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Beasts in My Bed
Mrs. Durrell begins at the moment when she first set eyes on her future husband, Gerald . . . Her meetings with the othr members of his family, their efforts at home-making and their journeys together in search of animals for the zoo reveal a writer of wit, massive understatement and a most attractive style (jacket blurb). Footnotes by Gerald Durrell.
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 9, 2014
(3.5) Jacquie writes almost as well as Gerald, and in a similar style: wry and witty, with good recreated dialogue and charming descriptions of animal antics. This memoir chronicles their early married days with Mother and Margo in Bournemouth, collecting trips to Paraguay, Cameron, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia, and the early stages of setting up the Jersey Zoo. There’s a funny section about dancing with the Fon of Bafut (a recurring figure in Durrell’s work), and plenty of grumbling about permits, visas, customs and Land Rovers.
It was most interesting for me to see Gerald’s attitude toward his writing. Usually each collecting trip would result in a BBC program and a book. Brother Larry (Lawrence Durrell) was the first to suggest to Gerry that he should be cashing in as much as possible: “My dear boy, you are not seriously suggesting that you write three trips up as one book, are you? You must be mad. Surely to heaven you can get a book out of each one?” But Durrell didn’t like television or writing, per se; he only did them to fund his animal work. “I’m not a serous writer...merely a hack journalist who has the good fortune to be able to sell what he writes.” (The exception, perhaps, was My Family and Other Animals, which he bashed out in six weeks; it has been his most popular work ever since. Jacquie notes that it has also “unfortunately turned Corfu into a tourist attraction…a very sad thing for the Durrells, who loved it as it was.”)
There’s a nice section of B&W photographs in the center of my paperback copy. Jacquie has a gamine hairstyle that makes her look perpetually youthful. Gerry gives his own sardonic commentary through footnotes – which means he gets the last word. (Of course, there’s nothing here to suggest his drinking and womanizing, habits that contributed to their divorce in 1979.)
It’s almost one year ago exactly that my husband and I went to Jersey for a long weekend and stayed at Durrell Wildlife Park. I started reading this memoir just after our trip, put it on hold for ages, and finally finished it this week. It’s made me nostalgic to go back already...
Related reading:
Catch Me a Colobus by Gerald Durrell
It was most interesting for me to see Gerald’s attitude toward his writing. Usually each collecting trip would result in a BBC program and a book. Brother Larry (Lawrence Durrell) was the first to suggest to Gerry that he should be cashing in as much as possible: “My dear boy, you are not seriously suggesting that you write three trips up as one book, are you? You must be mad. Surely to heaven you can get a book out of each one?” But Durrell didn’t like television or writing, per se; he only did them to fund his animal work. “I’m not a serous writer...merely a hack journalist who has the good fortune to be able to sell what he writes.” (The exception, perhaps, was My Family and Other Animals, which he bashed out in six weeks; it has been his most popular work ever since. Jacquie notes that it has also “unfortunately turned Corfu into a tourist attraction…a very sad thing for the Durrells, who loved it as it was.”)
There’s a nice section of B&W photographs in the center of my paperback copy. Jacquie has a gamine hairstyle that makes her look perpetually youthful. Gerry gives his own sardonic commentary through footnotes – which means he gets the last word. (Of course, there’s nothing here to suggest his drinking and womanizing, habits that contributed to their divorce in 1979.)
It’s almost one year ago exactly that my husband and I went to Jersey for a long weekend and stayed at Durrell Wildlife Park. I started reading this memoir just after our trip, put it on hold for ages, and finally finished it this week. It’s made me nostalgic to go back already...
Related reading:
Catch Me a Colobus by Gerald Durrell
July 22, 2017
Having recently read Gerald Durrell's memoir instalment, Three Singles To Adventure, I was delighted to read his wife's account of how it came to be written as a desperate move to earn money to support the pair and their wildlife.
Jacquie writes in the style of a well bred young lady, whose northerly upbringing may have made her better suited than others for the hardships of life on the move. She recounts how she got to know the man she alternately refers to as Gerry and Durrell, and how her father cut her off for wanting to marry him so that the pair actually eloped. By that time the young man had been travelling and bringing back animals for zoos, and wanted to establish his own breeding collection as he could see that the increase in the human population and agriculture was destroying animal habitat; some of the creatures we meet in the book are threatened, nearly extinct or thought extinct and then rediscovered.
