My Animals and Other Family

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It starred Hannah Gordon as Louisa Durrell and Brian Blessed as Spiro Amerikanos, with Darren Redmayne playing the young Gerry. Gerald Durrell's brother, Lawrence Durrell, a well-known author in his own right, has been quoted as saying that his brother's books are proof that children should be sent away to boarding school and not allowed to sit in on adult conversations and goings-on.

I should mention that I've not read the book (another to do) so I'm not able to compare in that sense. I hadn’t considered this when I began to listen to her autobiography a few days ago, but it is certainly an apt time to experience her book. From her struggles at boarding school to her triumphs as an amateur jockey and event rider, Clare weaves her own coming-of-age story through portraits of the beloved horses and dogs, from the protective Candy to the unruly Frank, who were her earliest friends. Gerry discovers a small archipelago after the family invests in an outboard engine for their boat the Sea Cow, though they forbid him from taking it out himself.The acting is very fitting to the surroundings, Hannah Gordon is serene as the mother, and credit to Brian Blessed, he's still the Brian Blessed we all know (and love) but fittingly he is not as bombastic as usual. She describes her formidable grandmother's reaction to the birth of a girl as "It's a girl, nevermind, keep trying! This was different, however: Balding's book is amazing because despite the privileged home and 24/7 access to her animals, she shares the painful effects of a cold, unemotional home.

Clare lives in west London with her partner, Alice, their wayward Tibetan terrier, Archie, and their cat, Itty. The Real Durrells invite the Other Durrells, Spiro, Theo and all who worked on the production (even the Producer). I should probably preface this review in saying that I have absolutely no interest in sport and most certainly not for horse racing, the decision to read this book was made purely out of fascination and intrigue yet it becomes the first biography I have chosen to review here, to receive five stars.I laughed plenty, I cried twice, I remembered a million things about horses and horse-racing that I'd forgotten I knew, and when it was finished, I could have read it all over again. Instead she discovered a prowess for horse riding, and discovered her inherent competitive streak which is a delight to read of.