All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
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Book Reviews of All Creatures Great and Small
Book Review: interesting, whimsically funny, but above all instructive
Summary: 5 Stars
You have probably heard that Herriot is heart-warming, enjoyable, and all that. (It's all true.) But how so? And what is so instructive about it?Herriot was a small-town veterinarian who practiced for over half a century in Yorkshire, Great Britain. He took notes and remembered stories. He did such a good job of it that he was able to put together half a dozen books of his recollections. The accumulated stories are a delightful account of his efforts to get started in the practice, the whole gamut of farmers and pet owners in his area, and all the little details you normally wouldn't hear about. What a man he must have been to have for a grandfather.
The great unheralded benefit of Herriot's writing, in my view, is for the small businessperson who has a limited number of potential clients and who must win them over to succeed. By seeing how Herriot handled a certain type of customer, one can improve the way one deals with one's own customers. The excellent results he ultimately got while dealing with some very tough customers in difficult situations can show the way and inspire you to greater patience and effort. This, in my view, is the hidden value of Herriot.
Book Review: My Favorite Book of All Time!
Summary: 5 Stars
I first became acquainted with the "All Creatures" series written by James Herriot as a high school student writing a theme paper for my British literature class. After reading the first installment I quickly read through the rest of the series " All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All". The plot centers around James Herriot, a newly qualified veternarian and his employment as assistant veternarian to Siegfried Farnon in the village of Darrowby. You will also meet a cast of colorful characters, Tristian Farnon, Siegfried's younger brother, Helen Alderson, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Pumphrey and her Pekinese, Tricky-Woo,and a host of other colorful characters who make this a memorable read. James Herriot has also authored several other books, each one stands on its own merit and are a treasure for your family library. The BBC also produced the series " All Creatures Great and Small" for television in the late 1970's. The series is a masterpiece! I would highly recommend watching the episodes as you read through the books. The books/series are fantastic family entertainment!Book Review: Warm, Touching and Always Insightful
Summary: 5 Stars
James "Jems" Herriot provides the reader with a look into a bygone age in the North of England when the science of veterinary medicine was on the cusp of modernity. His recounts of not only his experience with animals, but with his employer, Siegfried, and his pursuit of female companionship are so sweet and funny that I often found myself smiling from sheer pleasure. I would have loved to have met this gentle-man and gotten an eyeful of his borrowed black patent leather dancing slippers with their silk bows!Luckily, on cable TV, is Animal Planet where there is weekly series that provides a glimpse into present day vets in England, Vets in Practice, and complements Herriot's writings well and gives visualizations to many of the same situations in which Herriot found himself, e.g. difficult cow births. I admire the dedication of these country vets and feel priviledged to have been given such a wonderful look into this man's life. I cried when I finished it- I am such a sap, I know...
I look forward to reading the other titles in this series.
Book Review: This is a really great book for readers and non-readers.
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book to be a very easy read, and would recommend it to anybody that reads at the fourth grade level or higher. The Scottish author, James Herriot, describes his life as a newly hired veterinarian, in pre-WWII England. He shares with readers his experiences in handling distressed animals, their owners and caretakers, the business of being a veterinarian, and the successes and failures of love and life.His descriptions of the situations he was in, were right on. Being British, and the grandson of a blacksmith, I could easily picture in my mind what kind of weather he was experiencing, or how dark a barn, byer, or piggery might be. His characterizations of the local farmers and townspeople were great, and he met some really interesting people!
The book left me with a new respect for what life was like for people in the days when life seemed so much simpler than what it is today. I have just started "All Things Bright and Beautiful", and look forward to completing it, and the rest of Herriot's books in the future.
Book Review: classic works!
Summary: 5 Stars
James Herriot's books stand out in modern writing as absolute classics, evocative of an earlier, more innocent time, and more wonderously, by the skill with which these deceptively simple, entertaining, moving stories are written. Beneath the entertaining text and characters lies absolutely beautiful, artful writing, with craft and skill that ties all these chapters and stories together in a pattern of one country vet's life in England in the 1930's and 40's. These are so much more than animal stories. I am biased; these are my favorite all-time books, read and re-read since my youth. Increasing age has not diminished their charm. History will write James Herriot's name large. If you haven't read these books yet, you owe it to yourself to start with "All Creatures Great and Small". Whether or not you care for animals, you will fall in love with a gentler time, the escapades of a trio of young men, and the laugh-out-loud as well as very tearful events this author writes about so beautifully. Absolutely timeless and a classic.