beautifulandfullofmonsters's review against another edition
4.5
He’s a little racist and misogynistic but a good writer and genuinely really funny.
vaibhavi8's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful! This book is a collection of hilarious anecdotes of Durrell's time as a keeper at Whipsnade Zoo. Durrell's admiration and respect for animals is enchanting. As a naturalist he has wonderful observational skills and as a writer this translates well to paper. The result is a charming book about the wonderful world of animals along with an urgent message to save them. Recommended for anyone who loves animals and enjoys humor.
anastasiamakes's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
I'm not big on non-fiction, but Gerald Durrell is always a bit of fun. Following his year working at Whipsnade Zoo in his youth, we explore Durrell's experiences of and relationships with the different animals and keepers at the zoo.
I found the structure a bit random - they were very long chapters named after one particular animal but that meandered through all sorts. Personally I would have broken these up or introduced a clearer structure, but aware that's just my preference!
I also struggled a bit with some of the 'dated' knowledge - I read with some discomfort the 'humorous' descriptions of behaviours we now believe to be related to psychological distress in animals - but the overarching message of the necessity of conservation remains an important one to this day, unfortunately.
I found the structure a bit random - they were very long chapters named after one particular animal but that meandered through all sorts. Personally I would have broken these up or introduced a clearer structure, but aware that's just my preference!
I also struggled a bit with some of the 'dated' knowledge - I read with some discomfort the 'humorous' descriptions of behaviours we now believe to be related to psychological distress in animals - but the overarching message of the necessity of conservation remains an important one to this day, unfortunately.
guojing's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as my first of his books, A Zoo in My Luggage, but it was still an always delightful read filled with funny anecdotes and details about the raising of animals, like giraffes (don't stand behind one), tigers (I pictured a cat playing with a mouse before eating it as he described the tiger's play), polar bears. The tales weren't quite as funny nor the scene quite as set as in the earlier work; one does get the impression that this is a work by a good author, written at a time other than his prime.
If anything else, it certainly did not dissuade me from intending to pick up yet another of his books before too long. Perhaps the inaugural work of the Corfu Trilogy would make for a good intermediary piece before returning back to his later stories of his zoo days.
If anything else, it certainly did not dissuade me from intending to pick up yet another of his books before too long. Perhaps the inaugural work of the Corfu Trilogy would make for a good intermediary piece before returning back to his later stories of his zoo days.
mybookishhedgemaze's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
bookhound's review against another edition
4.0
I love Gerald Durrell's writing- he is hilarious. This is an account of his experience as a student keeper at the Whipsnade Zoo in 1945 and includes priceless recollections of singing bears, tigers, sulky lions, camels, giraffes, and many others. The other zookeepers are too good to be true, especially Captain Beale.
The audio was delightful: narrator Rupert Degas.
The audio was delightful: narrator Rupert Degas.
bookhound's review against another edition
4.0
I love Gerald Durrell's writing- he is hilarious. This is an account of his experience as a student keeper at the Whipsnade Zoo in 1945 and includes priceless recollections of singing bears, tigers, sulky lions, camels, giraffes, and many others. The other zookeepers are too good to be true, especially Captain Beale.
The audio was delightful: narrator Rupert Degas.
The audio was delightful: narrator Rupert Degas.
sarahs_book_nook's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book really entertaining. Durrell has a humerous way of writing that I really liked. The dialogue he used when people where speaking was quite funny. The Captain with whom he stayed with during his time at Whipsnade zoo was horrible to his wife though. The language and way he yelled at her really give a clear indication of how times have changed. Her "yes dear" made me cringe. I wish she could have told him where to go.
Some of the zoo practices and the way the animals were captured, quarantined or seperated from one another during cleaning or medical checks was a bit old fashioned and not the greatest. I'm glad things have changed somewhat for todays zoo animals. Obviously for Durrell the safety and well being of the animals was his first priority even if it was a little archaic.
All in all I really enjoyed this book.
Some of the zoo practices and the way the animals were captured, quarantined or seperated from one another during cleaning or medical checks was a bit old fashioned and not the greatest. I'm glad things have changed somewhat for todays zoo animals. Obviously for Durrell the safety and well being of the animals was his first priority even if it was a little archaic.
All in all I really enjoyed this book.
thebobsphere's review
5.0
One of my faves - After the second world war, Durrell was bumming around London and was hired as a zookeeper at Whipsnade. Each chapter focuses on a different section of the zoo that he worked on, including the strange characters who helped him. There are a couple of laughs like the kid who thinks a tiger is a zebra or the colonel who bellows and guzzles curries.
This book is quite important as it was Durrell's first steps in realising that he could set up his own zo and take it to different levels, namely as a conservation unit, which we all know, he did.
This book is quite important as it was Durrell's first steps in realising that he could set up his own zo and take it to different levels, namely as a conservation unit, which we all know, he did.
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