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James Herriot's Dog Stories
50 stories written by James Herriot, veterinarian featured in PBS television series "All Creatures Great and Small."
503 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
257 people are currently reading
6392 people want to read
About the author
James Herriot
269 books3,403 followersJames Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight, an English veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories, often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film and television adaptations.
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire, close to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot".
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeons and other professionals from advertising their services, he took a pen name, choosing "James Herriot". If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack, of St. Martin's Press in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
In his books, Wight calls the town where he lives and works Darrowby, which he based largely on the towns of Thirsk and Sowerby. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively. Wight's books are only partially autobiographical. Many of the stories are only loosely based on real events or people, and thus can be considered primarily fiction.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesh...
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire, close to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot".
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeons and other professionals from advertising their services, he took a pen name, choosing "James Herriot". If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack, of St. Martin's Press in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
In his books, Wight calls the town where he lives and works Darrowby, which he based largely on the towns of Thirsk and Sowerby. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively. Wight's books are only partially autobiographical. Many of the stories are only loosely based on real events or people, and thus can be considered primarily fiction.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesh...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 455 reviews
January 4, 2020
Loved these stories.
October 30, 2010
This is the first somewhat extracurricular book I have read in a long time. It is, however, also the most touching book. I have a dog, so I can easily connect with Herriot's passion for the animal. While the book is a bit thick, every minute of reading it is enjoyable.
As a writer, Herriot showed me that sometimes it is not so important playing on the emotions of your readers as it is to simply tell your story. The collection of stories in Herriot's book does the job of getting the reader emotionally involved. Through not going out of his way, Herriot makes the text less contrived and more relatable. A truly fantastic book about a fascinating animal.
As a writer, Herriot showed me that sometimes it is not so important playing on the emotions of your readers as it is to simply tell your story. The collection of stories in Herriot's book does the job of getting the reader emotionally involved. Through not going out of his way, Herriot makes the text less contrived and more relatable. A truly fantastic book about a fascinating animal.
February 26, 2023
I love love love James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small series (and of course I mean the novels here, although I also adore the ORIGINAL PBS television series starring Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy, Peter Davidson and Carol Drinkwater/Lynda Bellingham as James, Siegfried, Tristan and Helen, but NOT AT ALL the more recent one, which is majorly, annoyingly different from the books and takes on an artificial and anachronistic feminism and sense of modernity that truly makes me personally cringe). And yes, I absolutely and utterly do adore everything about these novels (which I have read as the omnibuses All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All and Every Living Thing) and about James Herriot's (Alfred Wight's) narratives both in general and also more specifically (Herriot's storytelling, his thematics, from the combination of gentle humour and realism to the fact that the Yorkshire Dales themselves almost appear like an individual and living, breathing character, that landscape is as much an integral part of the featured texts as James Herriot and his wife Helen, as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon and as the Yorkshire farmers and eccentric characters like Granville Bennett and Mrs. Pumphrey and her Pekinese Tricki Woo are, and with not just humour but also tragedy, pain and heartbreak being shown and presented, since life as a veterinarian and also as an animal lover of course has its major ups and downs for Herriot and indeed for everyone featured and encountered in the All Creatures Great and Small novels).
However, while my ratings for the All Creatures Great and Small books (for the above listed five omnibuses) have been solidly five and four stars (and totally count as favourite comfort reading treasures for me and are as such also reread constantly), to be honest, albeit the published in 1986 James Herriot's Dog Stories has a nice and very sweetly readable collection of fifty stories from the All Creatures Great and Small series that feature dogs as the main characters and participants (and with a truly lovely introduction by James Herriot that quite glowingly shows him to be hugely and totally a dog enthusiast, an avid dog lover), well, because these canine themed accounts are not actually individual dog tales in and of themselves but basically just bits and pieces that have been taken, that have been gleaned by James Herriot from his veterinarian memoirs, for most if not actually for all of these stories, I sure am missing a lot of the context and the James Herriot as a farm veterinarian scope, feel and vision. And since I actually have always most enjoyed and appreciated the farm veterinarian angle of All Creatures Great and Small and the sequels, how James Herriot is first and foremost catering to livestock and not therefore focussing on and specialising like his friend Granville Bennett does in small animals (pet dogs, pet cats and the like), for me, James Herriot's Dog Stories, they are nice enough, but are basically very much a distant second place to the full texts of the memoirs (with the narratives of James Herriot's Dog Stories feeling a bit like chapters rather strangely yanked out of the omnibuses and existing without adequate beginnings and endings, still decently readable and enjoyable to be sure, but for me and to me, James Herriot's Dog Stories are only a three star reading experience at best and generally work much better in the novels where they originally appear, and I guess I should also point out that any canine based scenarios originally encountered in Every Living Thing would of course not have made their way into James Herriot's Dog Stories, since Every Living Thing was published in 1992 and James Herriot's Dog Stories in 1986).
