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All Creatures Great and Small (All Creatures Great and Small #1)

4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 · rating details · 46,764 ratings · 1,520 reviews

Here is the heartwarming true story of Dr. James Herriot, a country veterinarian whose unique courage, warmth, and natural storytelling ability have captured the heart of American in a very special way!

Paperback, 432 pages

Published September 10th 1999 by Pan Publishing (first published January 1st 1972)

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Oct 14, 2008 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Meg by: my friend Janet

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 y...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Sariah marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read

This book is well, spectacular, in a normal day way. James Herriot had a way of showing how little annoying, silly, and/or normal everyday events are truly remarkable. This book has those fuuny moments, embarrasing moments with those sweet ones that can only be called miracles.

I have really enjoyed this book and I recomend it to everyone, whether you like animals or not (This one is different from other animal stories, because its not only about animals, but about a world of people with animals...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 gu...more 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.
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Oct 04, 2012 Jason Koivu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Oh dear heavens, a cow is having a difficult birth! A cat's sick! The local lord's thorough bred 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 the real-life mid-20th century country vet of the Yorkshire Dales in northern England.

Based on his experiences, these delightful tales that take place in an idyllic setting during a not-so-tumultuous time - "drama cozies" as I like to call them - will not be...more

20 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Valerie added it · review of another edition

My uncle had such a harried schedule and such uncertain breaks that he too often couldn't indulge his love of reading at work. He carried these books to work because you could read a chapter in five minutes--then go on to the next chapter hours later with no loss of continuity.

He also loved the tv version, though he was getting a bit hard of hearing by the time I lived in his house, and often needed a translator at hand for the Yorkshire dialect.

If I were recommending, I'd recommend both. I don...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2009 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of animals, lover of everyday humor in storytelling, people in the veterinary field

Shelves: animal-centered-fiction, biography, favorites, humor, owned-copy

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...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2008 Krystal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a fun read. Very humorous, and funny characters. If you like animals this is a good book for you.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2009 Zoe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-lit

I had always been curious about this book, because there was such a great fuss over it that persisted well into my life (it was written shortly before I was born). Well, the fuss is all true - this is one of the best books I have ever read - an autobiography, technically, about a simple man who loves his job. Not only is he a good author, but he is perhaps the best observer of people I have ever seen - he can make 20 english farmers all seem different. I laughed frequently - his descriptive skil...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2011 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, animals, memoirs

This is a book that any animal lover will enjoy. James Herriot is a newly qualified veterinary surgeon in the Yorkshire Dales. He takes a position as an assistant to Sigfried Farnon after completing his coursework in 1937. We learn of his struggles and triumphs, both in caring for the animals and dealing with the people in his daily life.

His writing is so vivid and detailed that you feel as though you are right there with him as he is caring for a sick cow, a dying dog, or any number of cases d...more

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Jun 11, 2007 Razzberry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I wasn't sure that I would like James Herriot's works when I first came across them. A collection of animal stories by a country vet, I thought, but how wrong I was. I was well and truly engrossed the minute I started. His tales are so much more than that! They are beautifully crafted stories that are funny, touching, and quite simply, likeable.

What makes his memoirs truly remarkable are the vivid pictures he paints of the Yorkshire Dales, his self-depracation and the evident love and respect he...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography, all-time-favorites

Just after I graduated from college, I discovered James Herriot. I had an hour for lunch, and reading was a lovely way to pass the time. His books (all of them) are still on my shelf. I loved the stories, the descriptions of the Dales, and the way he phonetically spelled out the way the people of Yorkshire spoke. Forty years later, I checked the book on CD out at the library. The stories are still enchanting, funny, poignant. It was read by the chap who played Herriott in the PBS series based on...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Sue Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite book of all time! It is as relevant today as it was when when it was released in the 70's. This is my second time reading the entire series, and I find the characters, the scenery, the animals, the descriptive prose as fresh as ever!!

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Apr 06, 2011 Blah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: and, audible-library, audiobook

I've been a fan of the BBC Television series based on these books for quite some time. Some how this book managed to be even more warm and inviting the the TV Program.

These stories are simply charming. It's rare that I literally laugh out loud while reading or listening to a book. The people I drive past on the way home must think I'm a stark-raving lunatic. Herriot tells his stories with a self-deprecating humor that is quite engaging.

Beyond the humor, Herriot powerfully communicates his love f...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Cathi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book and the other Herriott books about twenty years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm not an animal-lover in any way (gratefully, I'm married to a guy with allergies to furry critters), but I absolutely delighted in the adventures of this young veterinarian in 1930s and 40s Yorkshire, England. Each chapter is a gem, whether it's describing Herriott's adventures on country farms or telling about his eccentric vet partners, Sigfried and Tristan Farnon, and other great characters he...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Eligah Boykin jr. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Remember this one well. James Herriot spends hours struggling through the dead of winter in a barn to position a calf in the right place so that the cow, its mother, can give birth to it without injuring herself or putting the life of the calf in jeopardy. Here youth and energy stand in for experience and after nearly giving up, Herriot finds a way to get the job done.