Look for footnotes by Gerald giving his amused comments on the text. This is fair play because when he got around to writing up his continuing adventures, his wife was prompting him, reminding him of their dance with the Fon of Bafut and so on, then either typing the book up or arranging for radio presentations, and TV filming of another expedition. The story includes the couple's travels to Argentina and Bafut, their arranging to rent a premises on Jersey to house a zoo, and the start of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
While there are fewer animals shown as individuals in this tale than in Gerald's writings, that is fine because he was the naturalist and his wife the long-suffering administrator. Some fun aspects of the period are ringing up one's bank to arrange travel on cargo ships to South America - I think my bank would be baffled if I did that - and meeting Laurence Durrell, author and Foreign Office member, plus dealing with agents, publishers and the BBC.
Enjoy! Gerald Durrell's animal collecting memoirs are being re-released in e-book format so you can read them and laugh your head off.
This is an unbiased review.
Jacquie writes in the style of a well bred young lady, whose northerly upbringing may have made her better suited than others for the hardships of life on the move. She recounts how she got to know the man she alternately refers to as Gerry and Durrell, and how her father cut her off for wanting to marry him so that the pair actually eloped. By that time the young man had been travelling and bringing back animals for zoos, and wanted to establish his own breeding collection as he could see that the increase in the human population and agriculture was destroying animal habitat; some of the creatures we meet in the book are threatened, nearly extinct or thought extinct and then rediscovered.
Look for footnotes by Gerald giving his amused comments on the text. This is fair play because when he got around to writing up his continuing adventures, his wife was prompting him, reminding him of their dance with the Fon of Bafut and so on, then either typing the book up or arranging for radio presentations, and TV filming of another expedition. The story includes the couple's travels to Argentina and Bafut, their arranging to rent a premises on Jersey to house a zoo, and the start of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
While there are fewer animals shown as individuals in this tale than in Gerald's writings, that is fine because he was the naturalist and his wife the long-suffering administrator. Some fun aspects of the period are ringing up one's bank to arrange travel on cargo ships to South America - I think my bank would be baffled if I did that - and meeting Laurence Durrell, author and Foreign Office member, plus dealing with agents, publishers and the BBC.
Enjoy! Gerald Durrell's animal collecting memoirs are being re-released in e-book format so you can read them and laugh your head off.
This is an unbiased review.
August 3, 2017
I enjoyed reading this and getting an update on Gerald Durrell's family (thanks to Clare for bringing the book to my attention), whom I first met in My Family and Other Animals. The stories about all the animals he brought back from various countries--and all the people he met who helped him along the way were fun, fascinating, and enlightening.
Jacquie's story begins with Gerry's courtship and her father's disapproval and moves on to their marriage and their journeys; she helped him, as did his family and Sophie, along with many others. Some customs officials--not so much. There were adventures, trials and tribulations, and eventually he succeeded in starting his zoo. That wasn't easy either.
Their travels and relationships and the history of various countries and cultures make for an enjoyable read.
Note: I googled Gerald Durrell for an update and learned more about what happened next... Now I want to read and reread his books.
Jacquie's story begins with Gerry's courtship and her father's disapproval and moves on to their marriage and their journeys; she helped him, as did his family and Sophie, along with many others. Some customs officials--not so much. There were adventures, trials and tribulations, and eventually he succeeded in starting his zoo. That wasn't easy either.
Their travels and relationships and the history of various countries and cultures make for an enjoyable read.
Note: I googled Gerald Durrell for an update and learned more about what happened next... Now I want to read and reread his books.
June 5, 2019
Джеки – первая жена Даррелла. Та, кто шёл за ним в огонь и в воду. Она решила честно рассказать, кем её муж является в действительности. И рассказать именно в 1967 году, так как сам Джеральд публиковать тогда собственные книги не пожелал. У него – Джеральда – собственно, наметился творческий кризис, ибо он не знал, какими ещё натуралистическими заметками порадовать читателя. Более того, он – Джеральд – принялся за сочинение беллетристики. Кризис затянется ещё на несколько лет. Потому требовалось внести ясность в с ним происходящее. Что же, пришлось Джеки браться за перо, дабы сообщить о том, как всё на самом деле начиналось. А начиналось всё с очень больших проблем.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
June 3, 2020
В детстве обожала эту книгу. Огромное количество зверей под одной обложкой, о чем ещё можно было мечтать.
С сегодняшних позиций рассказ о верной жене, которая скорее и не жена, а соратник и младший помощник, не произвёл никакого впечатления.
С сегодняшних позиций рассказ о верной жене, которая скорее и не жена, а соратник и младший помощник, не произвёл никакого впечатления.
December 13, 2025
I wasn't expecting tonnes from this book, more a read because it's a Durrell, and it was quite repetitive of other books I've read and the dialogue was a bit stilted, but still fun and a break from heavier stuff.
