Menagerie Manor [Mass Market Paperback]

Gerald Durrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007

Menagerie Manor is sure to delight fans of Durrell’s beloved classic My Family and Other Animals and other accounts of his lifelong fascination with members of the animal kingdom. With his unfailing charm, Durrell tells the story of how he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of founding his own private zoo, the Manor of Les Augres, on the English Channel island of Jersey. With the help of an enduring wife, a selfless staff, and a reluctant bank manager, the zoo grows, and readers are treated to a colorful parade of the zoo’s unusual animal inhabitants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Animals come close to being Durrell’s best friends. . . . He writes about them with style, verve, and humor. (Time)

[Hours] of delightful entertainment. (Book Week)

This book is a certain joy. (New Statesman, London)

About the Author

Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India, in 1925. A student of zoology, he founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust on the Channel Island of Jersey. His other books include A Zoo in My Luggage and The Whispering Land (both available from Penguin).

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Paperback Printing edition (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143038532
• ISBN-13: 978-0143038535
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Travel > Europe > Great Britain > Channel Islands

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A zoo with a difference, July 26, 2005

By 

Frikle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Menagerie Manor (Paperback)

Unlike most other Durrel books which speak of his expeditions to study and work with animals, this one talks of him setting up his own zoo in the Channel island of Jersey. This book overturns a stereotype of the zoo as a humourless place with unhappy animals in poor conditions, at least for Durrell's zoo.

Much of the book deals with the characters he has become fond of - the "celebrity" animals in the zoo and the laughter and tears they have caused. It also speaks of the relationship between the zoo and the Jersey community - the initial reluctance followed by an outpouring of support. It also details many incidents that have occurred in the zoo, whether hilarious or touching.

A great read for all who love animals, as the author's attachment to them is felt in every page - as well as a testimony to what zoos can be within the scientific/community/ecological and environmental scale of things.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, February 17, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Menagerie Manor (Paperback)

This is a great book for all those who have a special place in their hearts for animals. Gerald Durrell takes us through his experiences in setting up a zoo in Jersey. It is a marvelous book full of humor. It sends out a message about saving wildlife. So, even if you are not the one to start a zoo, this book is a must read for you!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars really great book, September 2, 2010

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Menagerie Manor (Mass Market Paperback)

If you like Gerald Durrel in my opinion this is one of his best books. I have read all his books and this is in the top 5.
its funny, smart, and its great how he uses descriptive and proper writing. Just look at the cover and you see him holding a tapir.
It made me laugh my butt off i highly recomend it to anyone.