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A review by anastasiamakes
Beasts in My Belfry by Gerald Durrell
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.