The Corfu Trilogy

Many readers will be familiar with Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals", the autobiography he wrote in 1956 about his idyllic childhood in Corfu. The Corfu Trilogy includes two more books on the same theme "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" (1969) and "The Garden of the Gods" (1978). Presumably there must have been demand for more of the same since these publication dates are so wide apart, and Durrell had published numerous books in the interim, dealing with his animal exploits, all told in a ver [...]

This lovely book just arrived from Bonn. Thank you so much dear TA!!This trilogy is composed of the following books: My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods.In this autobiography, the author describes the life of his family in the Greek island of Corfu , an island surrounded by several battles and conquests, including World War I and II.The author, being a naturalist, describes how his family’s daily life intertwined with the local landscape and cult [...]

I have read and reread (several times) Gerald Durrell’s enchanting memoir My Family and Other Animals, and most of his other animal-collecting / Jersey Zoo tales but never until now the other two stories in the ‘Corfu Trilogy’, feeling, perhaps, that the first book could not really be outdone, and there was such a thing as too much of a good thing. The most immediate thing to happen, however, when I did finally pick up the amalgamated trilogy, was that it refreshed my appreciation for the [...]

I DIDN'T WANT THIS BOOK TO END. I didn't even intend to read this book for pure enjoyment, but about two pages in I completely forgot about analysing it or looking at it as a student. I was laughing at and with the Durrell family in Corfu. It was bliss, a purer escape than any I have got near to recently. Funnily enough, I did notice some of Durrell's techniques: his way of keeping the narrator, aka himself, in the background, as an observer rather than a participant, was beautifully executed, e [...]

I read 'My Family & Other Animals' at school, which led me to read other books by Mr.Durrell.I remembered them with great affection and was thinking how much I'd like to read them again and one morning I got on the train to go to work and there sitting on an empty seat was this book 'The Corfu Trilogy'. Serendipitous!So I got to go back to Corfu with Gerald and his maddeningly lovable family 30 years after i first went there.It is pure escapism of the very best kind.

My new favorite! The first one is the best. He's very reminiscent of James Herriot for me, animals+humor+a certain kind of warmth that is very comforting. Books for when you are sick or sad or just need to feel good. Will definitely be buying a copy and re-reading through the years!

There are very few books I would read a second time let alone a third but this is one of those. My favourite book of all time.

Absolutely adorable. Enjoyed from beginning to end. The mini-series is also wonderful, visually and for entertainment value, but the books are even better. They really changed around some of the circumstances in the show, I guess to bring some pathos and melodrama, but it didn't need it. Just following the book would have been even better. Can't believe I'd never heard of this guy. His humor is so perfect. Many laugh out loud moments. He also writes rather nicelyally. He uses a ton of metaphor, [...]

This is such a fantastic book. So funny, thoughtful and delicate in its treatment of family life in Corfu. Seeing the world through the eyes of a young Gerald just makes you love animals in the uniquely caring and scientific way that he does. A great read.

Laugh out loud funny. The first book is the strongest, but the others are also very good: some great set pieces and the characterisation is excellent. It's full of similes, personification and other devices that serious literary types might sniff at, but I say just jump in and enjoy the ride.

The TV series made me yearn for more. This book is an absolute delight from start to finish.

Fantastic holiday reading, just right for a hot Mediterranean summer. Gerald's family are actually more interesting than the animals! Plenty of humour and interest - lovely.

A very vivid account of Gerry's childhood which exudes warmth and joy with every humorous incident of his new pets and possessions. His family life drama will make you laugh your lungs out and you will be wanting for more.

I seem to be in a minority of readers who didn't rate this book very highly. I found myself ambivalent about the story as I was reading. I wanted to like it better than I did.Overall the book is very well written it terms of composition and structure. The descriptions of Corfu and daily life made everything come to life - you could see, hear, and taste what was going on. The vignettes about the family were funny and human. One could see any of us in that situation either tearing our hair out and [...]

I don't know how many times I read my parent's copy of My Family and Other Animals when I was growing up, I'd wager that it was a double-digit figure. I think this was my original introduction to Durrell's world, and I voraciously devoured nearly all of the rest of his works after reading it. All except the rest of the Corfu-based novels. I have no idea why or how I missed them, but I did, and it was only recently that I discovered the existence of Birds, Beasts, and Relatives and The Garden of [...]