However, while my ratings for the All Creatures Great and Small books (for the above listed five omnibuses) have been solidly five and four stars (and totally count as favourite comfort reading treasures for me and are as such also reread constantly), to be honest, albeit the published in 1986 James Herriot's Dog Stories has a nice and very sweetly readable collection of fifty stories from the All Creatures Great and Small series that feature dogs as the main characters and participants (and with a truly lovely introduction by James Herriot that quite glowingly shows him to be hugely and totally a dog enthusiast, an avid dog lover), well, because these canine themed accounts are not actually individual dog tales in and of themselves but basically just bits and pieces that have been taken, that have been gleaned by James Herriot from his veterinarian memoirs, for most if not actually for all of these stories, I sure am missing a lot of the context and the James Herriot as a farm veterinarian scope, feel and vision. And since I actually have always most enjoyed and appreciated the farm veterinarian angle of All Creatures Great and Small and the sequels, how James Herriot is first and foremost catering to livestock and not therefore focussing on and specialising like his friend Granville Bennett does in small animals (pet dogs, pet cats and the like), for me, James Herriot's Dog Stories, they are nice enough, but are basically very much a distant second place to the full texts of the memoirs (with the narratives of James Herriot's Dog Stories feeling a bit like chapters rather strangely yanked out of the omnibuses and existing without adequate beginnings and endings, still decently readable and enjoyable to be sure, but for me and to me, James Herriot's Dog Stories are only a three star reading experience at best and generally work much better in the novels where they originally appear, and I guess I should also point out that any canine based scenarios originally encountered in Every Living Thing would of course not have made their way into James Herriot's Dog Stories, since Every Living Thing was published in 1992 and James Herriot's Dog Stories in 1986).
January 5, 2015
1) Magnus the difficult.
2) Mrs. Donovan’s beautiful Golden Retriever Roy.
“It’s those wonderful condition powders.”
3 & 4) Skipper & Jingo II.
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More than fifty enchanting stories of every type of dog – from pure breeds to mutts – told by the famous Yorkshire vet. Plenty of laughter and tons of tears in this one. It was too hard to pick a favorite. I just love the wise and wonderful ♥James Herriot♥. He knows and loves animals and how to tell their heartwarming stories.
Special Note: Some of the stories that appear in the volume are reprinted from JH’s All Creatures Great and Small series.
Tip, the sheepdog who slept in the snow.
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2) Mrs. Donovan’s beautiful Golden Retriever Roy.
“It’s those wonderful condition powders.”
3 & 4) Skipper & Jingo II.
[image error][image error]
[image error][image error]
More than fifty enchanting stories of every type of dog – from pure breeds to mutts – told by the famous Yorkshire vet. Plenty of laughter and tons of tears in this one. It was too hard to pick a favorite. I just love the wise and wonderful ♥James Herriot♥. He knows and loves animals and how to tell their heartwarming stories.
Special Note: Some of the stories that appear in the volume are reprinted from JH’s All Creatures Great and Small series.
Tip, the sheepdog who slept in the snow.
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January 20, 2010
While these stories can mostly be found in other Herriot works...they are wonderful. I love the James Herriot (James Wight) books and hold them in a special place in my heart. I can't recommend them highly enough nor say how much joy they gave me upon first reading them and that they are still capable of giving.
While I love the first 2 in the "semi-biographic" group the most (and rated them 5 stars) his other works are just as worth reading. The only reason I settled on 4 stars here is that if I love the other 2 the most and want to give some degree of edge to them this is the only way. Still, I heartily recommend the works of James Herriot.
