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All Creatures Great and Small #1-2
All Creatures Great and Small
The classic multimillion copy bestseller
Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.
For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.
In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.
James Herriot's memoirs have sold 80 million copies worldwide, and continue to delight and entertain readers of all ages
Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.
For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.
In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.
James Herriot's memoirs have sold 80 million copies worldwide, and continue to delight and entertain readers of all ages
437 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
13013 people are currently reading
82446 people want to read
About the author
James Herriot
269 books3,405 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 8,349 reviews
November 9, 2024
Oh dear heavens, a cow is having a difficult birth! A cat is sick! The local lord's thoroughbred has skinned its knee! To live in a world where these are your most worrisome worries is to live in the world of James Herriot, the pen name of Alf Wight, the real-life mid-20th century country vet of the Yorkshire Dales in northern England.
Having said that, Herriot's stories wouldn't be as ragingly popular as they have been if they were nothing but fluff. No, for a bunch of "animal tales" there's a great deal of pathos herein. Just about every story delves into the human condition as it pertains to the Dales farmers and their struggle to exist, never mind thrive, in the harsh conditions of not only weather, but the rapidly accelerating industrialization of farming. Mid-century small farms were feeling the pinch and Herriot captured the fight. He also mixes in the everyday strife of everyman in a very relatable way.
Loosely based on his experiences, these delightful tales ("drama cozies" I call them) take place in an idyllic setting: The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors...
Muker in Swaledale
Addingham, west of Harrogate
The Cleveland Way near Wainstones
The story begins with Herriot as a newly graduated vet arriving at the home and veterinarian practice of Siegfried Farnon and his aloof, fun-loving brother Tristan, two eccentric fellows who provide a good deal of comic relief and storytelling foil. It's the 1930s and, although war is on the horizon, this first book in the series focuses on the not-so-tumultuous time prior, when an outbreak of animal contagion was the apex of concern. In general the tension for these anecdotal stories, all cobbled together into one loose narrative, is on the light side, unless you're an animal lover, in which case you will feel your heart ripped out and replenished again and again.
Though essentially a collection of short stories, All Creatures Great and Small does a great job of providing an intro into the world and character of Herriot, it delivers highly readable pastoral tales, and then it gives you a sense of closure without closing out the option for more stories to come. And boy are there more stories!
These stories will satisfy lovers of animals, animal husbandry, pre-WWII veterinarian practice (an industry in flux at the time), the English countryside and Yorkshire life specifically, as well as those looking for a light taste of pastoral humor. I liken reading Herriot to watching painter Bob "Happy Little Trees" Ross in action. It's soothing stuff.
PS: I enjoyed looking through pics of the Dales and Moors for this review so much that I'm going to add more. Let's call this the...
* * * PIX APPENDIX! * * *
Upper Swaledale
23 Kirkgate, Thirsk (Home and practice of James Herriot)
Goatland Railroad Station (used in the first Harry Potter movie)
Having said that, Herriot's stories wouldn't be as ragingly popular as they have been if they were nothing but fluff. No, for a bunch of "animal tales" there's a great deal of pathos herein. Just about every story delves into the human condition as it pertains to the Dales farmers and their struggle to exist, never mind thrive, in the harsh conditions of not only weather, but the rapidly accelerating industrialization of farming. Mid-century small farms were feeling the pinch and Herriot captured the fight. He also mixes in the everyday strife of everyman in a very relatable way.
Loosely based on his experiences, these delightful tales ("drama cozies" I call them) take place in an idyllic setting: The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors...
Muker in Swaledale
Addingham, west of Harrogate
The Cleveland Way near Wainstones
The story begins with Herriot as a newly graduated vet arriving at the home and veterinarian practice of Siegfried Farnon and his aloof, fun-loving brother Tristan, two eccentric fellows who provide a good deal of comic relief and storytelling foil. It's the 1930s and, although war is on the horizon, this first book in the series focuses on the not-so-tumultuous time prior, when an outbreak of animal contagion was the apex of concern. In general the tension for these anecdotal stories, all cobbled together into one loose narrative, is on the light side, unless you're an animal lover, in which case you will feel your heart ripped out and replenished again and again.
Though essentially a collection of short stories, All Creatures Great and Small does a great job of providing an intro into the world and character of Herriot, it delivers highly readable pastoral tales, and then it gives you a sense of closure without closing out the option for more stories to come. And boy are there more stories!
These stories will satisfy lovers of animals, animal husbandry, pre-WWII veterinarian practice (an industry in flux at the time), the English countryside and Yorkshire life specifically, as well as those looking for a light taste of pastoral humor. I liken reading Herriot to watching painter Bob "Happy Little Trees" Ross in action. It's soothing stuff.
PS: I enjoyed looking through pics of the Dales and Moors for this review so much that I'm going to add more. Let's call this the...
* * * PIX APPENDIX! * * *
Upper Swaledale
23 Kirkgate, Thirsk (Home and practice of James Herriot)
Goatland Railroad Station (used in the first Harry Potter movie)
October 23, 2023
Dr. White named her Tokitae, which in the Chinook language means 'Bright day, pretty colors.' The Miami Seaquarium renamed her Lolita after the heroine of Vladimir Nabokov's novel. Lummi Nation, who consider the Southern Resident orcas their relatives, named her Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut, which means 'daughter of Sk'aliCh'elh.' Sk'aliCh'elh is the name of a village on Penn Cove where she last saw her family.
57-year-old Lolita, or Toki, as she is affectionately called, passed away on August 18th. She was the last surviving Southern Resident in captivity. She was a member of the L pod and the presumed daughter of L25 Ocean Sun, who is still alive and over 90 years old. This beautiful whale touched the hearts of many with her gentle nature and unbreakable spirit.
Children. Adults. Scientists. Environmentalists. Philanthropists. Activists. Orca enthusiasts. Lummi Nation. People from all over the world. They were all united in one goal: to relocate Lolita to a sea sanctuary in her home waters of the Salish Sea. Sadly, she died before the plans were finalized. Lolita's remains were cremated and flown to Bellingham, Washington, where they were delivered to the Lummi Nation tribe. In a way, Lolita DID come home. It was not in the way we wanted, but she came home. Several ceremonies were held in her honor. I am incredibly touched by the love people had for her. Her memory lives on.
Salmon-eating Southern Residents are very family-oriented. Both males and females stay with their mothers their whole lives. Lolita/Tokitae never forgot her family's calls. For decades and decades, while being imprisoned in the world's smallest orca tank, she continued to make L pod's unique vocalizations. Songs her mother taught her.
This isn't in the book. It's something I had to write. Toki deserves to be remembered. I'm sure James Herriot wouldn't have minded. For more information, visit my blog: https://mermaidmusings7.tumblr.com
All Creatures Great and Small is a lovely book. It's a must-read for animal lovers. Mr. Herriot is one of my heroes, along with Jane Goodall, Ingrid Visser, Alexandra Morton, Eva Saulitis, and Monika Wieland Shields. His intelligence, kindness, and humor shine through on every page.
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
This is such a feel-good book. It's much more uplifting than I expected. The storytelling is *chef's kiss.*
Yet what made him trail down that hillside every day in all weathers? Why had he filled the last years of those two old horses with peace and beauty? Why had he given them a final ease and comfort which he had withheld from himself? It could only be love.
