Book Review: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

My Family & Other Animals is, as hinted at by the title, a humorous, mostly autobiographical account of the author’s early years, which were spent in Corfu in the 1930s with his mother and three older siblings.  Not only do we become acquainted with his eccentric, very English family, we are also introduced to plenty of the locals: a mix of humans, animals, birds, insects and plant life.

Durrell’s family moved to Corfu when he was 8 years old.  Before this they had lived in India and England, so his was not exactly your average upbringing. 

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Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London

When I was little I used to watch an animated television series called The Legend of White Fang.  I was mad for dogs as a kid and at one point desperately wanted to be a vet, so of course I adored the programme.  When I realised years later that the series was based on the books by Jack London, I placed his novels firmly on my to-read list, but didn’t get round to getting hold of any copies until (surprise surprise) I spotted one going cheap.

As expected, I loved these two stories.