Welcome to Book Bytes. This time I’ve picked a quote from a book that’s very close to my heart, one I can’t stop recommending. It’s the kind that makes me want to catch hold of people and read out the fun bits to get them to pick it up The Garden of the Gods. This one is part of The Corfu Trilogy. I read the first book of the Trilogy My Family and Other Animals decades ago, when I was in class 11 and it continues to be a favourite.
Told from the perspective of ten-year-old Gerry, the books talk about the Durrell family that relocates to Corfu, a gorgeous Greek Island. It’s the quirkiest, funniest family ever as are the myriad other characters that inhabit the island. If you/your child is a nature freak the books are a double bonus. This is not a review so I need to stop right here and share the quote.
“In those days, living as we did in the country, without the dubious benefits of radio or television, we had to rely on such primitive forms of amusement as books, quarrelling, parties, and the laughter of our friends…”
Gerald Durrell, The Garden of the Gods
These lines remind me of my summer vacations. Each summer my sister and I would spend one whole month in our mum’s ancestral home some 45 minutes away from the city. The roads were bad to non-existent so forty five minutes, meant a whole different world. There was no electricity so television was out of question and we didn’t have a radio either, quite like the author in the quote.
When I think back I wonder how we got through those long summer days. However, necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. We made up games, sang songs together, picked nimkauris and spent time at the village temple. We came away with some of the best memories of our childhood.
It saddens me to think that that my children might never learn to do all of that.
Do you have a favourite book that evokes childhood memories? I’d love for you to share a quote and link up with me.
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Beat About The Book 
In spite of there being no electricity or the radio, I just felt, “Ah, bliss!” when I read about your vacations at your ancestral home. It’s also the thought that came to mind as I read the line from the book you shared.
It reminded me of the summer vacations I spent at Jabalpur and Sagar (MP) with my cousins. Back then, we didn’t have the idiot box (Thank god for that!) or the radio, either, for entertainment. But, the dhamaal we cousins indulged in–sitting on the huge swing, climbing on trees, and playin
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This sound so much fun – a swing on the tree is delightful.
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I can’t tell you how much I loved reading those lines. Quarreling, it was also a time pass and an inevitable one. I had similar summer and winter vacations as yours going to my father’s village where there was no electricity and TV wasn’t missed at all. There was still lots to do. The Aam ka bagh awaited us in the summer and Amrood ka bagh awaited us in the winter. I had written a post on the rustic life on my childhood a few years back.
I hope it is okay to share that post’s link – https://thebespectacledmother.com/2015/08/19/the-rustic-village-life-from-my-childhood-memories/
Since you mentioned nature freaks, which D and I are, I will keep the Corfy Trilogy in mind when the right time comes.
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Anyone with a sibling will attest to the fact that quarrelling is the best past time of all :-). There really is so much to do once you look beyond the tab.
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That quote certainly brings back memories!! Such a lovely quote
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Thanks Sanch, do join in with BookBytes when you can.
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I loved that quote and why haven’t I heard of the book?
Putting it on my TBR right away.
I am not sure if there was a book whose quotes I can relate to but I do think our childhood days were similar. I think Nana-Nani had TV but who watches when we can play, sing aloud and count stars at night. Life was so simple back then.
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Do make time for this one Parul. It’s a slow easy meandering read and very humorous too so one can read it at leisure.
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I had similar summer holidays. Two months in the interiors of Kerala with no electricity, no TV, no radio. But, 2 months meant I made lots of friends as my grandfather used to put out a swing when we came in for the vacation. Best days of my life.
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Very soon an enterprising corporate giant will craft ‘rural getaways’. It might already be happening.
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