I've encountered many animal species in my life. I've been surrounded by cats and fish all my life. It sounds weird, but it's true. My mom has always been obsessed with cats, I've always been into fish, and my dad had no choice but to go along with it. It's hard to pick my favorite species. Great white sharks, orcas, cats, squirrels, and bunnies are probably at the top of the list. I'll quit yapping and show some of my pictures.
Best pet I ever had:
Where the wild things are:
57-year-old Lolita, or Toki, as she is affectionately called, passed away on August 18th. She was the last surviving Southern Resident in captivity. She was a member of the L pod and the presumed daughter of L25 Ocean Sun, who is still alive and over 90 years old. This beautiful whale touched the hearts of many with her gentle nature and unbreakable spirit.
Children. Adults. Scientists. Environmentalists. Philanthropists. Activists. Orca enthusiasts. Lummi Nation. People from all over the world. They were all united in one goal: to relocate Lolita to a sea sanctuary in her home waters of the Salish Sea. Sadly, she died before the plans were finalized. Lolita's remains were cremated and flown to Bellingham, Washington, where they were delivered to the Lummi Nation tribe. In a way, Lolita DID come home. It was not in the way we wanted, but she came home. Several ceremonies were held in her honor. I am incredibly touched by the love people had for her. Her memory lives on.
Salmon-eating Southern Residents are very family-oriented. Both males and females stay with their mothers their whole lives. Lolita/Tokitae never forgot her family's calls. For decades and decades, while being imprisoned in the world's smallest orca tank, she continued to make L pod's unique vocalizations. Songs her mother taught her.
This isn't in the book. It's something I had to write. Toki deserves to be remembered. I'm sure James Herriot wouldn't have minded. For more information, visit my blog: https://mermaidmusings7.tumblr.com
All Creatures Great and Small is a lovely book. It's a must-read for animal lovers. Mr. Herriot is one of my heroes, along with Jane Goodall, Ingrid Visser, Alexandra Morton, Eva Saulitis, and Monika Wieland Shields. His intelligence, kindness, and humor shine through on every page.
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
This is such a feel-good book. It's much more uplifting than I expected. The storytelling is *chef's kiss.*
Yet what made him trail down that hillside every day in all weathers? Why had he filled the last years of those two old horses with peace and beauty? Why had he given them a final ease and comfort which he had withheld from himself? It could only be love.
I've encountered many animal species in my life. I've been surrounded by cats and fish all my life. It sounds weird, but it's true. My mom has always been obsessed with cats, I've always been into fish, and my dad had no choice but to go along with it. It's hard to pick my favorite species. Great white sharks, orcas, cats, squirrels, and bunnies are probably at the top of the list. I'll quit yapping and show some of my pictures.
Best pet I ever had:
Where the wild things are:
October 14, 2008
I have this problem--an addiction, really--called BOOKS. I start reading one and I usually can't stop until I realize that awful smell is... ME!... or my kids do that incessant-tapping-on-my-shoulder thing to ask if dinnertime will be occurring before bedtime... (I know, I know. Probably shouldn't have put that in print. Now CPS is gonna come after me.)
Point being: This book was NOT like that. I could read one chapter each night, then put it down without my brain going all... twitchy (those of you fellow addicts know what I mean... you other better-adjusted readers, just take my word for it that "twitchy" is the perfect adjective). Could it be? A non-page-turner that I actually ENJOYED??? Why aren't there more books like this! I would be a much healthier person!
Herriot doesn't really have a through-plot (thus the non-page-turner quality), but each chapter presents a new, hilarious recollection from his young veterinary days in the Yorkshire countryside. You know, one of those "horses lifting you off the ground with their teeth, removing pig testicles, becoming the honorary uncle of a rich lady's spoiled pug" kind of reads. I must have laughed out loud at some point in every chapter. If you're looking for a fun little book that you can just pick up every once in a while that won't cause you to go all... twitchy... THIS IS IT! Just open the book and start reading anywhere! Read one chapter, five, the whole thing--doesn't matter. There's no real "story"... but you'll get a good laugh. Several, in fact.
Point being: This book was NOT like that. I could read one chapter each night, then put it down without my brain going all... twitchy (those of you fellow addicts know what I mean... you other better-adjusted readers, just take my word for it that "twitchy" is the perfect adjective). Could it be? A non-page-turner that I actually ENJOYED??? Why aren't there more books like this! I would be a much healthier person!
Herriot doesn't really have a through-plot (thus the non-page-turner quality), but each chapter presents a new, hilarious recollection from his young veterinary days in the Yorkshire countryside. You know, one of those "horses lifting you off the ground with their teeth, removing pig testicles, becoming the honorary uncle of a rich lady's spoiled pug" kind of reads. I must have laughed out loud at some point in every chapter. If you're looking for a fun little book that you can just pick up every once in a while that won't cause you to go all... twitchy... THIS IS IT! Just open the book and start reading anywhere! Read one chapter, five, the whole thing--doesn't matter. There's no real "story"... but you'll get a good laugh. Several, in fact.
January 14, 2008
It's semi-astonishing that I've been married to a veterinarian for a year and a half, which followed a year and nine months of dating/engagement, in which time I went on many emergency calls with her to treat sick horses (and the occasional goat), adopted a dog and a second cat to go with the first one my dearly beloved already owned, and various and other sundry proximity-to-a-vet type stuff has gone down AND YET only now have I finally said to myself, "Hunh, I should read that James Herriot guy."
If I had to sum up All Creatures Great and Small in two words it would be "overwhelmingly pleasant", with a temptation to throw in a "delightful" as well. Herriot writes with charming self-effacement about his early days as a country veterinarian in England in the late 30's. He has a never-ending supply of anecdotes, most of them funny, the rest simply heartwarming. He learns the hard way that his years of book learning don't compare to the things you actually learn on the job; that you can't argue with the boss even when they completely contradict themselves because, hey, they're the boss; that losing track of how many pints of beer (or tumblers of whiskey) you've had on a first date (or a job interview) is a bad idea. (Obviously, bonus points in my estimation for the number of funny drunk stories along the way.) But the best thing the book has going for it is the way that it unfailingly reinforces the simple notion that life is good. Every story has a happy ending, whether it's the hours spent getting kicked and wearing himself out in the freezing cold middle of the night to help a cow deliver twin calfs, or the last-minute acquisition of an experimental vaccine that saves a litter of kittens from an epidemic sweeping a farm, or even the vindication after putting a horse to sleep of knowing that it really was the best thing to end the animal's suffering. And every time Herriot feels like a fool for choosing the arduous, unrewarding life of a country vet he breathes the fresh air and feels the sun on his face or watches a mother animal lick its newborn baby clean or gets a fresh-baked pork pie from a grateful farmer's wife and he realizes it's all worth it. That's the main thing I want out of life - to never run out of those moments where, even though I can still recall and recount the difficult, frustrating, maddening things that happen all the time, I still revel in the sweet moments that make it all worthwhile. And for a book to sustain that exact feeling for 500 pages is quite a feat.