Great writing, wonderful characters. Hilarious. Added to my Best Reads list. Po! po! po! po!

A joyful and fascinating book about the author Gerald Durell as a boy who is intensely in love with all of nature and his unconventional family who move from England to Corfu Greece during the 1930s. His family includes an extremely tolerant mother, 2 older brothers one a writer with a constant string of visiting acquaintances of every artistic category, the other a gun enthusiast, and a sister with a typical teenage nature of sorts. The story revolves around the Gerald's collections and how the [...]

This is collection of the three delightful books naturalist Gerald Durrell wrote about his family's life in Corfu, both before and after WWII. The PBS series is loosely based on them and captures this unusual family's (his eldest brother was Lawrence Durrell, the famous novelist) quirky personalities perfectly, although the TV series concentrates on the mother's point of view, while the books focus more on young Gerald's perspective and thus deals much more with wildlife. Gerald's charming sense [...]

This collection of "My Family and Other Animals" and its sequels, "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" and "The Garden of the Gods", belongs to the genre of favourite books of childhood revisited in adulthood and still loved. The story of an eccentric English family's life on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s still shimmers with magic, sunshine and humour. The beginnings of Gerald Durrell's lifelong love for nature and career as zoologist are told with great warmth and understanding. I think his b [...]

This was a set text at school, I enjoyed it so much I "forgot" to hand it in at the end of term. The studies of Gerald's large and eccentric family are pure genius, told with humour and enough bite to make them both believable and hilarious. Many of the animals become like family members with their own characters and quirks; Widdle and Puke spring to mindAnytime I want to read something laugh out loud funny, I turn to the incident of the scorpions in the matchbox. No spoilers, just a fabulous bu [...]

Loved loved loved this trilogy of stories from Gerald Durrell. Reading this was sparked by the recent tv adaptation of these books and I have not regretted my decision to buy them. Beautifully written, funny and full of sunshine. Gerald's humour and excellent eye for the absurb shines out throughout. Fab book.

I can't believe I haven't read any Gerald Durrell books before this,his writing is so entertaining,funny and well written,I haven't enjoyed a book as much as this in a long time.I thoroughly recommend it.

Loved this, quaint but not too sweet. The PBS series does it an honor and i recommend it too all who follow Masterpiece TheaterMmmmmm!mmmmmmm mmm !!!d. H. H. Y. Olu u u I I j JJ nk I ink I jokj h h

I loved this. It was beautifully written, portrayed the people with fondness and amusement and made me laugh helplessly on more than on occasion. Highly recommended.

Delightful laugh-out-loud tales of growing up in Corfuloved it!

This book is a heavenly read. Enjoyed every minute of it and will read again and again. Just read it.

Perfect holiday read. Really enjoyed it

Durrell writes beautifully, there's no doubt of that, but I don't seem to have enjoyed this as much as most of its readers. Perhaps it was the absurdist nature of the interactions amongst the Durrell family members. Funny, sure, but so ridiculous that much of the dialogue is clearly fabricated. The book is a travelogue, so I don't expect it to be factual beyond a shadow of a doubt as I would with most nonfiction, but this just felt like too much. The whole thing almost felt hammy, like a high sc [...]

This lovely trilogy contains the classic My Family and Other Animals, and the lesser known but equally good Birds, Beasts and Relatives, and The Garden of the Gods. In all three, Durrell is a master story-teller, getting the perfect balance between exceptional nature observations and the hilarious experiences of his family, their many visitors and the local Corfites.Of course, there is an outdated element to the books. No child today should be encouraged or allowed to collect the vast number of [...]

The Corfu Trilogy is a splendid retelling of Gerald Durrell's extraordinary adventures on the island of Corfu. The stories of Durrell's escapades, his family's idiosyncrasies and life on the island are thoroughly engaging and entertaining. Gerry Durrell is 8 years old when his family moves to the Greek island of Corfu. With its rich diversity of animal, insect and marine life, the island is a treasure trove for the curious and spirited Durrell. He begins his quest to learn all he can about the l [...]