While I love the first 2 in the "semi-biographic" group the most (and rated them 5 stars) his other works are just as worth reading. The only reason I settled on 4 stars here is that if I love the other 2 the most and want to give some degree of edge to them this is the only way. Still, I heartily recommend the works of James Herriot.
March 12, 2022
Most of these stories feature in his other books, but this is still a lovely collection of 50 short stories featuring James Herriot and the variety of dogs he has encountered in his veterinary rounds. Some are amusing, most are heart-warming, and all are charming. The introduction by the author is also hilarious, as he shares some of his student day escapades. This collection makes for lovely before-sleep reading - one or two gentle stories a night.
September 25, 2008
I had read most of these stories as a teenager and young man in his famous four volume series All Creatures Great and Small, but they had become dim memories, so reading and rediscovering them was a joy. It was almost like a zen exercise to sit in the quiet with a cuppa, dog at my feet and read a story or two before bed or early in the morning. They are, for me, truly “fine-whiskey” stories—best read slowly and savored.
They are also such a metaphor for what our modern era with all its conveniences and quick-cures has lost in the name of faster, better and cheaper. Mr. Herriot treated each of his patients—be they canine or otherwise—as individuals rather than units on a conveyer-belt. I’m sure there was no two hour wait in his surgery nor surly receptionists to dehumanize…er de-animal-ize?…his patients before visits. “Medical Care” is now a contradiction in words.
I also envy his environment, one long gone I’m sure, the Yorkshire Downs. If I’d not worked on a farm in my youth, I would have no idea what the luxury of parking the car and taking a short walk about the “fells”, breathing in the green and soaking in the quiet might be like. I can’t but wonder if the harried and frustrated 21st century might not benefit from a chance to take a walk along a country road, climb a hill or wander through an orchard once or twice a day without the busy roar of cars, demands of the clock or a city horizon to distract.
All in all a wonderful, gentle read.
They are also such a metaphor for what our modern era with all its conveniences and quick-cures has lost in the name of faster, better and cheaper. Mr. Herriot treated each of his patients—be they canine or otherwise—as individuals rather than units on a conveyer-belt. I’m sure there was no two hour wait in his surgery nor surly receptionists to dehumanize…er de-animal-ize?…his patients before visits. “Medical Care” is now a contradiction in words.
I also envy his environment, one long gone I’m sure, the Yorkshire Downs. If I’d not worked on a farm in my youth, I would have no idea what the luxury of parking the car and taking a short walk about the “fells”, breathing in the green and soaking in the quiet might be like. I can’t but wonder if the harried and frustrated 21st century might not benefit from a chance to take a walk along a country road, climb a hill or wander through an orchard once or twice a day without the busy roar of cars, demands of the clock or a city horizon to distract.
All in all a wonderful, gentle read.
April 21, 2025
A thoroughly delightful book about the author's experience as a vet in Yorkshire.
I chanced upon this book in second-hand book sale and I am so glad that I did. It is a must read for people who love reading about our canine friends.
The stories are so infused with warmth and humour and full of such interesting canines and people, that you will definitely relish reading them. A few stories have a tragic ending though.
I chanced upon this book in second-hand book sale and I am so glad that I did. It is a must read for people who love reading about our canine friends.
The stories are so infused with warmth and humour and full of such interesting canines and people, that you will definitely relish reading them. A few stories have a tragic ending though.
June 22, 2016
Saya bukan pecinta binatang, tapi menyukai cerita yang memperlihatkan sisi psikologis makhluk dan hubungan antar makhluk, termasuk manusia dan binatang. Dua hal ini yang sangat menonjol dari bku James Herriot dan saya suka sekali. Walaupun mungkin 'rasa'nya gak semeriah Segala Makhluk Besar dan Kecil ---mungkin karena Farnon dan Tristan tidak banyak muncul--- tapi James tetap bisa menuturkan cerita dengan bersahabat dan tak jarang saya jadi ikut merasakan apa yang dialami JH.
