All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
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Book Reviews of All Creatures Great and Small
Book Review: A master storyteller with the perfect subject
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, books of short stories just don't get much better than this, do they?
For me, Herriot is the only author in the world who can pull off heartwarming without being cloying. His amazing feel for the lives and dialogue of the Scottish farmers who he services gives each and every story a score of interesting details and conversation that is captivating for its novelty and authenticity.
In this first book of the series, Herriot has more to say than at any other point in his career. Not that his brand of storytelling ever gets old, but here there is the added excitement of reading his first stories, for the first time.
Another major draw for these stories is the look inside the nuts and bolts of veterinary practice, at a time when science was still struggling to overtake centuries of medieval techniques. Reading about sutures and powders and presentations is more fascinating than I ever would have thought possible.
The character of Herriot himself is unflaggingly goodhearted, and yet utterly realistic; we see in him the best part of ourselves, and this too makes the stories a joy to read.
I highly recommend reading this series chronologically, so that you can join Herriot as he moves from young apprentice to old master.
I wish there were a hundred books in this series, but at the same time I'm thrilled that there's even one book out there that acts as such a standard-bearer for excellence in storytelling.
Book Review: wonderful book
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best books I've read in my life. A must read. Very well written. Makes you want to write like him.
I remember seeing my high school biology teacher reading this book at her desk while she had some time to herself, while we did our thing with dissections, etc. It seemed that she couldn't get her hands off this book. And I'd wonder what the book was about. Something about creatures. Maybe it was about GOD and church and religion.
Now that I've had a chance to read this book, twenty years later, I can say that it is a wonderful book! You don't want this book to end. And now I understand why my biology teacher was so hooked on it.
This is a nonfictional book about an English veterinarian writing about his funny and sometimes dramatic profession. From how he started, to his everyday events in a small town (away from the big city such as London) to how he meets his future wife, and his gradual establishment of his veterinary life. This book is filled with funny moments that makes you pause with a smile on your face. And has its poignant moments that makes you realize its wonderful writing.
This book gives you a glimpse of what the veterinary world is like on his side, on the countryside of life, with real people and real stories, and of course, with real animals. Animals and people and veterinary work that you will come to love.
Book Review: A Truly Joyous Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Written by James Alfred Wight under the pen name James Herriot, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL is the semi-autobiographical adventures of a 1930s vetenarian working in Yorkshire, England--and as he grows in experience we meet the people and animals that populate his world.Any one old enough to turn a page will love this book. It is written in an effortless and easy-to-read style, and the clinic's experiences with everything from runaway pigs to lavishly spoiled lapdogs makes for laugh-out-loud fun. Who could forget Tristan's battle with a savage sow or the dog that howled? How about the hens that flew the coop or Tricki-Woo's birthday party? Or the car with no brakes or the cow that would never get up again? Herriot's comic tales can easily make you laugh until you cry.
But ALL CREATURES isn't only about laughter. There is also the hard work of farming and the simple integrity of those who struggle to survive on the land, where the loss of a cow can mean the difference between surviving another year and financial disaster. There is also the sorrow at the loss of a treasured companion. And through it all, from the wildly comic to the poignant and touching, there is always, always the story of the relationship between man and animal, joyously told. Easily one of the most completely enjoyable books I've ever read, and very strongly recommended.
Book Review: A wonderful story
Summary: 5 Stars
All Creatures Great and Small was a wonderful book, definitely one of my favorites. It was about animals, which was what drew me to the book to begin with. The book draws you in, not really in a suspenseful way, but in a way that makes you just want to keep reading. Also, James Herriot tells wonderful stories and is willing to make fun of himself and situations he was in, some of which were his fault. It was fun getting to experience his first few years as a country vet along with him. You also get to witness his relationships with animals and the people around him. Plus, all the characters are realistic and you believe all the situations that they are in.
Even though there were a lot of good things about this book, there were also a few things that I did not like. The author was Scottish and he lived in Yorkshire so some of the language was kind of confusing and often you had to guess at what the words meant. In the beginning it was a little confusing, because usually each chapter talks about a different event in the authors life, but as you read you get used to that. Also, some parts of the book could get kind of long and repetitive, but most parts kept your attention quite well. Overall, I though it was a very, very good book that I would definitely recommend.
Book Review: Non-Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
The book, All Creatures Great and Small is about Mr. James Herriot as a vet in his mid-thrities at a small town in Shorphire,Egland named Dowrby. There he is the assistant of Mr. Seigfried Farnon. They live at the Skedale House with Mrs. Hall and Tristan, who is seigfried's little lazy brother. At Shropshire, Mr. Herriot deals with the problems of the farmers at the area with their livestock and other domestic animals. Also at Dowrby, Mr. Herriot falls in love with Helen Aiderson. Later they become married and live a wonderful life.The reason that I read this book was because our teacher gave us the assignment of doing a report on this book, and I thought that this would be a good non-fiction book to use on my book-reports. I also choose this book because this is the biggest book in the class and I can read a lot.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is the times when Siegfried goes berzerck and he sacks Tristan over and over again without ever remembering once what he had just done and still wakes up the next morning seeing Tristan eating breakfast with him and doesn't wonder why is my brother still here? I think this is weird and I believe Siegfried has problems and should get professional hep because at some scenes in the book, he really freaks me out.