October 26, 2008
n all time favourite. We dont enough stars to rate this bk.
February 9, 2022
I am a die-hard fan of Gerald Durrell. I have been intrigued by his life, fascinated by his family about which he writes in ‘My Family and Other Animals’ and have embarked on numerous journeys with him for collection of animals while reading his books (Catch me a Colobus, A Zoo in my Luggage, Beasts in My Belfry…just to name a few)!
When I came to know his wife had written a book about the life after she married Gerald Durrell, I knew I had to procure it by all means. After searching for almost a year, I luckily found it on an online second-hand bookstore.
In this book, Jacquie Durrell describes her experiences of getting married to a person who was different from the league. All he was interested in were “animals”!! He wanted to go on collection of animals and also have his own zoo.
She tells how Durrell enticed her into marrying him and her entry into the Durrell family. When she got married, they had merely £ 40. It was difficult to make ends meet. She goes on to describe about the arduous journey of a life with Durrell.
She motivated him to write books so as to make money. And as soon as they had a little money, they set on the next animal collection expedition. She writes about these expeditions though not in detail. Later, she describes about the TV series they did with BBC while collecting animals or studying about the steps taken to conserve animals in Australia.
Once, when they were back from the animal collection trip to..., they decided to keep the animals for themselves. She talks about their ordeal to find a suitable place for the zoo and other problems. Eventually, it was a come true for Durrell when he sets up his own zoo! Jacquie is happy for her husband but she realises that the zoo was encroaching upon their married life.
I found the book interesting because it gave few more glimpses into the life of Durrell but the writing can’t be compared. Though the Sunday Times claims it to be “An enchanting and funny book”, I could not agree. The book is humorous in bits and pieces. The writer tries to copy the humorous and witty style of her husband but she is unable to do justice to it.
The book wouldn’t be popular had she not been Gerald Durrell’s wife. I won’t be surprised to know that just like her husband, she too was coaxed to write a book to raise funds for the zoo. Durrell was famous, people wanted to know more about this life...so it was bound to be popular! The book can’t be enjoyed in isolation. Though, if you are a Durrell fan…do go for it!!
When I came to know his wife had written a book about the life after she married Gerald Durrell, I knew I had to procure it by all means. After searching for almost a year, I luckily found it on an online second-hand bookstore.
In this book, Jacquie Durrell describes her experiences of getting married to a person who was different from the league. All he was interested in were “animals”!! He wanted to go on collection of animals and also have his own zoo.
She tells how Durrell enticed her into marrying him and her entry into the Durrell family. When she got married, they had merely £ 40. It was difficult to make ends meet. She goes on to describe about the arduous journey of a life with Durrell.
She motivated him to write books so as to make money. And as soon as they had a little money, they set on the next animal collection expedition. She writes about these expeditions though not in detail. Later, she describes about the TV series they did with BBC while collecting animals or studying about the steps taken to conserve animals in Australia.
Once, when they were back from the animal collection trip to..., they decided to keep the animals for themselves. She talks about their ordeal to find a suitable place for the zoo and other problems. Eventually, it was a come true for Durrell when he sets up his own zoo! Jacquie is happy for her husband but she realises that the zoo was encroaching upon their married life.
I found the book interesting because it gave few more glimpses into the life of Durrell but the writing can’t be compared. Though the Sunday Times claims it to be “An enchanting and funny book”, I could not agree. The book is humorous in bits and pieces. The writer tries to copy the humorous and witty style of her husband but she is unable to do justice to it.
The book wouldn’t be popular had she not been Gerald Durrell’s wife. I won’t be surprised to know that just like her husband, she too was coaxed to write a book to raise funds for the zoo. Durrell was famous, people wanted to know more about this life...so it was bound to be popular! The book can’t be enjoyed in isolation. Though, if you are a Durrell fan…do go for it!!
April 26, 2021
3.5 stars
Gerald Durrell's first wife Jacquie doesn't get a lot of page time in his memoirs, so it's neat to read about their animal-collecting expeditions from her more pragmatic point of view. I didn't have much of an opinion either way about her before, but I appreciate her much more after reading Beasts in My Bed. She seems like a good sport, and I never knew that she was the one who encouraged Gerald to write books in the first place. Her memoir isn't as funny or lyrical as her husband's works, but it complements his books well since Jacquie tells more about the challenges of organizing and carrying out each expedition, while he describes the biology and character of the animals a lot more.
It's not as entertaining as Gerald Durrell's books, but there is still much to enjoy here.