May 15, 2015
The best! I have read all of these stories, but a re-read was a delight. I hadn't read these since I was in my teens. I was kind of surprised to see more depth in the stories, reading James Herriot as a man not just as a vet, reading about the vet and not just the animals. I was pretty focused on animals when I was younger and I think I missed a lot about the author himself. This time I enjoyed the stories even more. To feel happy, to laugh, to cry, to feel all the joy and absurdity of life, read James Herriot.
August 23, 2017
I received this book as a gift years ago because my family knows how much I love dogs. They were encouraging my childhood fantasy of becoming a veterinarian.
Although that never actually panned out, I gained so much respect for James Herriot and an even greater love for dogs due - in large part - to this book.
Although that never actually panned out, I gained so much respect for James Herriot and an even greater love for dogs due - in large part - to this book.
May 30, 2007
I adore dogs and I often love books that take place in England. I really enjoyed all the stories – some were sad and some were amusing. James Herriot knows dogs and he knows people too.
December 5, 2025
Ternyata, tidak perlu jadi pecinta anjing dulu untuk bisa menikmati buku ini. Baca, aja. Nanti jatuh cinta sendiri.
Dog Stories adalah kumpulan cerita yang diambil dari pengalaman seorang dokter ahli bedah hewan di UK bernama James Herriot.
Ada 50 cerita dalam 623 halaman, cukup tebal tapi rasanya kurang banyak! Gaya bercerita penulis sangat mengesankan. Dengan penjelasan sederhana penulis memaparkan penyakit, resiko, serta proses pembedahan atau pengobatan pasien-pasien yang ia hadapi. Beliau juga menggambarkan dengan menyeluruh keindahan alam suasana pedesaan beserta kehangatan dan keakraban penduduknya di tempat ia praktek di Darrowby, Yorshire, UK. Sebagai muslim, pengalaman beliau seakan menjadi jendela untuk bisa melihat langsung seperti apa rasanya berdekatan dan berbagi kasih sayang dengan anjing. Caranya mendeskripsikan anjing dengan gerak-gerik, tingkah laku, sorot mata, dan bentuk fisik mereka, bikin pembaca semakin jatuh cinta.
Cerita penulis secara tidak langsung juga turut merekam kondisi ekonomi dan sosial orang-orang di pedesaan Inggris pada tahun 1930-1940 an, di masa perang dan pasca perang dunia kedua. Penulis bahkan sempat mengikuti wajib militer. Sebelum menangani anjing, beliau menjadi dokter ternak seperti kuda, sapi, lembu, babi, dsb. Karena kala itu Inggris didera depresi ekonomi berat, sehingga binatang-binatang dilihat berdasarkan fungsinya saja. Kita akan diperlihatkan bagaimana pelan-pelan kondisi bergerak, anjing mulai dijadikan peliharaan, bukan hanya bagi orang kaya saja.
Hampir semua cerita yang ada membekas di hatiku, aku bahkan masih ingat nama-nama pasien Herriot. Selesai membaca ini, hatiku sedih sekali karena harus berhenti mendampingi perjalanan Herriot yang baik hati sekaligus berpisah dengan warga Darrowby yang baik dan anjing-anjing lucu.
At the end, rupanya yang sejatinya terjadi bukan manusia yg menyelamatkan anjing, tp sebaliknya♡
Dog Stories adalah kumpulan cerita yang diambil dari pengalaman seorang dokter ahli bedah hewan di UK bernama James Herriot.
Ada 50 cerita dalam 623 halaman, cukup tebal tapi rasanya kurang banyak! Gaya bercerita penulis sangat mengesankan. Dengan penjelasan sederhana penulis memaparkan penyakit, resiko, serta proses pembedahan atau pengobatan pasien-pasien yang ia hadapi. Beliau juga menggambarkan dengan menyeluruh keindahan alam suasana pedesaan beserta kehangatan dan keakraban penduduknya di tempat ia praktek di Darrowby, Yorshire, UK. Sebagai muslim, pengalaman beliau seakan menjadi jendela untuk bisa melihat langsung seperti apa rasanya berdekatan dan berbagi kasih sayang dengan anjing. Caranya mendeskripsikan anjing dengan gerak-gerik, tingkah laku, sorot mata, dan bentuk fisik mereka, bikin pembaca semakin jatuh cinta.
