Corsair, 2015, 352 p.
If you enjoyed watching The Durrells on TV recently then you’ll probably enjoy reading Fillets of Place by Gerald Durrell. It was first published in 1971 and it consists of just 191 pages with five chapters, each of them about a particular Durrell escapade.
The settings are all over the place, reflecting some of the varied locations that Gerald Durrell lived in over the years. His first job as a youngster in London was in a pet shop where he knew much more about the animals than the man who ran the place. Gerald seems always to have had a knack for making friends with unusual characters so this adds up to an entertaining read.
The only gripe I have about the book is that I found it a wee bit disconcerting to go straight from him being a 15 year old in London to the next section which has him at least double the age and living in colonial Africa. Just one of the chapters features Corfu and his family but that is not a problem, he met up with plenty more interesting people in his travels. He does mention that the Ibo – a Nigerian tribe spent their time crossing the border into Cameroon to con the Cameroonians out of whatever they had, and I couldn’t help wondering if that is the same tribe that tries to con people on the internet nowadays!
In the Corfu section it’s mother’s birthday and as the Durrells are all rather self-centred the poor woman has been given presents that they all want themselves. After telling them not to remove her beloved ice box from the kitchen they of course do just that, intending to take it on the boat as they sail off for the birthday picnic. It is of course a disaster.
It’s incredible for me to think that this book was written getting on for 50 years ago and he was writing about the past then, so a lot of what he is writing about seems like another world now, colonial Africa in particular. But even in the 1970s I was bothered by Gerald’s obsession with collecting and caging wild animals. I can’t imagine why such an animal lover would want to do that, he mentions having a pair of magpies in captivity, what a thought, but I suppose times were just different back then. It isn’t all about animals though, one chapter is about a horrendous nose bleed and another is about a crazy girlfriend. It’s a fun read.
I read quite a few of Gerald Durrell’s books back in the 1970s but I don’t recall reading anything by his brother Lawrence, although I’ve recently bought a couple of his books. Have any of you read anything by Lawrence Durrell?
Loved the TV show The Durrells! Have not read anything by them though. This one sounds good!
Peggy,
You would enjoy his writing I think. I hope there is going to be another Durrell series.
I’m planning to reda My Family and Other Animals – I’ve been meaning to read it for years and the tv series reminded me. I too, wonder about his collecting of animals but overall he did a huge amount towards conservation and animal protection. I’ve never read any of his brother’s work but I’d be interested in hearing what it’s like.
Sandra,
That’s one of the books I read back in the 70s I’m sure. Good fun as I recall. I think it was just a different time when people were happy to ‘own’ animals and forget about how miserable it must have been for them aged up. I think the conservation side of it is the only good reason to have them in captivity.
I’ve read almost a dozen of Gerald’s books. I had Lawrence’s The Alexandria Quartet but never made any headway with it. I much prefer Gerald’s style and subject matter.
Joan,
I have a couple of Lawrence’s books and started Justine, but like you I haven’t got far. I’ll give it another go sometime though.
Since watching the final episode of the Durrells on TV I’m now half way through Fillets of Plaice. It’s rather good and much fun. It does make me sad that Gerry’s gone from being a boy in TV to being deceased in 2007 and this “grief” I’ve experienced has propelled me to watch a few YouTube films he’s made about the Jersey Conservation trust and the Durrells Trust and I think I shall probably read some more of his books.
Katy,
I’m not sure if I read that one. I read quite a few of his books in the 1970s. I had no idea that there were You Tube films of his work. I’ll have to have a look at them. Thanks for the info.
Katrina