The Picnic and Suchlike Pandemonium

This is Gerald Durrell at his side-splitting best. Of all his books is our family's favorite. "The Picnic" is best read aloud among friends or family...if you can manage to hold yourself together to read amidst the hilarity.

It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud when I was reading "The Picnic" story on the train. Larry returns to England after 10 years' absence and embarks on a picnic with Mother, Margo, Margo's husband Jack, Leslie and of course Gerry. The consequences are hilarious of course. Adult Durrell mayhem at its best - what a wonderfully wacky family! This is great if you can't get enough of them!

This is the only book I've read by Gerald Durrell and it is great! The stories are so wonderfully told with a combination of keen human insight and the ability to laugh at it. He had a wonderful talent for descriptive writing. You can almost taste the dinner he writes about. Most of the stories are short and relatively light in nature, but be prepared for the last story in the book. It's the longest, so set aside a long evening and arrange for no interruptions because you will not be able to stop until you finish.

An absolute corker of a book! This short story collection has six enchanting short stories - from the warm,cozy atmosphere of Durrell's family on "Pudding Isle"(England) to the fast paced eerie short story about the mirrors . Written in typical Gerald Durrell narrative, the reader is exposed to a whole range of settings - from the british countryside, to the laid back mediterranean charm, from the French winegrowing district blossoming in the sun , to classic Gothic horror settings! A must have for durrell fans, and those new to Durrell alike!