Cerita penulis secara tidak langsung juga turut merekam kondisi ekonomi dan sosial orang-orang di pedesaan Inggris pada tahun 1930-1940 an, di masa perang dan pasca perang dunia kedua. Penulis bahkan sempat mengikuti wajib militer. Sebelum menangani anjing, beliau menjadi dokter ternak seperti kuda, sapi, lembu, babi, dsb. Karena kala itu Inggris didera depresi ekonomi berat, sehingga binatang-binatang dilihat berdasarkan fungsinya saja. Kita akan diperlihatkan bagaimana pelan-pelan kondisi bergerak, anjing mulai dijadikan peliharaan, bukan hanya bagi orang kaya saja.
Hampir semua cerita yang ada membekas di hatiku, aku bahkan masih ingat nama-nama pasien Herriot. Selesai membaca ini, hatiku sedih sekali karena harus berhenti mendampingi perjalanan Herriot yang baik hati sekaligus berpisah dengan warga Darrowby yang baik dan anjing-anjing lucu.
At the end, rupanya yang sejatinya terjadi bukan manusia yg menyelamatkan anjing, tp sebaliknya♡
August 26, 2020
James Herriot memang ciamik jika menceritakan ttg perilaku hewan dan tuannya. Di buku ini saya puas (krn ketebalan bukunya) dan semua cerita per bab-nya semua menarik (walau ada beberapa di awal buku sudah diceritakan di buku "If Only They Could Talk).
Saya bisa terkekeh-kekeh membaca anjing yg suka kentut bau busuk dan gagal diobati dgn berbagai cara. Ada anjing yg ramah tetapi bernasib buruk yg bikin terharu. Ada anjing yg sangat berdedikasi pd pekerjaannya sehingga membuat saya sangat kagum. Ada anjing yg tangguh yg membuat saya terkesan. Ada anjing yg pendendam pd Herriot dsb. Ternyata jika majikan si anjing sangat memanjakan anjingnya, niscaya si anjing menjadi kurang ajar dan menjadi tuannya ketimbang si majikan.
Cerita-cerita di buku ini bukan sekedar cerita humor ttg hewan saja, tetapi ada sisi kemanusiaannya juga. Terkadang Herriot juga tidak sukses dlm pengobatannya. Kadang ada juga keajaiban saat pengobatannya. Saya merekomendasikan buku ini bagi pecinta hewan khususnya anjing. Wajib utk dikoleksi.
Saya bisa terkekeh-kekeh membaca anjing yg suka kentut bau busuk dan gagal diobati dgn berbagai cara. Ada anjing yg ramah tetapi bernasib buruk yg bikin terharu. Ada anjing yg sangat berdedikasi pd pekerjaannya sehingga membuat saya sangat kagum. Ada anjing yg tangguh yg membuat saya terkesan. Ada anjing yg pendendam pd Herriot dsb. Ternyata jika majikan si anjing sangat memanjakan anjingnya, niscaya si anjing menjadi kurang ajar dan menjadi tuannya ketimbang si majikan.
Cerita-cerita di buku ini bukan sekedar cerita humor ttg hewan saja, tetapi ada sisi kemanusiaannya juga. Terkadang Herriot juga tidak sukses dlm pengobatannya. Kadang ada juga keajaiban saat pengobatannya. Saya merekomendasikan buku ini bagi pecinta hewan khususnya anjing. Wajib utk dikoleksi.
February 11, 2023
James Herriot's book is filled with short stories, and as the title suggests, all of these stories are about dogs. There's Tricki Woo and the doting Mrs. Pumphrey - the dog that's so pampered he's usually stuffed to the brim. There's Muffles and Ruffles - two Westies that enjoy putting James through misery. There's the sad story of Amber - a dog that lost her beauty and life to a disease James has found all too familiar. And then there's Cedric - a Boxer with a severe flatulence problem. The reader will never be bored when reading about Herriot's misadventures through Darrowby, and what each canine patient has to offer.
January 12, 2024
First bit of James Herriot, definitely will read more. Funny and cynically heartwarming, if thats a thing. They’re about animals, sure, but they’re mainly about their owners and people in general, and their eccentricities and vulnerabilities.
December 29, 2019
4 1/2 stars from me. I love Herriot and his stories. Heartwarming.