If I had to sum up All Creatures Great and Small in two words it would be "overwhelmingly pleasant", with a temptation to throw in a "delightful" as well. Herriot writes with charming self-effacement about his early days as a country veterinarian in England in the late 30's. He has a never-ending supply of anecdotes, most of them funny, the rest simply heartwarming. He learns the hard way that his years of book learning don't compare to the things you actually learn on the job; that you can't argue with the boss even when they completely contradict themselves because, hey, they're the boss; that losing track of how many pints of beer (or tumblers of whiskey) you've had on a first date (or a job interview) is a bad idea. (Obviously, bonus points in my estimation for the number of funny drunk stories along the way.) But the best thing the book has going for it is the way that it unfailingly reinforces the simple notion that life is good. Every story has a happy ending, whether it's the hours spent getting kicked and wearing himself out in the freezing cold middle of the night to help a cow deliver twin calfs, or the last-minute acquisition of an experimental vaccine that saves a litter of kittens from an epidemic sweeping a farm, or even the vindication after putting a horse to sleep of knowing that it really was the best thing to end the animal's suffering. And every time Herriot feels like a fool for choosing the arduous, unrewarding life of a country vet he breathes the fresh air and feels the sun on his face or watches a mother animal lick its newborn baby clean or gets a fresh-baked pork pie from a grateful farmer's wife and he realizes it's all worth it. That's the main thing I want out of life - to never run out of those moments where, even though I can still recall and recount the difficult, frustrating, maddening things that happen all the time, I still revel in the sweet moments that make it all worthwhile. And for a book to sustain that exact feeling for 500 pages is quite a feat.
June 16, 2022
“I lay face down on the cobbled floor in a pool of nameless muck, my arm deep inside the straining cow, my feet scrabbling for a toe hold between the stones.”
James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, a veterinary surgeon who practiced in Yorkshire, England, for fifty years beginning in 1939. ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, an autobiographical collection of anecdotes drawn from his experiences in that practice, traces the author’s career from his uncertain arrival in Darrowby, a small town in the Yorkshire Dales, to his courtship and engagement with Helen Alderson, the lovely (and much sought after) daughter of one of his clients. Although Siegfried, the owner of the practice in which James will ultimately become a partner, and his ne’er-do-well younger brother, Tristan, take center stage with James in many of the stories, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL is positively jammed front to back with a host of hilarious or dour, nefarious and sneaky, generous and loving, thrifty and skin-flinty, brilliant or unremittingly dopey, beer- and gin-soaked or tee-totaling, but in any event unforgettable and always entertaining characters who are certain to make this book one of the most enjoyable collection of stories that has ever graced your bookshelves.
“And the lambs. All young animals are appealing but the lamb has been given an unfair share of charm. The moments come back: of a bitterly cold evening when I had delivered twins on a wind-scoured hillside; the lambs shaking their heads convulsively and within minutes one of them struggling upright and making its way, unsteady, knock-kneed, towards the udder while the other followed resolutely on its knees.”
“The shepherd, his purpled, weather-roughened face almost hidden by the heavy coat which muffled him to his ears, gave a slow chuckle, ‘How the ‘ell do they know?’ ”
So many adjectives come quickly to mind that one needs a dictionary or a thesaurus to begin to do justice to ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL – heartwarming or heartbreaking, evocative, instructive and educational, historically interesting, provocative, hilarious, uplifting, entertaining, joyous, informative and endlessly amusing. If this is your first venture into James Herriot’s adventures and misadventures, I envy you. You are definitely in for a treat.
Paul Weiss
James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, a veterinary surgeon who practiced in Yorkshire, England, for fifty years beginning in 1939. ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, an autobiographical collection of anecdotes drawn from his experiences in that practice, traces the author’s career from his uncertain arrival in Darrowby, a small town in the Yorkshire Dales, to his courtship and engagement with Helen Alderson, the lovely (and much sought after) daughter of one of his clients. Although Siegfried, the owner of the practice in which James will ultimately become a partner, and his ne’er-do-well younger brother, Tristan, take center stage with James in many of the stories, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL is positively jammed front to back with a host of hilarious or dour, nefarious and sneaky, generous and loving, thrifty and skin-flinty, brilliant or unremittingly dopey, beer- and gin-soaked or tee-totaling, but in any event unforgettable and always entertaining characters who are certain to make this book one of the most enjoyable collection of stories that has ever graced your bookshelves.
“And the lambs. All young animals are appealing but the lamb has been given an unfair share of charm. The moments come back: of a bitterly cold evening when I had delivered twins on a wind-scoured hillside; the lambs shaking their heads convulsively and within minutes one of them struggling upright and making its way, unsteady, knock-kneed, towards the udder while the other followed resolutely on its knees.”
“The shepherd, his purpled, weather-roughened face almost hidden by the heavy coat which muffled him to his ears, gave a slow chuckle, ‘How the ‘ell do they know?’ ”
So many adjectives come quickly to mind that one needs a dictionary or a thesaurus to begin to do justice to ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL – heartwarming or heartbreaking, evocative, instructive and educational, historically interesting, provocative, hilarious, uplifting, entertaining, joyous, informative and endlessly amusing. If this is your first venture into James Herriot’s adventures and misadventures, I envy you. You are definitely in for a treat.
Paul Weiss
October 11, 2017
4.5 stars. I adored this book and swallowed it whole when I first read it back in the day, and grabbed the three sequels as soon as I could lay my hands on them. All four of these old paperback books still have a place of honor on my downstairs bookshelf, wherein reside all manner of classics, old SF and fantasy, ancient English lit textbooks, and other old books. It's quite the massive collection - a lifetime's worth of books that have been lovingly and thoughtfully - or sometimes not - collected and have survived the periodic purges.
Anyway, James Herriott (a pseudonym of James "Alf" Wight) was a Yorkshire veterinarian whose practice began in the 1940s (before many advances in modern medicine). He wrote this hugely successful series of semi-autobiographical books about his many years of veterinary practice amongst the farmers and people of Yorkshire. His tales are very episodic, often self-deprecating, sometimes poignant, sometimes silly, but always humorously told and heartwarming. Herriott affectionately sketches the old Yorkshire personalities so well, and his love for animals shines through on the pages.
A truly delightful read! These are lovely stories, especially if you're an animal lover.
Anyway, James Herriott (a pseudonym of James "Alf" Wight) was a Yorkshire veterinarian whose practice began in the 1940s (before many advances in modern medicine). He wrote this hugely successful series of semi-autobiographical books about his many years of veterinary practice amongst the farmers and people of Yorkshire. His tales are very episodic, often self-deprecating, sometimes poignant, sometimes silly, but always humorously told and heartwarming. Herriott affectionately sketches the old Yorkshire personalities so well, and his love for animals shines through on the pages.
A truly delightful read! These are lovely stories, especially if you're an animal lover.
June 18, 2018
Not a long review because it has been years since I read this book; however, it was and still is one of my favorite books. His love for all creatures enhanced my love for them and his stories are timeless. It is a must read for anyone who loves animals and a good read for those interested in a very well-told tale.
February 8, 2020
All Creatures Great and Small is one of the funniest books I've read in my life, with humor that I think would appeal to a wide audience. I usually steer clear of animal-themed stories because they tend to be maudlin, but All Creatures Great and Small isn't that kind of animal book. Herriot wrote about his most memorable, strange adventures as a large-animal veterinarian who visited various farms to handle all manner of cases, at all hours of day and night.
