At a glance
First published1969
SettingCorfu, Greece, 1930s
AudienceAdult
Birds, Beasts and Relatives
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Readers who loved My Family and Other Animals and want to follow Gerald Durrell deeper into his naturalist obsessions, or anyone drawn to memoir that blends comic family chaos with serious wildlife observation and a vivid sense of 1930s Corfu.
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Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the second volume of Gerald Durrell's autobiographical Corfu Trilogy, returning the Durrell family to 1930s Greece with even deeper dives into the island's wildlife alongside the beloved household chaos. Richer in zoological detail and conservation resonance than its predecessor, it rewards readers who come prepared with the context of My Family and Other Animals — those who skip straight to this volume may find its emotional payoff slightly diminished. For lovers of nature writing, mid-century travel memoir, and sharply affectionate family comedy, it is an essential continuation.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers already fond of the Corfu Trilogy, Birds, Beasts and Relatives is an essential and deeply rewarding continuation — its wildlife observations carry real zoological and conservation weight, and Durrell's comic rendering of family life remains a strong narrative engine. Even readers who find the balance shifted slightly away from the family comedy of the first book toward wildlife will likely agree with the Earnestly Eccentric blogger's verdict that it is 'an absolute delight to read.' Durrell's legacy as a conservationist and founder of the Jersey Zoo lends retrospective significance to his childhood observations, making this as much a document of a vocation taking shape as a collection of funny, tender stories.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy Birds, Beasts and Relatives will naturally want to begin — or continue — with My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, the first volume of the Corfu Trilogy and the essential companion to this book. For memoir blended with travel and a strong sense of place, Far and Wild: A Travel Memoir by Fabiana Capuano and Brant Huddleston and The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman offer a similar mix of adventure, landscape, and personal discovery. David Sedaris's The Land and Its People: Essays shares the sharp comic sensibility and affectionate, observational voice that characterises Durrell's writing. Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle is another memoir driven by an eccentric family rendered with both affection and unflinching honesty.
- Who should read this?
- Birds, Beasts and Relatives will reward readers drawn to nature writing, memoir with a strong comic sensibility, and mid-twentieth-century travel writing rooted in a specific place and era. It is particularly suited to anyone who loved My Family and Other Animals and wants to follow Gerald Durrell's developing naturalist voice further, as well as to readers interested in conservation history who want to see the seeds of Durrell's lifelong commitment to wildlife taking shape. Those coming purely for the family-comedy register of the first book should know the balance tips somewhat more toward wildlife observation in this volume.
- About Gerald Durrell
- Gerald Malcolm Durrell was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. His work across these fields made him one of the most recognisable figures in twentieth-century wildlife conservation and popular natural history writing.
- Where to start with Durrell?
- Readers new to Gerald Durrell should begin with My Family and Other Animals, the first volume of the Corfu Trilogy, which establishes the family, the Corfu setting, and the comic-naturalist voice that runs through the entire series. Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the second volume and its emotional payoff is significantly greater when read in sequence. The Open Road Media Kindle edition conveniently packages the complete trilogy for new readers.
- Why does this matter for conservation?
- Published sources note that Durrell's accounts of endangered species on Corfu speak meaningfully to conservation concerns, giving Birds, Beasts and Relatives a purpose beyond charming reminiscence. The young Gerald's detailed observations of animal behaviours, habitats, and precarious situations on the island carry real zoological weight, and Durrell's later founding of the Jersey Zoo means readers can trace the origins of a significant conservation legacy directly in these childhood episodes. The book functions, in part, as a document of a vocation taking shape.
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Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
About Gerald Durrell
Where to start with Durrell?
Why does this matter for conservation?
Summarize this book
Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the second installment of Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy, picking up where My Family and Other Animals left off as the young Gerald — already a devoted naturalist by age ten — continues his obsessive pursuit of Corfu's wildlife alongside his wonderfully eccentric family in the 1930s. The narrative weaves together animal rescues, family comedy, and vivid glimpses of Greek culture, including the disruption caused by King George's return to Greece and the chaos brought on by visiting personalities such as the memorably eccentric Prince Jeejeebuoy. It functions simultaneously as autobiography, nature writing, and travelogue, all in Durrell's singular comic voice.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if you're looking for laugh-out-loud family comedy above all else and have little interest in detailed wildlife and nature observation.
Editorial Review
The second volume of Gerald Durrell's beloved Corfu Trilogy deepens the naturalist memoir begun in My Family and Other Animals, following the young Gerald and his wonderfully chaotic family through further adventures on the Greek island — blending sharp comic observation, rich portraits of wildlife, and an abiding love for a landscape that shaped one of the twentieth century's great conservationists.
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