August 15, 2023
Lovely stories from actual experiences. It teaches one as much about human nature as it does about animals. Humor is a line that runs through appropriately as does the difficult decisions one must make as a vet and/or animal owner. Some very unusual conditions were covered as well as typical ones. Enjoyable read taken in small bites before bedtime.
July 23, 2024
These stories are like old friends...James Herriot was such a massive part of my childhood and it warmed my heart to visit them again.
April 2, 2022
"Look, most people say I'm a heartless horrible old bugger (hehe look at me using scottish terms) for 'invading' a 'sovereign' Ukraine. But these books always make me so happy to curl by a fire and stroke the genitals of my maltese Chihuahua mix as she licks my fingers sensually. How's that for heartless? Even DJ Trump and sleepy Joe could agree that is cute"
-Vladimir Putin, Russian Despot
-Vladimir Putin, Russian Despot
August 12, 2021
One of a very few books that stays in a dog-eared (pun intended) pile on my nightstand to be returned to the way I know some do the bible (dog spelled backwards, doncha know?). Dogs have been part of my life in a deep way. Literally in sickness and in health, their love simple, enduring and longer lasting than many a human friendship. They have been reason to get out of bed and keep moving when sometimes I would have rather not. As Byron said of his beloved Boatswain, dogs possess "...all the virtues of Man without his Vices." Well this is meant to be an ode to Herriot's Dog Stories, not just dogs per se, but I do believe part of loving this book is being quite particular to canine company. Herriot's stories shed light on both human and animal nature, as well as the precious relationship that exists between. The character sketches of the various owners and their humans are delightful. The microcosm provided by the little Yorkshire village where Dr. Herriot has his practice, is both comforting and an interesting bastion of sociological observations. My favorite story is the one of Mrs. Donovan, who in the throws of grief after the death of a beloved dog, spontaneously swoops in to save a badly neglected golden retriever from being euthanized. It is a story of cruelty and neglect, redeemed by an unlikely heroin. On my darker days, I try to remember the Mrs. Donovans of this world and I am grateful to James Herriot for documenting the existence of such extraordinarily ordinary and beautiful characters, human and canine.
November 6, 2016
Alhamdulillah akhirnya selesai juga baca buku ini. Sebenarnya dari awal baca ingin selesai dalam sekali duduk tapi masalahnya aku ketiduran karena kelelahan (bukan karena bukunya membosankan), saat ingin hendak lanjut lagi pekerjaan di kantor sedang banyak. Sebenarnya bisa baca saat weekend tapi dua minggu terakhir,aku menghabiskan weekend di karawang dan aku tahu aku akan dimarahi umi jika membawa buku pulang ke Karawang.
Jadi,aku harus mencicil buku ini di weekday.
Makasih mba Sinta sudah berbaik hati meminjamkan buku ini.
:D
Hana suka sekali dengan narasi dan kepribadian Mr. Herriot. Dia tipe yang melihat sisi positif dari segalanya, mengenal dirinya dengan baik dan benar-benar mencintai pekerjaannya. Kecintaannya akan profesinya sebagai dokter hewan dan juga anjing sangat terasa. Aku yang sebelumnya sama sekali tidak tertarik dengan profesi dokter hewan berhasil dibuat merasa bahwa dokter hewan adalah profesi yang menarik dan menyenangkan. Ada banyak pelajaran hidup yang aku dapatkan dari membaca kisah-kisah dalm buku ini. Inspiring sekali!
Jadi,aku harus mencicil buku ini di weekday.
Makasih mba Sinta sudah berbaik hati meminjamkan buku ini.
:D
Hana suka sekali dengan narasi dan kepribadian Mr. Herriot. Dia tipe yang melihat sisi positif dari segalanya, mengenal dirinya dengan baik dan benar-benar mencintai pekerjaannya. Kecintaannya akan profesinya sebagai dokter hewan dan juga anjing sangat terasa. Aku yang sebelumnya sama sekali tidak tertarik dengan profesi dokter hewan berhasil dibuat merasa bahwa dokter hewan adalah profesi yang menarik dan menyenangkan. Ada banyak pelajaran hidup yang aku dapatkan dari membaca kisah-kisah dalm buku ini. Inspiring sekali!
