Book Review: My Family and Other Animals

Title: My Family and Other Animals
Author: Gerald Durrell
Why I Read This: I found it in a box of old books at my mom's house and I loved the whimsical cover art and witty title.
Short Summary: A nostalgic account of Gerry's youthful hobby of zoology, his crazy family and the interesting characters he meets on the Greek island of Corfu.

Since this book is a narrative about an actual zoologists' childhood it didn't have much of a captivating plot. It was kind of a slow read. The author filled many pages with very descriptive paragraphs about Corfu, which really made me want to go there (although I wonder if it is still as quaint and charming, since he spent his childhood there in the early 1900's) but didn't make for a very exciting read.

The British author's character development is wonderful and his dialogue even more delightful. The characters in the book are all very interesting (artists, poets, scientists, from all over the world) and I often found myself laughing out loud at their conversations and adventures.

I also found the little tidbits Gerald shares about the animal life he studies very interesting. For example, did you know scorpions carry their little babies around by the dozens on their backs and male turtles battle it out for the attention of the lady turtles?

This is a good wholesome book and very educational.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.