Gerald Durrell

Gerald Durrell

Gerald Durrell (Gerald Malcolm Durrell) was born on January 7th, 1925. Gerald passed away January 30th, 1995 at 70 years old. Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India.

Gerald Durrell was a British naturalist, author, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He was born in Jamshedpur, India, during British rule. After his father died in 1928, the family moved to England. In 1935, they relocated to Corfu and lived there for four years, until World War II forced them to return to the UK.

In 1946, Durrell used an inheritance from his father’s estate to finance animal-collecting expeditions in the British Cameroons and British Guiana. He married Jacquie Rasen in 1951, but the couple struggled financially. At her suggestion, Durrell wrote about his first trip to the Cameroons, The Overloaded Ark, which became a success. This encouraged him to write more books about his adventures. Gerald Durrell’s books capture both his adventures collecting animals and the colorful world of his own family.

In 1953, he embarked on an expedition to Argentina and Paraguay, and three years later published My Family and Other Animals, which also became a bestseller.

My Family and Other Animals is Gerald Durrell’s charming memoir of his childhood on the Greek island of Corfu. The book feels as though you have come across a stack of family journals and cannot put them down, even if you never imagined you would be interested in the habits of scorpions or the details of beetle behavior. Durrell records the island’s wildlife with fascination and precision. However, what makes the memoir truly special is how he also portrays his eccentric family with warmth and humor.

The narrative is filled with absurd and unforgettable moments. When the family hires a Greek housekeeper named Lugaretzia, she seems to collect new ailments as quickly as Gerald collects animals. After her stomach finally improves, her feet give out, and she limps sorrowfully through the villa.

Gerald’s brother Larry jokes that their mother has not hired a maid at all but a ghost, and he suggests giving her a ball and chain so the family can hear her approach before she startles them with her sudden groaning.

Durrell’s storytelling is gentle, witty, and leisurely. Instead of rushing through events or creating false drama, he lets each episode unfold naturally, much like the style found in Enchanted April or Under the Tuscan Sun. This is writing that invites you to slow down, laugh out loud, and savor every page.

My Family and Other Animals is far more than a naturalist’s diary. It is a vivid, laugh-filled portrait of family life in a Mediterranean paradise, a book to treasure for years. By the time you finish it, you will not only want to visit Corfu but also want to read the other two books in Durrell’s beloved trilogy.

Gerald Durrell: Lists & Other Mentions

• My Family and Other Animals was a The Queen's Reading Room Season 12 Pick.
• My Family and Other Animals:
  1. BBC: 100 Greatest Childrens Books of All Time Selection in 2023.
  2. TES Magazine: Teacher's Favourite Books List Selection in 2013.

Related Authors

Fans of Gerald Durrell also enjoy these authors:

1. Neil Gaiman, author of the American Gods Series.
2. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
3. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings Series.
4. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
5. Agatha Christie, author of: And Then There Were None / Ten Little Indians / Ten Little N*ggers.

Gerald Durrell: F.A.Q