
My Family and Other Animals
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Narrated by:
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Hugh Bonneville
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By:
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Gerald Durrell
About this listen
The book is an autobiographical account of five years in the childhood of naturalist Gerald Durrell. The book is divided into three sections, marking the three villas in which the family lived on the island. Apart from Gerald (the youngest) and Larry, the family comprised their widowed mother, the gun-mad Leslie, and diet-obsessed sister Margo together with Roger the dog.
They are fiercely protected by their taxi-driver friend Spiro (Spyros "Americano" Chalikiopoulos) and mentored by the polymath Dr Theodore Stephanides who provides Gerald with his education in natural history. Other human characters, chiefly eccentric, include Gerald's private tutors, the artistic and literary visitors Larry invites to stay, and the local peasants who befriend the family. An audio treat for those young and old.
©1956 Gerald Durrell (P)2010 CSA WordListeners also enjoyed...
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A Zoo in My Luggage is the colorful, first-hand account of Gerald Durrell's six-month animal-collecting trip in British Cameroon, and his attempts to create his own zoo. Motivated by a passion for wildlife, and a desire to save endangered species from extinction, Durrell assembles a glorious panoply of exotic animals - including a female baboon called Georgina, who later runs amok in a department store; a black-eared squirrel, who tries to bury nuts in his ear; and a gentlemanly chimpanzee named Chumly, who greets him with an outstretched hand.
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excellent book
- By Dennis on 02-28-19
By: Gerald Durrell
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Whatever Happened to Margo?
- By: Margaret Durrell, Gerald Durrell - foreword
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- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1947, returning to the UK with two young children to support, Margaret Durrell starts a boarding house in Bournemouth. But any hopes of respectability are dashed as the tenants reveal themselves to be a host of eccentrics: from a painter of nudes to a pair of glamorous young nurses whose late-night shifts combined with an ever-revolving roster of gentleman callers leading to a neighbourhood rumour that Margo is running a brothel. Margo's own two sons, Gerry and Nicholas, prove to be every bit as mischievous as their famous Uncle Gerald.
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Not as good as I’d hoped!
- By sumita fleming on 09-21-24
By: Margaret Durrell, and others
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Beasts in My Belfry
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- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell's time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper - an opportunity that fulfilled a lifelong dream. Thanks to Rupert Degas's brilliant voicing, which captures all of Durrell's charm and wit, the listener can enjoy being taken behind the scenes of one of the world's very first zoos. This is a delightful portrait of the animals who lived there and those who looked after them.
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All his books are awesome
- By SJ on 09-17-21
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Stories from a Corfu Childhood
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Overall
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These five stories, written and read by Gerald Durrell himself, are taken from his books Birds, Beasts and Relatives and Fillets of Plaice. They were recorded on Jersey in 1985 and are used by kind permission of the Estate of Gerald Durrell.
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All stories from the second book but one
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The Aye-Aye and I
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Gerald Durrell's last book, The Aye-Aye and I, records his final animal-collecting expedition, a trip to Madagascar in 1990, and his efforts to save the elusive and mythical lemuroid known as the Aye-Aye. Prompted by the country's radical deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture, Durrell, his wife, and their team of zoologists embark on a mission to capture and conserve the species - distinguished by its "giant, chisel-like teeth", "round, hypnotic eyes", and large "spoon-like ears".
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Delightful
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The Whispering Land
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Overall
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Following on from the events in A Zoo in My Luggage, The Whispering Land sees Gerald Durrell and his wife Jacquie travel to Argentina to collect animals for their newly established zoo. With rare insight and unique charm, Durrell pulls the listener into the tropical landscape of Patagonia, where he witnesses magical moments with penguins, seals and ocelots, and encounters a hilarious cast of characters, including a swearing parrot and a belching guanaco.
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Delightful!
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A Zoo in My Luggage
- By: Gerald Durrell
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Zoo in My Luggage is the colorful, first-hand account of Gerald Durrell's six-month animal-collecting trip in British Cameroon, and his attempts to create his own zoo. Motivated by a passion for wildlife, and a desire to save endangered species from extinction, Durrell assembles a glorious panoply of exotic animals - including a female baboon called Georgina, who later runs amok in a department store; a black-eared squirrel, who tries to bury nuts in his ear; and a gentlemanly chimpanzee named Chumly, who greets him with an outstretched hand.
