All Creatures Great and Small
Ratings31
Average rating4.4
15
Ratings31
Average rating4.4
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.
(Printed in the UK as two books: Book #1 - *If Only They Could Talk*, and Book #2 - *It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet*.)
Reviews with the most likes.
Wonderfully evokes a different place and time. Like Agatha Christie, the author is so skillful and making you think what he wants you to think and feel what he wants you to feel. A classic.
I read this series way back when I was just a young thing, after viewing the wonderful PBS series of the late 1970s.
Several things prompted my reread of this book. I was reminded of the book when I saw friend Bryan from An Unfinished Person was reading this book. Then I saw this book on a list of mood-boosting books. And then I saw that a new video series made from this book was coming to PBS in early 2021. Now a question remained: Would this book live up to my memories of it?
Yes, it did. Feeling low? Read these stories of old-time veterinary care set in the Yorkshire Dales back before World War II, and I assure you that you will feel a little bit better. It's the perfect book for the distracted, with each chapter a complete or almost-complete story. It is the perfect book for those who are feeling sad with cheery humor. It's the perfect book for those who are downhearted with its stories of thoughtful care of the animals and hardworking farmers and villagers.
Highly recommended.
Series
8 primary booksAll Creatures Great and Small is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1972 with contributions by James Herriot and St Michael.
Featured Prompt
171 booksBooks read in your formative years can shape the person you become just as much as parents, teachers and friends. What were some of the books that you remember most from your childhood years?