I knew absolutely nothing about large-animal veterinarianism before reading this book; it wasn't something I gave much, if any, thought to. What I learned is that the profession is challenging obviously for the actual work but also exhausting because of the hours. Creatures don't always give birth at convenient times. If a cow is giving birth at the ungodly hour of 3:00 AM, the veterinarian can't exactly ask her to wait until a better time.
I read this many years before joining Goodreads, but I still remember one of the most memorable, and hilarious, accounts involved Herriot reaching far into a pig's vagina to help deliver her piglets. As if that isn't bad enough, one of the piglets kept biting his hand with its "needle teeth." This is such a bizarre (but needed!) profession. I suggest recounting such anecdotes in detail to all children who dreamily claim they want to be vets when they grow up.
Books containing great humor endear themselves to me almost immediately, and this gem holds a special place in my heart. I wish more writers wrote humor like Herriot did.
I knew absolutely nothing about large-animal veterinarianism before reading this book; it wasn't something I gave much, if any, thought to. What I learned is that the profession is challenging obviously for the actual work but also exhausting because of the hours. Creatures don't always give birth at convenient times. If a cow is giving birth at the ungodly hour of 3:00 AM, the veterinarian can't exactly ask her to wait until a better time.
I read this many years before joining Goodreads, but I still remember one of the most memorable, and hilarious, accounts involved Herriot reaching far into a pig's vagina to help deliver her piglets. As if that isn't bad enough, one of the piglets kept biting his hand with its "needle teeth." This is such a bizarre (but needed!) profession. I suggest recounting such anecdotes in detail to all children who dreamily claim they want to be vets when they grow up.
Books containing great humor endear themselves to me almost immediately, and this gem holds a special place in my heart. I wish more writers wrote humor like Herriot did.
December 30, 2020
A lighthearted and cozy memoir of the life of a veterinarian set in rural northern England in the historic county of Yorkshire.
I read this long ago, and had added it to my list of books I’d loved at one point in my life and wanted to re-read. I think I requested that my library get a copy a year ago, and I finally got this just as I was just beginning another book about all manner of animals, My Family and Other Animals which takes place slightly before this first book of Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small series, which covers some of the 30s and 40s.
There is more to this story than the animal / veterinarian anecdotes, or the cast of the characters who seem so delightfully real with Herriot’s ability to weave so much charm into these real-life people and their animals. Some are about the beloved house pets, some are about the eccentric owners, whereas there are more of the farm variety – cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and so on, but what doesn’t change very often is his love of what he does, or of this life he is building in this new place, surrounded by nature.
Where Herriot shines is in he made this come so fully alive for me, in his descriptions of this new, to him, landscape, and these people who are reluctant to trust a young whippersnapper like him, so used to the way things have always been done around here. And it feels so personally shared, as though he’s written this personal letter to you, or he’s sharing his stories around a warm fire on a winter night – comfy, cozy and warmly shared.
”You don’t find people like the Bramleys now; radio, television and the motorcar have carried the outside world into the most isolated places so that the simple people you used to meet on the lonely farms are rapidly becoming like people anywhere else.”
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
October 15, 2019
October 14, 2019
I have just finished reading and as expected, I have nothing much to add to my review. Except that I enjoyed it just as much as ever!
October 5, 2019
I am starting my second 'official' reading of this book but it is actually the umpty-second time I've opened it up to escape for a time to James Herriot's wonderful world. I very greatly doubt i will have anything different to say when I finish this go-round. The reason I am diving into the Yorkshire Dales again is that I just finished reading The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father and I simply have to revisit my old friends. And after this I will read the other four Herriot books on my shelves. I've also read them numerous times but 'unofficially' and many many years ago. So, that is why we are here, and now let's all go to Skeldale House!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original review ~~ October 4, 2015
I've read this book so many times over the years, yet every single time I get to the last word on the last page I am ready to go back to chapter one and start all over. From the first day of Herriot's arrival at Skeldale House, being greeted by a tsunami of leaping, barking dogs, to the week of tuberculin testing that brings the book to a close, we share the moments of joy, laughter, tears, nerves, confidence, mix-ups and triumphs involved in his Yorkshire veterinary practice of the 1930's.
We meet the Farnon brothers and many interesting people around the Dales, not to mention wonderful animals that will live forever, just as the human characters will. Who could ever forget Tricki-Woo? Or that Labrador whose howling while coming out of the anesthetic drove poor Tristan half out of his mind? That huge farm horse that leaned so comfortably on Herriot while his foot was being examined...the list could go on and on.
It is always a pleasure to re-visit Darrowby, even when I know ahead of time how every crisis turns out. Herriot fills these pages with his love for his job, his joy for life, and his fascination with the people and animals around him. And if a story about any case makes Herriot appear a bit silly, it is still included, creating an even stronger sense of reality because we all have stories that now make us laugh but then made us cringe.
My thanks to Herriot for sharing everything with us, not only here but in all the other books he wrote: each one is a treasure.
I have just finished reading and as expected, I have nothing much to add to my review. Except that I enjoyed it just as much as ever!
October 5, 2019
I am starting my second 'official' reading of this book but it is actually the umpty-second time I've opened it up to escape for a time to James Herriot's wonderful world. I very greatly doubt i will have anything different to say when I finish this go-round. The reason I am diving into the Yorkshire Dales again is that I just finished reading The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father and I simply have to revisit my old friends. And after this I will read the other four Herriot books on my shelves. I've also read them numerous times but 'unofficially' and many many years ago. So, that is why we are here, and now let's all go to Skeldale House!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original review ~~ October 4, 2015
I've read this book so many times over the years, yet every single time I get to the last word on the last page I am ready to go back to chapter one and start all over. From the first day of Herriot's arrival at Skeldale House, being greeted by a tsunami of leaping, barking dogs, to the week of tuberculin testing that brings the book to a close, we share the moments of joy, laughter, tears, nerves, confidence, mix-ups and triumphs involved in his Yorkshire veterinary practice of the 1930's.
We meet the Farnon brothers and many interesting people around the Dales, not to mention wonderful animals that will live forever, just as the human characters will. Who could ever forget Tricki-Woo? Or that Labrador whose howling while coming out of the anesthetic drove poor Tristan half out of his mind? That huge farm horse that leaned so comfortably on Herriot while his foot was being examined...the list could go on and on.
It is always a pleasure to re-visit Darrowby, even when I know ahead of time how every crisis turns out. Herriot fills these pages with his love for his job, his joy for life, and his fascination with the people and animals around him. And if a story about any case makes Herriot appear a bit silly, it is still included, creating an even stronger sense of reality because we all have stories that now make us laugh but then made us cringe.
My thanks to Herriot for sharing everything with us, not only here but in all the other books he wrote: each one is a treasure.
November 15, 2010
There are no negatives in this book. When I first read it (them as I read Herriot's vet stories one book after another)I would read them late at night in bed after my wife had gone to sleep. Frequently I'd be laughing silently, but laughing so hard I'd shake the bed. Now and again I'd look over and see her just looking at me having been awakened by my convulsions of mirth. Then I'd end up reading aloud for hours...costing us both much needed rest.
