Birds Beasts and Relatives

Books

The Corfu Trilogy incorporates three autobiographical novels, namely My Family and Other Animals (1956), Birds, Beasts and Relatives (1969) and The Garden of the Gods (1978).

Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the sequel to the bestseller, My Family and Other Animals. While it was never as famous as the first book of Gerald Durrell’s family, it continues the story of the writer’s childhood on the Greek isle of Corfu. Divided into three parts, Perama, Kontokali and Criseda, which correspond to areas the Durrells inhabited, the book incorporates the untold stories of the family.

At the beginning, in a short piece entitled Conversation, the writer casually mentions the fact to his family. He probably does not choose the best time. The entire family is struck down with flu on a grey day in England. As he observes, ‘‘they were grouped, like a pride of moody lions, round a fire …’’.

Gerry was the youngest of four siblings which included, Larry, Leslie and Margo. (His mother was a widow.) What is not immediately apparent to the average reader, is that the ‘‘star’’ of these books is none other than Lawrence Durrell, the famous literary figure. The eldest of Gerald’s siblings, he is simply referred to as ‘‘Larry”. Writer of The Alexandria Quartet, which was nominated for the Booker Prize, his first editor was none other than T.S. Eliot.

“I wouldn’t mind being lampooned in decent prose,” Larry pointed out, blowing his nose vigorously, “but to be lampooned in bad English is unbearable.”

The family recount the fact that none of them enjoyed the first book.

“The title alone is insulting,” said Margo. “My Family and Other animals! I get sick of people saying, ‘And which other animal are you?’”

Nevertheless, Gerald writes the second book, and without being sued.

If you enjoyed the first, take this into the sunshine, preferably under a tree with some lemonade, and lose yourself in the idyllic world of Gerry’s childhood.