November 13, 2010
Pecinta binatang? Buku ini saya rekomendasikan sebagai bacaan wajib Anda. Anjing bisa memahami perasaan manusia. James Herriot adalah seorang dokter hewan di era 30-an di Yorshire, Inggris Utara. Pengalamannya sebagai dokter hewan kemudian dituangkan dalam bentuk tulisan. Kisah-kisah inspiratif bagi pecinta binatang. Mengingatkan kita bahwa ikatan emosional yang tercipta antara hewan dengan manusia tidak bisa dianggap remeh temeh. Bagi yang sudah menamatkan buku ini hingga akhir, bisa jadi tambah menyayangi hewan peliharaannya dirumah.
December 4, 2013
I love every anecdote that James Herriot ever had published - and since dogs are my favourite animals, this is one of my all time favourite books.
James Herriot nobly devoted his life to relieving animals from pain - and he and his fellow vets adopted so many strays that visitors to their house were greeted each time by a gloriously happy stampede of pooches.
His sense of humour was exquisite, as was his perception of people and animals. Stories about his courtship were particularly hilarious - and this wonderful author inspired me as a young woman to become a writer.
James Herriot nobly devoted his life to relieving animals from pain - and he and his fellow vets adopted so many strays that visitors to their house were greeted each time by a gloriously happy stampede of pooches.
His sense of humour was exquisite, as was his perception of people and animals. Stories about his courtship were particularly hilarious - and this wonderful author inspired me as a young woman to become a writer.
July 6, 2015
Although none of these stories were new to me - I've read all his books many times - I loved the introduction and the little notes at the end, some giving an end to the tale, others explaining context or sharing something about the real people.
I probably wouldn't buy it in addition to all the others (which I already own) but it was a fun read and would make a great gift for a dog-lover, or will act as an entry book into the world of a rural Yorkshire vet in the 1940s. It reminded me of how touching, poignant or downright strange some of these stories were - and how much I laughed!
I probably wouldn't buy it in addition to all the others (which I already own) but it was a fun read and would make a great gift for a dog-lover, or will act as an entry book into the world of a rural Yorkshire vet in the 1940s. It reminded me of how touching, poignant or downright strange some of these stories were - and how much I laughed!
February 27, 2010
This book was put together in 1986 from stories originally published from the 1970's onward. They are cute stories, but dated.
January 26, 2010
A volume I've been nibbling at for a couple of years -- very good for bedtime reading, though some of the stories, no surprise, aren't exactly cheery.
April 21, 2018
I love anything penned by James Herriot. This one is absolutely heartwarming and soothing. Most of the incidents are taken and compiled from the other books he has written. A little sad that I've completed all his works and there is nothing left to read now. But time and again, I would love to come back and rediscover the fun, the anecdotes, the pathos and the conscientious effort of a country vet to cure every living thing around him. Well I don't know what attracts animals to me or vice-versa. I know for certain that I am attuned to nature and try to make friends with any creature. Always able to understand them and communicate in an unknown language. This book has re-affirmed it and I am happy that I am able to love and help "all creatures great and small, since the Lord God made them all"...
January 4, 2019
I cannot get over how amazing this book was, I am a dog person anyway but this helped me see them in a whole new light. Funny one chapter and heartbreaking the next but worth every second I spent reading it. I even read a few out loud to my husband and son, just to share the pure enjoyment of them.
The chapters stand alone with the exception of a few following locum, so you can read for short stints, like I did with my family or just sit down and curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy this wonderful book.
The chapters stand alone with the exception of a few following locum, so you can read for short stints, like I did with my family or just sit down and curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy this wonderful book.
March 3, 2018
James Herriot ini memang jago sekali mendongeng. bahasanya menyenangkan, dan walaupun kadang menjabarkan keberhasilannya menyembuhkan hewan tapi ga terasa seperti orang yg sombong.
pengen deh ada filmnya, tapi pasti ribet dengan segala tingkah laku hewan yg ada. kalau ada filmnya, maunya Martin Freeman yg jadi Mr. Herriot. :D
pengen deh ada filmnya, tapi pasti ribet dengan segala tingkah laku hewan yg ada. kalau ada filmnya, maunya Martin Freeman yg jadi Mr. Herriot. :D
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