February 18, 2023
I have absolutely loved loved loved James Herriot's (or should I perhaps say Alfred Wight's) All Creatures Great and Small ever since I first read this book (which is actually an omnibus and consists of If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet) at the age of twelve (in the autumn of 1978, and thus, All Creatures Great ands Small was in fact one of the first longer novels I read entirely in English, with a dictionary in hand of course, and aside from my immense reading pleasure, I was also exceedingly proud of myself that in 1978, and therefore only two years after our family had immigrated to Canada from Germany, I was able to read a full-length English language novel and one not really conceptualised for children either entirely on my own). And yes indeed, I also have been reading and rereading All Creatures Great and Small, as well as the rest of James Herriot's veterinarian memoirs repeatedly and almost religiously over the past decades (at least twenty times, I think, and that is actually a more than conservative estimate at best, as sometimes, I would actually reread All Creatures Great and Small as soon as I had finished).
Now with regard to my multiple rereadings of All Creatures Great and Small and what I have tended to take with me at different times of my life, when I was first introduced to James Herriot at the age of twelve, my reading pleasure was almost entirely based on the engaging, often delightfully humorous but also at times sad and heartbreaking episodes of the author's experiences as a veterinarian (I laughed delightfully reading about Mrs. Prumphrey, her pampered and spoiled Pekinese Tricki Woo and later her piglet Nugent and how she calls the office in a panic when she thinks that young Nugent has a prostrate condition only to be told by James that all healthy male pigs relieve themselves in said manner, but was most definitely crying at the episode where poverty-stricken Mr. Dean's fourteen year old canine companion has to be euthanised and how old and widowed Mr. Dean in appreciation of the kindness shown by James, who not only is gentle and caring but also does not bother to charge Mr. Dean, gives James a treasured relict of a bygone and remembered celebration, gives him a cigar). But then later, as an older teenager and young adult (as a university student), while the animal episodes were of course and indeed still of the utmost importance (and a main reading joy), I now also very much appreciated the nuanced characterisation of the author, of how James Herriot portrays not only himself (and always with self deprecation and even much satirisation) but ALL of the human personages depicted and shown (from Siegfried and Tristan Farnon to the many clients encountered, and for most of them, except perhaps for the truly and utterly always horrible and nasty Sidlow family, James Herriot has presented his human characters both with much love and with gentle criticism, with both tenderness and humour, including his entire courtship with his future wife Helen, where he certainly does not spare his verbal rod criticising himself and pointing out the many courtship mistakes and faux pas he makes).
And well, as an older adult with several advanced literature degrees under my belt, my appreciation of All Creatures Great and Small and its sequels has indeed come full circle, as aside from the delightful animal episodes and the generally astute and oh so wonderful and engaging character portrayals, I have been noticing how James Herriot has also and equally taken the entire countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, and so glowingly has he described the latter that the Dales, that Yorkshire, are as much a character in James Herriot's memoirs as the animal and human personages presented and featured (but truly, while I might have only recently become fully linguistically and philosophically aware of this aspect of James Herriot's writing, this has in fact I strongly believe been part of my reading experience and joy from day one, as ever since I first read the All Creatures Great and Small books, I have desperately wanted to travel to England and see the Yorkshire Dales in person, and yes, reading James Herriot's descriptions of Yorkshire cooking has also made me both try and absolutely love such delicacies as Yorkshire Pudding and Wensleydale Cheese, and especially Yorkshire Pudding, I would never have likely had the opportunity to encounter otherwise, as my family is German, and my mother especially has always had that stereotypical and in my opinion annoyingly silly attitude that ALL British cooking is by its very nature bland, over-cooked and tasteless).
Highly, highly recommended (and while I guess I should leave the caveat that both smoking and drinking are indeed rather heavily featured in All Creatures Great and Small and its sequels, frankly, there is at least in my opinion, nothing even remotely inappropriate about this, and yes, it would be a total and unforgivable affront to me, if the James Herriot books were ever deliberately censored, if the scenes of drinking and/or smoking were ever to be unilaterally removed, as especially the smoking scenes are simply a historical reflection of time and place, and while especially with regard to young Tristan Farnon and even James Herriot on occasion, there are indeed a few choice episodes of drunkenness and over-indulgence, the vast majority of the All Creatures Great and Small pub scenes actually show and present rather glowingly and positively the perhaps for some North Americans somewhat inconvenient truth that in much of Europe, people do very regularly frequent neighbourhood pubs, but often if not even generally only drink one to three small ales at most, often taking hours to finish their pints, visiting pubs more for social engagement, for conversation and human company than for the purpose of getting drunk)
.
Now with regard to my multiple rereadings of All Creatures Great and Small and what I have tended to take with me at different times of my life, when I was first introduced to James Herriot at the age of twelve, my reading pleasure was almost entirely based on the engaging, often delightfully humorous but also at times sad and heartbreaking episodes of the author's experiences as a veterinarian (I laughed delightfully reading about Mrs. Prumphrey, her pampered and spoiled Pekinese Tricki Woo and later her piglet Nugent and how she calls the office in a panic when she thinks that young Nugent has a prostrate condition only to be told by James that all healthy male pigs relieve themselves in said manner, but was most definitely crying at the episode where poverty-stricken Mr. Dean's fourteen year old canine companion has to be euthanised and how old and widowed Mr. Dean in appreciation of the kindness shown by James, who not only is gentle and caring but also does not bother to charge Mr. Dean, gives James a treasured relict of a bygone and remembered celebration, gives him a cigar). But then later, as an older teenager and young adult (as a university student), while the animal episodes were of course and indeed still of the utmost importance (and a main reading joy), I now also very much appreciated the nuanced characterisation of the author, of how James Herriot portrays not only himself (and always with self deprecation and even much satirisation) but ALL of the human personages depicted and shown (from Siegfried and Tristan Farnon to the many clients encountered, and for most of them, except perhaps for the truly and utterly always horrible and nasty Sidlow family, James Herriot has presented his human characters both with much love and with gentle criticism, with both tenderness and humour, including his entire courtship with his future wife Helen, where he certainly does not spare his verbal rod criticising himself and pointing out the many courtship mistakes and faux pas he makes).
And well, as an older adult with several advanced literature degrees under my belt, my appreciation of All Creatures Great and Small and its sequels has indeed come full circle, as aside from the delightful animal episodes and the generally astute and oh so wonderful and engaging character portrayals, I have been noticing how James Herriot has also and equally taken the entire countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, and so glowingly has he described the latter that the Dales, that Yorkshire, are as much a character in James Herriot's memoirs as the animal and human personages presented and featured (but truly, while I might have only recently become fully linguistically and philosophically aware of this aspect of James Herriot's writing, this has in fact I strongly believe been part of my reading experience and joy from day one, as ever since I first read the All Creatures Great and Small books, I have desperately wanted to travel to England and see the Yorkshire Dales in person, and yes, reading James Herriot's descriptions of Yorkshire cooking has also made me both try and absolutely love such delicacies as Yorkshire Pudding and Wensleydale Cheese, and especially Yorkshire Pudding, I would never have likely had the opportunity to encounter otherwise, as my family is German, and my mother especially has always had that stereotypical and in my opinion annoyingly silly attitude that ALL British cooking is by its very nature bland, over-cooked and tasteless).
