Fillets of Plaice in Retro Reads

Feb 18, 2019 Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoirs, humour, keeping-it-short

3.5★

These random, "real life" (more on that later) stories from Durrell's life were a real mixed bag for me

A natural born raconteur;

Durrell appeared to be quite at home writing his tales down, but apparently he never loved writing or thought of himself as a writer - it was always a way to raise money. Some of his stories stood the test of time. Others really didn't. 🙄

The Birth of a Title Charming snippet that shows the close bond between GD & his brother Lawrence Durrell ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Barb in Maryland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies

A collection of 5 slice of life stories by the noted naturalist.
While I loved the very charming "A Transport of Terrapins", I found the other four merely okay. As someone new to this author's writings, I suspect that this collection was not the best place to start. ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars- Sweet, funny, charming short stories from naturalist Gerald Durrell. I’ve seen the Durrells in Corfu on PBS, which was funny, but seemed mostly focused on the romantic lives of the various family members, and didn’t know what to expect from this book, which I read with the Retro Reads group.

The stories are varied, from different times in his life, not really told in any particular order or with a theme - except all reflect his warmth, sense of humor and love of animals! I really enjoy ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Jemima Raven rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-autobiography, genre-historic-non-fiction, book-club-reads-2019, my-4-star-friends, format-on-my-home-bookshelf, type-series, genre-history, format-audible, genre-humour, theme-another-culture

A fun and enjoyable read. There is nothing quite like curling up on a cold afternoon in front of a warm fire and comfort reading Gerald Durrell's fabulously quirky and hilarious tales of his multifaceted life. From his time as a child in Corfu with his remarkable family, through the many collecting and documentary journeys he made to far flung, exotic parts of the world, right up to his days of running his own zoo on Jersey, his short stories told in the manner of the consummate raconteur, can m ...more

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