I wrote a review a little while back on My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: an autobiographical account of the author’s unorthodox childhood in Corfu. I liked the book very much and enjoyed getting to know Durrell’s pets, neighbours and eccentric family members.
Judith is written by Gerald Durrell’s older brother Lawrence. Lawrence Durrell is in fact much better-known as a writer, having published a huge range of work including novels, travel writings, poetry and plays throughout his long literary career; I just happened to chance across Gerald’s work first. I’m glad I did, actually, as I felt as though I had already got to know Judith’s author to some degree. I was pleased to find that the same type of humour and clever character sketches which made me warm to My Family and Other Animals were also present in this novel, even though this is a very different kind of book.
TheBrontëSister 