Highly, highly recommended (and while I guess I should leave the caveat that both smoking and drinking are indeed rather heavily featured in All Creatures Great and Small and its sequels, frankly, there is at least in my opinion, nothing even remotely inappropriate about this, and yes, it would be a total and unforgivable affront to me, if the James Herriot books were ever deliberately censored, if the scenes of drinking and/or smoking were ever to be unilaterally removed, as especially the smoking scenes are simply a historical reflection of time and place, and while especially with regard to young Tristan Farnon and even James Herriot on occasion, there are indeed a few choice episodes of drunkenness and over-indulgence, the vast majority of the All Creatures Great and Small pub scenes actually show and present rather glowingly and positively the perhaps for some North Americans somewhat inconvenient truth that in much of Europe, people do very regularly frequent neighbourhood pubs, but often if not even generally only drink one to three small ales at most, often taking hours to finish their pints, visiting pubs more for social engagement, for conversation and human company than for the purpose of getting drunk)
.
November 22, 2019
Each chapter outlines an interesting event in this man's life as a rookie vet. Living on a farm all my life, I found this book quite entertaining as well as somewhat educational!
January 5, 2022
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely love all of James Herriot’s books! I have been listening to the audiobook of All Creatures Great and Small. A beautiful storyline of a veterinarian in Yorkshire England and all the trials, tribulations and amazing people he meets through his veterinarian care is very heartwarming.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely love all of James Herriot’s books! I have been listening to the audiobook of All Creatures Great and Small. A beautiful storyline of a veterinarian in Yorkshire England and all the trials, tribulations and amazing people he meets through his veterinarian care is very heartwarming.
September 4, 2023
Sometimes you need to find some joy in the world. Sometimes you need to be reminded that there are good people out there, quietly trying to do right. This a great book for that. James Herriot portrays goodness in a way that can't be faked. He's also quite funny. It's a book about animals and veterinary medicine, but I don't think you have to be an animal lover to love these stories. Wonderful.
January 13, 2024
🐩 🐈⬛ 🐄 What an exceptional collection of stories and they are exceptionally well read. All the voices of Yorkshire nigh on to 100 years ago are here. Single malt Scotch at hand - Arberlour 12, Glenlivet 15, Cardhu Gold Reserve, or Glenmorangie 18 - a bit of a pipe with a room note everyone loves, a peat or wood fire, Mr. Ralph narrating these tales in a rich accent and all’s right with the world.
I picked this audiobook up because I love animals, my grandfather was stationed at an airbase in Yorkshire during WW2, and I’ve done studies at the U of Liverpool, Liverpool-Hope and the U of St. Andrews. Oh and Lampeter and the U of Wales too. Tbh I understood the Scots better than I understood the Liverpool accent. And the Welsh? They made me smile. All rough and ready Welsh until they needed a bit of a curse - all curses were in English.
A marvelous book and, in case you’re wondering, only two stories are included where an animal needed to be put down. The rest are HEA, so to speak. These tales are brilliant, to quote my UK 🇬🇧 friends, and brilliantly told. Enthusiastically recommended. I’ll move on to the next Herriot audiobook in the queue with great expectations and anticipation.
I picked this audiobook up because I love animals, my grandfather was stationed at an airbase in Yorkshire during WW2, and I’ve done studies at the U of Liverpool, Liverpool-Hope and the U of St. Andrews. Oh and Lampeter and the U of Wales too. Tbh I understood the Scots better than I understood the Liverpool accent. And the Welsh? They made me smile. All rough and ready Welsh until they needed a bit of a curse - all curses were in English.
A marvelous book and, in case you’re wondering, only two stories are included where an animal needed to be put down. The rest are HEA, so to speak. These tales are brilliant, to quote my UK 🇬🇧 friends, and brilliantly told. Enthusiastically recommended. I’ll move on to the next Herriot audiobook in the queue with great expectations and anticipation.
November 17, 2020
Precioso. Pocos personajes me han transmitido tanta ternura como James. Lleno de momentos divertidos y tiernos... Libro favorito, sin duda.
December 4, 2020
‘If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.’
This is at least the third time I’ve read this memoir of the famous veterinarian, who began his life as a veterinarian in rural northern England’s Yorkshire, but this time I listened to the new audiobook, which was narrated by Nicholas Ralph, “star of the new Masterpiece series,” which I loved even more.
’No animal is a better judge of comfort than a cat and they were just visible as furry balls in the straw.’
I re-read this for the first time in many years last year, although I’d read it first when I was probably around 9 or 10, and then again as a teenager. Reading it always managed to pull me in and charm me, as Herriot has a way of bringing it all to life, but a life that isn’t easy, while still making it all seem wonderful, and even occasionally idyllic.
’Life was full for me. There were so many things to find out and a lot I had to prove to myself. The days were quick and challenging and they pressed on me with their very newness. But it all stopped here in the garden. Everything seemed to have stopped here a long time ago. I looked back before going through the door into the yard and it was like suddenly coming across a picture in an old book; the empty, wild garden and the tall, silent house beyond. I could never quite believe it was there and that I was a part of it.’
The narration by Nicholas Ralph made the story come alive even more for me, I was so fully immersed - when I managed to squeeze in time for listening to this. I think I had an almost continual smile on my face for the hours I was listening to him narrate this story, I never felt as though I was listening to a narrator tell another person’s story, I felt like I was hearing Herriot’s story directly from him.
’All young animals are appealing but the lamb has been given an unfair share of charm.’
Filled with humour and charm, Nicholas Ralph’s wonderful narration captured my attention and was a joy to listen to from start to finish.
Published: 17 Nov 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press
January 13, 2021
This is the first omnibus edition of three covering the memoirs of James Herriot, a newly qualified Scottish vet who began practicing in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s and never left. It is a charming, self-deprecating and frequently funny read. It also opens a window into a lost world on the edge of change as agriculture moved steadily from a family concern, dominated by the horse, towards its more industrial future.
The main star of the piece is the landscape - the incomparably beautiful Dales, full of ancient habitations and fascinating people. The supporting cast is, of course, the animals that Herriot comes across in his working day. Great literature, this is not, although it is perfectly well written, but then it never pretends to be. What it is a series of amusing, occasionally poignant, doubtless embellished anecdotes. A few hours reading this book is like spending an evening in a pub with a skilled raconteur. Pull up a chair and enjoy.
The main star of the piece is the landscape - the incomparably beautiful Dales, full of ancient habitations and fascinating people. The supporting cast is, of course, the animals that Herriot comes across in his working day. Great literature, this is not, although it is perfectly well written, but then it never pretends to be. What it is a series of amusing, occasionally poignant, doubtless embellished anecdotes. A few hours reading this book is like spending an evening in a pub with a skilled raconteur. Pull up a chair and enjoy.
September 7, 2016
I've read a lot of James Herriot's stories over my life but haven't read this first volume of his beloved series of memoirs. It is delightful, touching and often knee-slappingly funny. I highly recommend it.
FYI: The audiorecording of the book is narrated by Christopher Timothy, the actor who played Herriot on the BBC series based on the books.
FYI: The audiorecording of the book is narrated by Christopher Timothy, the actor who played Herriot on the BBC series based on the books.
May 4, 2025
Interesting read. I liked reading about James and Helens romance.
March 25, 2015
James Herriot's books are, for me, the ultimate in comfort books. Which is odd, it occurred to me while listening to this audiobook; there's blood and gore and uterine explorations and knackerings and death and cruelty… There is casual mention of deeds and practices which would turn PETA's collective hair white. But I've been reading these books since I was about ten. (Which, considering the language, is surprising. Them Yorkshire farmers were salty, mind.) And then there was the wonderful tv series.
