My Family and Other Animals

By: Gerald Durrell

Narrated by: Nigel Davenport

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

This memoir is soaked in the sunshine of Corfu, where Gerald Durrell lived as a boy, surrounded by his eccentric family - as well as puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies.

©1956 Gerald Durrell (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A lot of frolic, fun, and charming ribaldry, as well as the warm feeling of having been transported to a lovely spot where worry is unknown and anything is believable." ( The New York Times)

Good Natured Fun

Enjoyed this book. Family Hilarity- good and simple. The joy of learning. Perfect for roadtrips.

So much fun

This was a total change of pace for me. while I expected to enjoy it, I never thought it would be a five star listen. I've seen some of the episodes of the Durrells in Corfu on television, but haven't sought it out. I see that this is part of a trilogy so the other books are on my wish list now.

I laughed so hard many times while listening to this and made my 22 year old listen to one segment. My 22 year old loves animals as much as Gerald Durrell, the writer who is a boy in this book, and would probably bring home a menagerie if allowed.

As to another five star review, let me say that I don't listen to anything that doesn't seem worthy of my time. There are books I've hated and some that I loathed so much that I put them down. But I've been lucky on Audible so far and not had to return any books yet.

Great stories hurt by bad narration

Narrator did terrific old men voices. But he could not handle young male voices so even the teenage Leslie and 20-something Larry sounded like old men. It really hurt the listening experience.

Incredible author and narrator

Had to stop driving and pull over at the chapter where dodo was introduced as I was laughing too much to drive safely. Brilliant five stars all round, no word is wasted

Hilarious! Wish it was a longer book!

Despite the long sections about his time as a boy observing animals and bugs, the stories about the Durrell's were hilarious and even funnier than the TV show, and it was great to see that the actors of the show really do the family justice! Fun listen.

How had I never heard of this book?

First - it must be said that this is a different book. It is told by someone that grew up in an atypical family (however, perhaps it is no longer atypical & is actual the norm??). Either way, it was an interesting family & the "weirdness" (if that is what it should be called) is so endearing, you love all the characters.

This read was so good, I ended up watching the TV Series that is currently out for streaming.

A firm favourite

I have loved this book for 50 years and this audio version is beautifully narrated. Highly recommended. One to listen to again and again.

Great fun!

This is a warm, funny story of a large, eccentric family and their adventures in a new land.

Still charming

Davenport reads this beautifully, and I can see why, in my junior high school days, I was such an enthusiastic Gerald Durrell fan: the jolly tone, the exotic locale, the focus on wildlife, the amusingly eccentric family, the occasional slapstick misadventure, the seemingly carefree existence that the boyish hero enjoys, etc. Today I'm a little more resistant to the book's relentless sunniness, but no one does it better than Durrell.

Wonderful, descriptive writing

While some reviewers tired of the animal descriptions, I found them very interesting. Anyone who has an above-average love for animals will enjoy Mr. Durrell's descriptive book. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of people and their behavior. The narrator could not have done a better job, A+.