at ten years old, along with his entire family (though the father is of course absent) move to the sun soaked glory of Corfu. What then unfolds is an adventure interspersed with lessons from zoology, botany, ornithology and all other -ogies from various fields of science. Of course I have not had any such memorable lessons in science.
Gerry (though I have to say, I am astonished as his retentive power, to be able to write this book later on in life, for events he experienced when he was ten), his various animals all from Geronimo the gecko to Roger the biggest of them all dog, all aboard Bootle-Bumtrincket ( I kid you not!). His various teachers and the other myriad people who enter his life... its a delicious read.
Another excerpt (a particular favourite two lines of mine):
...the time had come, he thought, for me to go to somewhere like England or Switzerland to finish my education. In desparatation I argued against any such idea; I said i liked being half educated; you were so much more suprised at everything when you were ignorant.
There are moments in the book when you chuckle out loud and look around guitily, sure that people will write you off as a nutter but many a incident in the book are vivid and delightfully entertaining. Though more than once, whenever Gerry picked out a youngling from his nest and took it home, it would bother me. Why would he want to separate the little one from his mother, just so that his collection would prosper, I did not quite follow.
Another aspect of the book which is handled very well is the death of pets. It can often be a traumatic experience for a child and is it imbued with a lot of sensitivity and can easily be related to.
# posted by Janaki @ 2:02 pm 
Comments:
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Ah. One of my favourite books. This, and the other Corfu books, are among the faves i re-read every few years.
(though I have to say, I am astonished as his retentive power, to be able to write this book later on in life, for events he experienced when he was ten)But on this, the jury's still out. Did the Google thing on the Durrell brothers a while ago, and apparently Gerry did kinda telescope things, omit some info completely, and things like that. For instance, the fact of Larry being married at that time (Gerry doesn't mention his wife at all), and lived elsewhere, with the family frequently visiting. You may want to see this article about Corfu the way it is today. Must warn you, though, that it is saddening to read about how the place has changed: "His brother Gerald, whose My Family and Other Animals did most to fix the island in the British imagination - even more than Shakespeare who, it is often claimed, set The Tempest here - was horrified when he returned in 1968. His guilt over what he saw as his own role in Corfu's destruction led quickly to alcoholism, breakdown and a long stay in the Priory. And that was in 1968."
(though I have to say, I am astonished as his retentive power, to be able to write this book later on in life, for events he experienced when he was ten)But on this, the jury's still out. Did the Google thing on the Durrell brothers a while ago, and apparently Gerry did kinda telescope things, omit some info completely, and things like that. For instance, the fact of Larry being married at that time (Gerry doesn't mention his wife at all), and lived elsewhere, with the family frequently visiting. You may want to see this article about Corfu the way it is today. Must warn you, though, that it is saddening to read about how the place has changed: "His brother Gerald, whose My Family and Other Animals did most to fix the island in the British imagination - even more than Shakespeare who, it is often claimed, set The Tempest here - was horrified when he returned in 1968. His guilt over what he saw as his own role in Corfu's destruction led quickly to alcoholism, breakdown and a long stay in the Priory. And that was in 1968."
Hey Zigzackly thanks for that link. I had no idea about the about face with regards to Corfu and the book. But expected I guess considering the popularity of the book.
Even that Larry had wife! It was as though he Gerry and other brother (his name escapes my mind rt now) were all perhaps in the same age group may be a few years apart..
Will definitely read his other books now. May be it would provide a more rounded picture.
Even that Larry had wife! It was as though he Gerry and other brother (his name escapes my mind rt now) were all perhaps in the same age group may be a few years apart..
Will definitely read his other books now. May be it would provide a more rounded picture.
Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods are the two that are about his childhood in Corfu. Marrying Off Mother (and other stories) also has some Corfu stories.
And i'd also recommend Rosie is my Relative, one his few fiction novels (at least it's the only one i remember reading.)
Take a look at the Wikipedia page on Durrell for a complete list.
p
And i'd also recommend Rosie is my Relative, one his few fiction novels (at least it's the only one i remember reading.)
Take a look at the Wikipedia page on Durrell for a complete list.
p
Thanks alot.. will definitely round them up to read..
another quick unrelated question.. how do u insert HTML tags in responses...(and links too).. cld u mail it?....thanks:)
another quick unrelated question.. how do u insert HTML tags in responses...(and links too).. cld u mail it?....thanks:)
The word idyllic was invented to describe the three Corfu books - they are SUCH a joy. I've returned to them often too, over the years.
I think what Zigzackly says about telescoping is obvious in some sections of the books if you read them carefully. I particularly enjoyed the way Durrell played off on the high-literrateur reputation of his brother Larry by making him talk in a supercilious voice and associating him with artists and wastrels. Larry was, of course, Lawrence Durrell, who wrote The Alexandria Quartet - check this link on him. It mentions Corfu: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/durrell.htm
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I think what Zigzackly says about telescoping is obvious in some sections of the books if you read them carefully. I particularly enjoyed the way Durrell played off on the high-literrateur reputation of his brother Larry by making him talk in a supercilious voice and associating him with artists and wastrels. Larry was, of course, Lawrence Durrell, who wrote The Alexandria Quartet - check this link on him. It mentions Corfu: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/durrell.htm
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