That last is what made the audiobook ideal: the reader is Christopher Timothy, who played James in the series (alongside my beloved Peter Davison as Tristan). I think he's one of those I'll follow anywhere, listen to anything he reads. He's perfect. Not just because I know him so well in the role already – he is a warm, funny, compassionate reader, wonderful at the accents and natural in his delivery.
Just like Alf Wight, better known as James Herriot. The things I mentioned before – well, they were simply a part of life on a Yorkshire farm, in a Yorkshire veterinary practice in the first half of the 20th century. It was as it was, there were no better treatments than some of the medieval remedies used, and for the most part animals were well kept because they were vital to the livelihood of their owners. There is a surprising lack of sentiment overall, whether the animal in question is a pig or a puppy, a horse or a heifer.
Which isn't to say the stories are strictly cool and clinical – not by a long mark. Tricki Woo is the perfect embodiment of the series as a whole. The pampered Pekingese "son" of a rich widow, he is a good-natured little furball whose ailments tend to stem mainly from that pampering. And when he goes flop-bott or shows other symptoms which alarm his Mrs. Pumphrey, "Uncle Herriot" is summoned on to the scene at once. The reward for James's promptitude is baskets from London at Christmas (I can't even fathom how expensive that would be, sent all the way to the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930's) along with other periodic delicacies – so James, naturally, has a mercenary fondness for the Peke. But he is also genuinely fond of the dog for his own self, as a personality, and of Mrs. Pumphrey as well. And balancing it all out like a splash of lemon juice is Mrs. Pumphrey's chauffeur, responsible for the spasmodic bouts of exercise she penitently orders, along with the role of body servant to the dog, and he loathes Tricki with a deep and burning passion. (And when the pig Nugent comes along, there is much hilarity.)
So, yes, there is some cringing as we visit the knacker's yard, or when some archaic remedy is brought out. But it merely acts in the same lemon juice fashion on the warmth found in the daily interactions with the farmers and peers and kids with their goldfish, the dogs and cats and horses and pigs and cows and sheep, the slowly disappearing way of life of the Dales farmers. The madness that is the Farnon brothers; the surely-hopeless love James has for a client's daughter – eccentric as it all can be, it still rings true, and that's the key. The book is, to co-opt what they might say about a particularly nice cob, as sound as a bell.
So, whether it should be a comfort book or not, it got me through a particularly bad night recently. The very definition of a comfort book. I love these stories.
That last is what made the audiobook ideal: the reader is Christopher Timothy, who played James in the series (alongside my beloved Peter Davison as Tristan). I think he's one of those I'll follow anywhere, listen to anything he reads. He's perfect. Not just because I know him so well in the role already – he is a warm, funny, compassionate reader, wonderful at the accents and natural in his delivery.
Just like Alf Wight, better known as James Herriot. The things I mentioned before – well, they were simply a part of life on a Yorkshire farm, in a Yorkshire veterinary practice in the first half of the 20th century. It was as it was, there were no better treatments than some of the medieval remedies used, and for the most part animals were well kept because they were vital to the livelihood of their owners. There is a surprising lack of sentiment overall, whether the animal in question is a pig or a puppy, a horse or a heifer.
Which isn't to say the stories are strictly cool and clinical – not by a long mark. Tricki Woo is the perfect embodiment of the series as a whole. The pampered Pekingese "son" of a rich widow, he is a good-natured little furball whose ailments tend to stem mainly from that pampering. And when he goes flop-bott or shows other symptoms which alarm his Mrs. Pumphrey, "Uncle Herriot" is summoned on to the scene at once. The reward for James's promptitude is baskets from London at Christmas (I can't even fathom how expensive that would be, sent all the way to the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930's) along with other periodic delicacies – so James, naturally, has a mercenary fondness for the Peke. But he is also genuinely fond of the dog for his own self, as a personality, and of Mrs. Pumphrey as well. And balancing it all out like a splash of lemon juice is Mrs. Pumphrey's chauffeur, responsible for the spasmodic bouts of exercise she penitently orders, along with the role of body servant to the dog, and he loathes Tricki with a deep and burning passion. (And when the pig Nugent comes along, there is much hilarity.)
So, yes, there is some cringing as we visit the knacker's yard, or when some archaic remedy is brought out. But it merely acts in the same lemon juice fashion on the warmth found in the daily interactions with the farmers and peers and kids with their goldfish, the dogs and cats and horses and pigs and cows and sheep, the slowly disappearing way of life of the Dales farmers. The madness that is the Farnon brothers; the surely-hopeless love James has for a client's daughter – eccentric as it all can be, it still rings true, and that's the key. The book is, to co-opt what they might say about a particularly nice cob, as sound as a bell.
So, whether it should be a comfort book or not, it got me through a particularly bad night recently. The very definition of a comfort book. I love these stories.
August 26, 2020
I think most members will know of James Herriot, even if they haven't read any of his books. I first read them all many years ago and delighted in the many ups and downs of a country vet's life back in the days before and after WWii. Then came the TV series followed by DVDs to collect. The name of James Herriot became a household name. His books were loved not just here in England but in many other countries also. James Herriot as a country vet, dealt with the local sick farm animals and also with a small animal practice too. His books contain many anecdotes not just with sick animals, but also his daily life living in the same house with his fellow vets, his boss Siegfried and Siegfried's younger brother Tristan. There are many humorous moments described in this book and all those that followed, but also some sad times too when all the skill in the world could not help the sick animals, a devastating blow to the farmers and private owners of the small animals, the dogs, cats and a varied selection of other pets. James Herriot had a unique talent to bring a warmth and delight to his readers in his many tales. He got into lots of scrapes too, often caused by young Tristan. Reading his books over the years brought me both laughter and sometimes tears. I so enjoyed re-reading this his very first book. I also purchased every DVD and enjoyed them all so much. Apparently a new series is about to be brought out soon on TV with new stars of course. Why do they have to do this? The original actors are stamped on the hearts and minds of the countless admirers of his work from all over the world. I really loved reading this, his first book yet again.
At this time Herriot's trainee Peter Wright is a practicing vet in the same town (Thirsk) Books and DVDs can be bought where interested people can read about and watch the modern day vet practices in Thirsk, carrying on the name of James Herriot whose real name was Alf White. The other Yorkshire Vet is Julian North who was originally Peter's partner but now practices in Boroughbridge with his wife, also a vet.
At this time Herriot's trainee Peter Wright is a practicing vet in the same town (Thirsk) Books and DVDs can be bought where interested people can read about and watch the modern day vet practices in Thirsk, carrying on the name of James Herriot whose real name was Alf White. The other Yorkshire Vet is Julian North who was originally Peter's partner but now practices in Boroughbridge with his wife, also a vet.
October 6, 2017
Nothing has ever been as charming, amusing, and almost magical as this series. The setting, the era, the writing style, the stories ... just lovely. I'd recommend it to any lover of animals, England, or the country.
March 2, 2022
Read this as a teenager about the time they developed the PBS series (the first one, not the current one— I’m old!!)
There's one pet tale that can still bring a chuckle (no spoiler but "breaking wind" is involved--I did mention I was a teen when I read this). Not bad for a book I read 30 years ago.
If you own a pet or animals have a special place in your heart, than this gentle, charming and sometimes laugh out loud funny book is a must read!
There's one pet tale that can still bring a chuckle (no spoiler but "breaking wind" is involved--I did mention I was a teen when I read this). Not bad for a book I read 30 years ago.
If you own a pet or animals have a special place in your heart, than this gentle, charming and sometimes laugh out loud funny book is a must read!
December 29, 2021
En esta época navideña quería leer un libro bonito, de esos que te dejan un buen sabor de boca y una sonrisa en el rostro, y creo que este libro fue la elección ideal. En él conocemos a James, recién graduado de la facultad de veterinaria y que acaba de encontrar trabajo como asistente de un veterinario rural en Darrowby, Yorkshire.
El libro se conforma de capítulos cortos en los que James nos cuenta sus aventuras y desventuras durante el ejercicio de su oficio; así, lo acompañamos a curar cólicos, fiebres, a asistir a partos, a realizar vacunaciones, castraciones, etc. Por supuesto que hay algunos capítulos con un final triste, pero en general el sentimiento que transmite el libro es de optimismo y de amor por la naturaleza y los animales.
Aunque me encanta leer thrillers disfruté mucho de esta lectura y me resultó muy refrescante leer algo que no envolviera asesinatos o violencia. La historia además tiene muchas anécdotas graciosas, que te hacen reír a carcajada abierta.
En pocas palabras lo recomiendo mucho para esos momentos en que necesitamos leer algo sencillo que nos haga sentir tranquilos y recordar que lo más simple es muy a menudo lo más valioso en la vida.
April 19, 2021
Marvellous gritty and yet gentle tale of a vet's life in a countryside that is as alien to him as another planet. Herriot's descriptions of the bucolic charm of the Yorkshire dales, farmers and old ladies with yappy dogs is second to none. He makes the landscape, people and animals come alive and describes in some gut-wrenching scenes, their losses too. It's about time I revisited this series of books!
January 9, 2021
I have loved the stories by James Herriot since I first started reading them in middle school. I enjoyed the television show as well back in the day. I'm delighted that Masterpiece is starting a new series on January 10, 2021. I bought season one online immediately and will enjoy each episode as it posts each week.
I decided before watching the series I needed to revisit the books as well. My reading plan for 2021 did not involve a jaunt into James Herriot, but that's the joy of my "I read what I want'' pledge. Reading plan be damned -- I'm going to listen to James Herriot! :) I'm so glad I did! The new audio book series is narrated by Nicholas Ralph who plays James Herriot in the new series. He's scottish...so his accent is just lovely! He does a great job of bringing the story to life. Excellent job of narration! I can't wait to watch the television series, but I'm having a wonderful time listening to the books. Herriot tells the tale of his start in veterinary medicine in 1937. The economy was depressed and new veterinarians were having trouble finding jobs. Herriot paints a vivid picture of the stress and trials of being a new vet in a country area where they rely on the "old ways'' and are wary of new people and modern medical procedures and medications.
As I have spent the last few years revisiting books and series I loved in the past, sometimes stories hit me differently as an adult after first reading them as a child or teenager. But, Herriot's books are still as magical and lovely to me now as they were 40 years ago when I first read them at 12 years old.
There are two audio books in the series recorded by Nicholas Ralph so far. I hope he does the entire series. I listened to a review copy from Macmillan Audio, but I'm buying my own copy. This is an audio book that I will listen to over and over again. Delightful story!
**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
I decided before watching the series I needed to revisit the books as well. My reading plan for 2021 did not involve a jaunt into James Herriot, but that's the joy of my "I read what I want'' pledge. Reading plan be damned -- I'm going to listen to James Herriot! :) I'm so glad I did! The new audio book series is narrated by Nicholas Ralph who plays James Herriot in the new series. He's scottish...so his accent is just lovely! He does a great job of bringing the story to life. Excellent job of narration! I can't wait to watch the television series, but I'm having a wonderful time listening to the books. Herriot tells the tale of his start in veterinary medicine in 1937. The economy was depressed and new veterinarians were having trouble finding jobs. Herriot paints a vivid picture of the stress and trials of being a new vet in a country area where they rely on the "old ways'' and are wary of new people and modern medical procedures and medications.
As I have spent the last few years revisiting books and series I loved in the past, sometimes stories hit me differently as an adult after first reading them as a child or teenager. But, Herriot's books are still as magical and lovely to me now as they were 40 years ago when I first read them at 12 years old.
There are two audio books in the series recorded by Nicholas Ralph so far. I hope he does the entire series. I listened to a review copy from Macmillan Audio, but I'm buying my own copy. This is an audio book that I will listen to over and over again. Delightful story!
**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
April 14, 2009
As a future veterinarian growing up, I was told by many people to read this book. It is apparently considered a rite of passage for those who want to enter the veterinary field. Finally I did read it when I was in my junior year of college before vet school. It was wonderful. Herriot is a hilarious,heart-warming and talented author. He writes with an ease that is addictive to read. He manages to imbue every chapter with scenes that are laugh out loud funny, but also scenes that will bring tears to your eyes. He shows the foibles and flaws of human nature with a lovable grace that is endearing.
Although I didn't practice in Europe and I wasn't a mixed practitioner, he captured the first year out very well. You are clueless. You know just enough to know you need to learn more. You have to learn to deal with people before you can help animals. You have to learn to trust your abilities and your skills. You have learn to grieve for the ones you lose but keep fighting the good fight. Let me just say, looking back, I can totally identify with the young vet in this book.
You do not have to be a vet or wannabe vet to enjoy this book. If you like slice of life books, or books about people in everyday situations but approaching life with grace and humor, you will love this book. If you like animals, you will also enjoy this book. I have collected the others in the series to read because I want to read more about this character, patterned after Dr. Herriot himself.
Although I didn't practice in Europe and I wasn't a mixed practitioner, he captured the first year out very well. You are clueless. You know just enough to know you need to learn more. You have to learn to deal with people before you can help animals. You have to learn to trust your abilities and your skills. You have learn to grieve for the ones you lose but keep fighting the good fight. Let me just say, looking back, I can totally identify with the young vet in this book.
You do not have to be a vet or wannabe vet to enjoy this book. If you like slice of life books, or books about people in everyday situations but approaching life with grace and humor, you will love this book. If you like animals, you will also enjoy this book. I have collected the others in the series to read because I want to read more about this character, patterned after Dr. Herriot himself.
June 5, 2025
Jak miło mi się to czytało!! Pocieszne anegdotki "pana od zwierząt" obnażające cienie i blaski pierwszych kroków stawianych w zawodzie. Do tego świetnie zbalansowane pod kątem humoru (brytyjskość!), wzruszeń i rozterek, które przeżywamy niemal w symbiozie z głównym bohaterem (przy okazji trafiło się również trochę niezręcznych znaków dawnego czasu - trzeba przeboleć). Co i rusz miałam przed oczami sceny z "Zapisków młodego lekarza", a to już plus rangi koronnej.
Mam tylko jedną jedyną obawę, ale napomknę o niej dopiero po lekturze kolejnego tomu.
Mam tylko jedną jedyną obawę, ale napomknę o niej dopiero po lekturze kolejnego tomu.
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