My Family and Other Animals (Popular Penguins) - Softcover

9780141037479: My Family and Other Animals (Popular Penguins)
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Sometimes it's pretty hard to tell them apart... my family and the animals, that is. I don't know why my brothers and sisters complain so much. With snakes in the bath and scorpions on the lunch table, our house, on the island of Corfu, is a bit like a circus. So they should feel right at home...

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Review:
As a self-described "champion of small uglies," English writer Gerald Durrell (1925-1995) devoted his life to writing and the preservation of wildlife, from the Mauritius pink pigeon to the Rodriques fruit bat. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the Greek island of Corfu, but ended up as a delightful account of his family's experiences that were, according to him, "rather like living in one of the more flamboyant and slapstick comic operas."

As a 10-year-old boy, Gerry left England for Corfu with "all those items that I thought necessary to relieve the tedium of a long journey: four books on natural history, a butterfly net, a dog, and a jam-jar full of caterpillars all in imminent danger of turning into chrysalids." Durrell's descriptions of his family and its many eccentric hangers-on (he stresses that "all the anecdotes about the island and the islanders are absolutely true") are highly entertaining, as is the procession of toads, scorpions, geckos, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, the puppies Widdle and Puke, and the Magenpies. This is a lovely book.

About the Author:
Gerald Durrell (1925-1995) moved from England to Corfu with his family at the age of eight. He spent much of his time studying the island's wildlife, and surprising his family by keeping lots of very unusual pets in very unexpected places. He grew up to be a famous naturalist and conservationalist, leading expeditions to exotic places such as Argentina, Sierra Leone, Assam and Madagascar. Over his lifetime he presented many TV shows, and wrote 37 books, including MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS and its two sequels, BIRDS, BEASTS AND RELATIVES and THE GARDEN OF THE GODS. He founded Jersey Zoo in 1959 as a centre for the conservation of endangered species, and in 1963 he created the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust - later renamed Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust - of which his wife Lee is still Honorary Director. He was awarded the OBE in 1982.

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  • PublisherPenguin Books Ltd
  • Publication date2008
  • ISBN 10 0141037474
  • ISBN 13 9780141037479
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages388
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781909621985: My Family and Other Animals (Macmillan Collector's Library)

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9781909621985
Publisher: Macmillan Collector's Library, 2016
Hardcover

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    Viking, 2017
    Softcover

  • 9780142004418: My Family and Other Animals

    Pengui..., 2004
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  • 9780141321875: My Family And Other Animals

    Puffin, 2006
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  • 9780141374109: My Family and Other Animals

    Puffin, 2016
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Gerald Durrell
Published by Penguin Books Ltd, London (2008)
ISBN 10: 0141037474 ISBN 13: 9780141037479
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is a charming and comic autobiographical novel. Fleeing the gloomy British climate, the Durrell clan move to Corfu carrying the bare essentials of life: acne cures for Margo; revolvers for Leslie; books for Larry and a jam jar full of caterpillars for Gerry. Recounted with warmth and humour, it is a heart-warming portrait of an eccentric family surrounded by a wonderful cast of friends and fauna. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037479

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ISBN 10: 0141037474 ISBN 13: 9780141037479
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is a charming and comic autobiographical novel. Fleeing the gloomy British climate, the Durrell clan move to Corfu carrying the bare essentials of life: acne cures for Margo; revolvers for Leslie; books for Larry and a jam jar full of caterpillars for Gerry. Recounted with warmth and humour, it is a heart-warming portrait of an eccentric family surrounded by a wonderful cast of friends and fauna. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037479

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Published by Penguin Books Ltd, London (2008)
ISBN 10: 0141037474 ISBN 13: 9780141037479
New Paperback Quantity: 1
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is a charming and comic autobiographical novel. Fleeing the gloomy British climate, the Durrell clan move to Corfu carrying the bare essentials of life: acne cures for Margo; revolvers for Leslie; books for Larry and a jam jar full of caterpillars for Gerry. Recounted with warmth and humour, it is a heart-warming portrait of an eccentric family surrounded by a wonderful cast of friends and fauna. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037479

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