-
-
excellent book
- By Dennis on 02-28-19
By: Gerald Durrell
-
Whatever Happened to Margo?
- By: Margaret Durrell, Gerald Durrell - foreword
- Narrated by: Polly Edsell, Roy McMillan - preface
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1947, returning to the UK with two young children to support, Margaret Durrell starts a boarding house in Bournemouth. But any hopes of respectability are dashed as the tenants reveal themselves to be a host of eccentrics: from a painter of nudes to a pair of glamorous young nurses whose late-night shifts combined with an ever-revolving roster of gentleman callers leading to a neighbourhood rumour that Margo is running a brothel. Margo's own two sons, Gerry and Nicholas, prove to be every bit as mischievous as their famous Uncle Gerald.
-
-
Not as good as I’d hoped!
- By sumita fleming on 09-21-24
By: Margaret Durrell, and others
-
Beasts in My Belfry
- By: Gerald Durrell
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beasts in My Belfry is the wonderfully funny memoir about Gerald Durrell's time at Whipsnade Zoo and his experiences as a young zookeeper. Following the Second World War, Durrell joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper - an opportunity that fulfilled a lifelong dream. Thanks to Rupert Degas's brilliant voicing, which captures all of Durrell's charm and wit, the listener can enjoy being taken behind the scenes of one of the world's very first zoos. This is a delightful portrait of the animals who lived there and those who looked after them.
-
-
All his books are awesome
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By: Gerald Durrell
-
Stories from a Corfu Childhood
- A Selection of His Own Stories Written and Read by Gerald Durrell
- By: Gerald Durrell
- Narrated by: Gerald Durrell
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
These five stories, written and read by Gerald Durrell himself, are taken from his books Birds, Beasts and Relatives and Fillets of Plaice. They were recorded on Jersey in 1985 and are used by kind permission of the Estate of Gerald Durrell.
-
-
All stories from the second book but one
- By Sarah. on 05-21-18
By: Gerald Durrell
-
The Aye-Aye and I
- By: Gerald Durrell
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gerald Durrell's last book, The Aye-Aye and I, records his final animal-collecting expedition, a trip to Madagascar in 1990, and his efforts to save the elusive and mythical lemuroid known as the Aye-Aye. Prompted by the country's radical deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture, Durrell, his wife, and their team of zoologists embark on a mission to capture and conserve the species - distinguished by its "giant, chisel-like teeth", "round, hypnotic eyes", and large "spoon-like ears".
-
-
Delightful
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Story
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Critic reviews
My Favorite Yet!
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Delightfully humerous
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What an enchanting story!
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I must say, a good choice of an actor and one of the best in Audible.
Bravo!
Hugh Bonneville
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Why couldn't they have the full book?
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Love it, but please mark as Abridged!
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Listened Straight Thru
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Would you listen to My Family and Other Animals again? Why?
I would, and I do listen to this fine work, a good bedtime story too....absolutely delightful. It is out of print, and everybody who has curiosity and a sense of humor, or loves animals, and critters, or who hates them should read and enjoy this book...What other book might you compare My Family and Other Animals to and why?
For story telling, maybe Harry Potter, or Wind in the Willows. A wonderful true tale of a boy and his adventures. Hated to see some critters sacrificed, but that's how we learn.What about Hugh Bonneville’s performance did you like?
He was easy to listen to, and character voices were identifiable and delightful. Not since Harry Potter narrator have I enjoyed a performance as well. And it was a performance. I had to remind myself that this is a true story, of a boy, and how he grew up to become what he did..Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This was loaned to me, because my friend from the gardening club thought the antics reminded her of me...it was a paperback, and I am ever so hard on books, so I borrowed it from the public library, then lost it. It is out of print and the replacement cost was $40, then I found it on Audio, but didn't know how to listen to it. Now I do, and would pay to replace the lost book, and have a hard copy for myself.I laughed, wondered, and enjoyed every moment, then cried when it was the end.Any additional comments?
A must read for any kid who likes or hates bugs and things, and their moms too.This should be required reading
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Amazing story. narration was perfect!
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Superb interpretation
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