Gerald Durrell's first wife Jacquie doesn't get a lot of page time in his memoirs, so it's neat to read about their animal-collecting expeditions from her more pragmatic point of view. I didn't have much of an opinion either way about her before, but I appreciate her much more after reading Beasts in My Bed. She seems like a good sport, and I never knew that she was the one who encouraged Gerald to write books in the first place. Her memoir isn't as funny or lyrical as her husband's works, but it complements his books well since Jacquie tells more about the challenges of organizing and carrying out each expedition, while he describes the biology and character of the animals a lot more.
It's not as entertaining as Gerald Durrell's books, but there is still much to enjoy here.
August 18, 2025
Túto knihu som si doslova "za úsmev" zobrala z hippie štvrte v Kodani - zaujal ma najmä názov a meno Durrellovcov. Bolo to veľmi príjemné čítanie, Jacquie píše o miestami bizarných zážitkoch s humorom a nadhľadom. Je niečo čarovné na tom, predstavovať si tieto exotické zvieratá len na základe slovného opisu, v mysli si predstaviť každý podivný detail a to potom porovnať s Google obrázkom, ktorý tú čudnosť nielenže potvrdí, ale ešte znásobí. Ochrana voľne žijúcich živočíchov je pre mňa španielska dedina, a tak tento malý vhľad bol príjemným prekvapením.
March 30, 2020
AR: 3.5
Overall I enjoyed it. It was nice to get a behind-the-scenes so to speak, and the interjections in the footnotes were very funny. Comparison to Gerald Durrell's books feels inevitable and overall I didn't find it quite as amusing, especially the bits that were more of a travel memoir. However, it was a very interesting look at a really unique experience that took place during a specific time period.
Overall I enjoyed it. It was nice to get a behind-the-scenes so to speak, and the interjections in the footnotes were very funny. Comparison to Gerald Durrell's books feels inevitable and overall I didn't find it quite as amusing, especially the bits that were more of a travel memoir. However, it was a very interesting look at a really unique experience that took place during a specific time period.
March 3, 2020
A strange read, and not particularly well written. It’s quite disconcerting the way she refers to her husband as Durrell about 80% of the time, made even more so by the occasional Gerry interspersed throughout. It is, however, very interesting to read about the South American, African and Australasian trips from her perspective.
September 15, 2019
A competently written book but no more. The sections on collecting animals that Gerald Durrell would have brought to life are just dull. The interest in the book is in the background to Gerald’s life and how he came to write his book.
December 5, 2021
As competent and entertaining an account of the extraordinary lives of the animal loving Durrell’s from his first wife’s perspective. Their passion, commitment, dogged determination and sacrifices leave a legacy we and endangered species still benefit from today.
July 9, 2024
könnyed nyári limonádé, aranyos állatokkal, kedves emberekkel, vicces történetekkel. Gerald Durrell pont annyira nem egy mintaférj, mint ahogy gondoltam volna a saját könyvei alapján, de Jacquie elég jól bírta!
November 24, 2024
My comments in 1972: “Interesting observations on the writing habits of Larry Durrell (2000 words per morning) and Gerald Durrell (nocturnal). Writing style about adequate, but a mere shadow of her husband’s books.”
March 2, 2018
Neypatinga knygelė. Geriausia dalis Darello komentarai. Viskas parašyta prabėgom, matyt, dar ir vertimas ne koks
June 28, 2019
The unsung first wife of Gerald Durrell who writes just as well as him. A great read.
December 15, 2022
A happy story. I smiled a lot while reading it.
March 30, 2024
This is my third book by Durrell and I loved it the least. It felt more like a lot of advertisements for card companies & others than an interesting story about animals.
August 17, 2025
This was an amusing account of the early animal expeditions with Gerald Durrell. It did prompt me to check out some YouTube videos where I found some footage from the NZ/Australia trip.
May 15, 2013
The Durrells felt like the doting parents to these animals. The relation between Gerald Durrell and the various animals constantly reminded me of Ruskin Bond's characters-the animals and the humans, and of a very balanced, healthy coexistence between them.
March 19, 2017
A different perspective on the loveable yet impossible to live with Gerald Durrell. I enjoyed this book immensely.
July 4, 2013
The wife's perspective. Very funny; and hilarious footnotes from Gerry.
March 26, 2014
Enjoyed as a different view of Durrell's collecting trips, though he is the better writer. Somewhat saddened by knowing that the marriage will end.
October 9, 2016
big chunk of the middle was almost exactly the same as 'a zoo in my luggage'. Started out brilliant but seemed to tail off a bit as Jacquie seemed to get more fed up, bless her.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews