Play Book Tag discussion

This book is nothing like that I was expecting. I don't even know what to rate it. If it had been 200 pages shorter it would have been charming. I cannot BELIEVE there are two more books in this vein. Dear God, no.

I liked the writing and some of the people. Absolutely hated Siegfried, his boss. HOLY CRAP what a complete buffoon.

Story after story that go a little something like this:
Over a period of weeks ...
James: The brakes in the car really need fixing
Siegfried: Right, I'll speak to the mechanic.
J: Hey, about those brakes.
S: I'm on it.
J: Um, the brakes in the car are really bad
S; Let me just advise the mechanic
J: visits the Mechanic
Mechanic: Wow, these brakes need fixing, have you spoken to Siegfried?
J: Hey spoke to the mechanic the brakes need fixing
S: Yes, I will call him.
S: drives the car, almost dies. "James, you really have to learn to be more assertive and speak up when things need fixing."

ARGUHHHHHH. Once, cute. 18 times, Old.

And speaking of old, if I had to read one more story about him sticking his hand in a cow's Hoo Ha, I would have screamed.

I really enjoyed this book, BUT I read it one or two chapters at a time over a lot of weeks while one of my kids was with her writing tutor (back in the homeschooling years), so it was very enjoyable. I can see that it might be overdone if all at once.

Each book has its own theme, I think, since I later read one when he was in the military during whichever WW was happening at the time.

I had it to read this month but I think I'm all animaled out. I'm glad now!

Oy! I read this as a much younger girl, and I have to admit that in my memory, I absolutely loved it. I don't remember it like this at all - - which is to say, I probably was an unsophisticated reader who just found it all intriguing. I was very interested in veterinary medicine so the whole hand in the cow thing struck me as pretty intriguing.

So sorry it wasn't for you . . .really sorry, lol . . .I'm never going to re-read it now because I want it to stay the way I remember it!

I read this back when it was a new book ... 1972! I am not an animal lover, but I really enjoyed the book. And I loved the TV series as well.

BTW .. when my friend broke her arm she was told to go to Farm and Fleet and buy some of those "gloves" vets (and farmers) use ... plastic goes up past her elbow, so she can take a shower an not get her cast wet.

I found the cow hoo haw thing rather amusing but then again remember my father trying to do it with a sheep one time in order to turn a lamb. It was beyond him and the vet had to eventually come out.

I found the books charming when I read them (as they were released) - great supporting casts of characters and evocative of time and place. I think I would still like them but don't reread anymore so can only guess.

My sister has said that reading Herriot in high school is what lead her away from veterinary medicine and toward microbiology. There is no hoohaw on a cellular level.

I enjoyed these books as **short stories**. One at a time they are entertaining. Back to back and strung together, they are repetitive and formulaic.

Jgrace wrote: "I enjoyed these books as **short stories**. One at a time they are entertaining. Back to back and strung together, they are repetitive and formulaic.
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totally agree, that's why I couldn't rate it.

LOL I loved this when I read it as a teen, and Herriot is one of the reasons I took vet med in college. I absolutely wanted to experience sticking my arm up a cow. Never had the chance to do the "hoohaw" but for the experience of palpating to determine the stage of estrus a cow is in, we had to insert an arm (yes, almost all the way to the shoulder, the plastic gloves are that long) into the rectum. The tightness of it can be scary at first! I will say that though I was glad of the experience, I never had the inclination to practice large animal medicine.

I can't say I was biologically correct when I said "hoo ha" haha.