My Family and Other Animals

[erilyn]

Just watched a lovely film version of Gerald Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals", a book I've enjoyed many times (though I don't love it as much as "The Mockery Bird"). It was well done, the kid who played Gerry had incredible eyes, and the actor who played Larry is pretty hot.

However, it raised an interesting point about RPF to me. Because Gerald Durrell was, in a way, writing fiction about his family. Cause he didn't just imaginatively embellish/exaggerate for humourous effect - there are major differences between the Corfu books and reality. One example - his brother Larry was actually married and living separately to the rest of the family, but the wife is never mentioned and Larry lives with them. And it's not like the family come out of the books in the best light ;)

So, RPF or no different to any other autobiography? Actually, I think I had more of a point when I started writing this post, but I've completely been distracted thinking about how much I want to visit Greece, specifically Corfu *g*.

Comments

[ephemera-pop.livejournal.com]

ohh - interesting. I devoured those books as a kid, and, of course, at the time, it never occured to me that they were anything but truthfull. I wonder if I can find my copies at my mum's house to re-read with my current perspective...

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

The differences were pointed out to me by dad, from a (what we believe to be reasonably good) biography of Durrell. He's the real Durrell fan, I've mostly stuck to the novels and Corfu books, which I love :)