Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (1969)

by Gerald Durrell

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Corfu Trilogy (2)

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Biography & Autobiography. Nature. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML: *The follow-up to My Family and Other Animals* and the inspiration for The Durrells in Corfu: A naturalist's memoir of his family's time on a Greek island.** In the years before World War II, Gerald Durrell's family left the gloomy shores of England for the sun-drenched island of Corfu. Against this picturesque backdrop, Durrell fondly recalls his family's disorderly household and outrageous antics, including their interactions with locals of both human and animal varieties. After a boyhood spent studying zoology and acquiring the island's exotic insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and sea creatures as pets, Durrell's budding naturalism would later bloom into a passion for conservation that would last a lifetime. Filled with clever observations, amusing anecdotes, and childlike wonder, Birds, Beasts and Relatives is half nature guide, half coming-of-age tale, and all charmingly funny memoir. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author's estate. .… (more)

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My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (VivienneR)

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More anecdotal tales of Durrell's family time in Greece in the thirtys. Lots of interesting and humorous interactions with wildlife including, eels, beetles, a donkey, hedgehogs and a bear. Some of the descriptions of his family tend to be very caricaturish, however, he has great interactions with his tutors and the local people. Looking forward to the final volume. (

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Linda-C1 | Sep 26, 2024 |

This book is interesting, highly amusing, humane, and just simply wonderful. While I was reading it, Peter Mayles' A Year In Provence came to mind. Not that they are in any way similar. It was because I distinctly remember being struck while reading Mayles' book how self-consciously humorous it was. Yes, it was funny, but I could feel how Mayles had worked to make it so.

Not so with Gerald Durrell. His humor is truthful and comes from the heart. There's no artifice and much of it is laugh-out-loud funny. His family is a riot and his stories have the simplicity of truth. I'm looking forward to finding and reading the third of the trilogy. (

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dvoratreis | May 22, 2024 |

Hilarious and moving. Exquisite descriptions of the island and it's flora and fauna.

ritaer | May 6, 2024 |

Durrell revisits his childhood on Corfu – since clearly he forgot some of the best stories, according to his family. Full of beautiful and silly reminiscences of a different time, a different place. (

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jennybeast | Apr 14, 2022 |

When I was eleven years old my grandmother gave me Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals for Christmas. I read it cover to cover before New Years and have reread it several times since. While My Family and Other Animals is very appropriate for an eleven year old Birds, Beasts and Relatives has somewhat more adult content. This is the second of a Corfu Trilogy. Gerald's adventures catching and collecting all kinds of wild creatures and the people he meets on the island of Corfu make for some very amusing tales. The author's older brother Lawrence Durrell lived with the family and brought many interesting and amusing friends to visit. Among the animals in this book are Gerald's donkey, Sara, three dogs, two owls, a toad and a bear that follows Gerry home and shocks the family at tea. A fun book. Just as amusing as the TV series or maybe more so. (

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MMc009 | Jan 30, 2022 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Gerald Durrell	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
夏樹, 池澤	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Davenport, Nigel	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Corfu Trilogy (2)

Belongs to Publisher Series

Alianza Tres (62)

Edhasa Clàssics Moderns

Fontana (2751)

Fontana 2751

集英社文庫

Is contained in

The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell

Encounters with Animals | My Family and Other Animals | Birds, Beasts, and Relatives by Джеральд Даррелл

Durrell Boxed Set: Birds, Beasts and Relatives; Two in the Bush; Rosy is My Relative; Beasts in My Bed by Gerald Durrell

My Family and Other Animals & Birds, Beasts and Relatives by Gerald Durrell

Is abridged in

MAR DE HIERBA. CHACAL. MUJER SOLITARIA. LOS DURRELL EN CORFU (Biblioteca De Selecciones)1972 by Reader's Digest

▾Awards and Honors

Notable Lists

Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection – 1969)

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Canonical title

Birds, Beasts, and Relatives

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1969

People/Characters

Important places

Corfu, Greece

Important events

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Epigraph

Dedication

To Theodore Stephanides in gratitude for laughter and for learning.

First words

It had been a hard winter, and even when spring was supposed to have taken over, the crocuses - which seemed to have a touching and unshaken faith in the seasons - were having to push their way grimly through a thin crust of snow.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

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Birds, Beasts, and Relatives

▾Book descriptions

Biography & Autobiography. Nature. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:

The follow-up to My Family and Other Animals and the inspiration for The Durrells in Corfu: A naturalist's memoir of his family's time on a Greek island.
In the years before World War II, Gerald Durrell's family left the gloomy shores of England for the sun-drenched island of Corfu. Against this picturesque backdrop, Durrell fondly recalls his family's disorderly household and outrageous antics, including their interactions with locals of both human and animal varieties.

After a boyhood spent studying zoology and acquiring the island's exotic insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and sea creatures as pets, Durrell's budding naturalism would later bloom into a passion for conservation that would last a lifetime.

Filled with clever observations, amusing anecdotes, and childlike wonder, Birds, Beasts and Relatives is half nature guide, half coming-of-age tale, and all charmingly funny memoir.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author's estate.

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