My family and other animals (by Gerald Durrell)

(Amazon UK link)

'My family and other animals' is the semi-autobiographical account of Gerald Durrell's family moving to Corfu when he was ten, and the years they spent there.

The author's interests, even at that age, were primarily related to animals. They encompassed the entire animal kingdom, including insects and reptiles. He was an avid collector, and delighted to find mentors able to help him. Some of the book features his expeditions around the island, to discover a variety of beasts, many of which he took home to study.

However the main appeal of the book is in the characters and conversations of Gerry's family - three older siblings, and their long-suffering mother.

Larry, the oldest, is literary-minded, and invites a succession of poets and artists to stay, sometimes without much notice. Leslie, a couple of years younger, is much more action-orientated, and particularly keen on shooting. Their sister Margo is rather flaky, but usually delighted with any small and sweet animals. Misunderstandings ensue, and a great deal of humour comes through.

The book also gives a good account of Corfu life in the 1930s, before the tourist industry took over. There's a little colonialist snobbery inherent, but I didn't find it too grating (Gerry talks casually about 'peasants' - although he considers most of them his friends).

Overall this book is a delightful account of a child's experiences with travelling, with culture adjustment and with nature. I first read it as a school textbook when I was about fourteen, but even that didn't spoil my enjoyment. I read it again about ten years later, and recently indulged once more. Highly enjoyable, recommended to anyone.

'My family and other animals' is not always in print as a single book, although it's widely available second-hand. It can also be found as part of a volume called the 'Corfu trilogy', also including the sequels 'Birds, beasts and relatives', and 'Garden of the gods'.