At that moment came a noise like somebody breaking the backbone of a whale and the palm leaf punka crashed straight onto the table, one end of it completely obliterating the District Commissioner. 'Oh my God!' screamed Mary, upsetting her gin and tonic. 'I'm terribly, terribly sorry, sir,' said Martin to the invisible D.C. The palm fronds rusted and the D.C.'s head appeared. He opened his mouth to say something – and then caught sight of a very hairy spider the circumference of a saucer making its way along the punka towards him . . .
'Delightful. A collection of scattered and dotty reminiscences.' Sunday Mirror
'Durrell calamity prone in a mad world!' Sunday Times