There are a lot of physical confrontations with animals in this book. Herriot digs an abscess out of a horse's hoof, but later th...more

Remember this one well. James Herriot spends hours struggling through the dead of winter in a barn to position a calf in the right place so that the cow, its mother, can give birth to it without injuring herself or putting the life of the calf in jeopardy. Here youth and energy stand in for experience and after nearly giving up, Herriot finds a way to get the job done.

There are a lot of physical confrontations with animals in this book. Herriot digs an abscess out of a horse's hoof, but later that day gets kicked by a cow. Siegfried Farnon is giving Herriot a chance to test his newly graduated veterinary skills on the job, but these real life experiences are not without a few hard knocks.

Here James Herriot meets Siegfried Farnon, the man who will be his partner throughout his professional career for the first time. He also meets Tristan, Siegfried's brother, who has yet to pass his veterinary courses and is something of a prankster and a womanizer.

Herriot finds the laid-back pace of the rural community he is serving something he needs time to get used to; but in the meantime he slowly and gradually overcomes the resistance and second-guessing of the farmers. They are more accustomed to Siegfried Farnon's work than the assistance of this new face on the scene. Eventually, he demonstrates he knows what he's doing despite the insider jokes of some of the farmers and the pranks between Siegfried and Tristan.

He handles six sick steers who are suffering from lead poisoning with epsom salts and has a bull ailing from heat stroke sprayed with water, even though the farmers question the efficacy of these remedies until it becomes plain that they work. Herriot answers a farm call and while putting a cast on a calf's leg meets Helen for the first time. This is the woman who will become his wife, and we will hear more about her in subsequent books.

When he isn't delivering a foal in his pajamas in the middle of the night or falling asleep from too much to drink while delivering piglets, he goes on dates with Helen. Their first date is literally a washout because of the condition of a road that is swamped with water and the car Herriot drives has a flat tire. The second date is hardly any better as they go to a movie, but can barely follow the action or hear what going on because of neighbors siting between and next to them. Helen suggests that next time they go for a walk and this is encouraging to Herriot.

Herriot slowly gains the trust and confidence of Farnon as he continues his daily rounds. He is bitten badly on the leg by a Great Dane who doesn't trust him around her pups and has to save a dog named Tricky-Woo from dying of being overfed by her owner by placing her on a two-day starvation diet. Through all this, Herriot's relationship with Helen begins to pick up steam, even though he suspects he hasn't entirely won over her father.

While noting the difference between rich and poor families and their contrasting levels of cooperation; the poor family really working together to help restore the health of their cow, Herriot continues to inspect animals with Farnon and Helen agrees to marry him. They return from their wedding to find the Siegfried Farnon has put Herriot's name on the shingle beside his own as a full partner. The two newlyweds end up on their honeymoon inspecting cows, content just to be in each other's presence. (less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

When I was young I wanted to be an author and a vet when I grew up. Knowing this, my parents introduced me to the writing of James Herriot, who was both. Later I decided that having to fiddle with animal innards everyday is not the same as owning pets and I veered more towards the writing side of my ambitions, but it never affected my love for Herriot’s writing. I’d already read his collections, Dog Stories, Animal Stories and Cat Stories and some of the tales in those volumes are drawn from thi...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Carleeh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was little, I always wanted to become a veterinarian mainly because I loved animals. I thought it would be an easy and fun job. But after I read All Creature Great and Small, I realized how difficult it is to be a veterinarian. You need to be organized, on to things, and be able to think quickly in a situation. Now, I’m not a person to think quickly especially when I’m under pressure. So, maybe I don’t want to become a veterinarian anymore.

I absolutely loved James Herriot’s memoir. It wa...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, animals

I guess, if you’ve never been to old Yorkshire, (maybe modern Yorkshire is still the same) this is a glimpse into someplace that is hearty and foreign.

The story of the man, the veterinarian is interested, easy to read, colloquial. At times it is amusing, other times touching. The look at the veterinarian service at the turn of the twentieth century, as compared to today is a nearly black and white contrast. James Herriot often makes that very case in writing the book.

Of old Yorkshire, or rural...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Tessa Eger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't deny this happens to you. We all get down, hit a rough patch, lose a job or get a divorce. Sometimes a gripping action movie is just what you need. But sometimes nothing works but a good, heartwarming laugh. For those moments, there is one author I can always count on. He's gone now, but his works will endure. The author is James Herriot, whose real name was James Alfred Wight, or Alf. The books are collectively known as All creatures great and small, as was the BBC tv series. Every book...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: environment-animals, memoir-biography, nonfiction

Busy with work and school, I haven’t had much time for pleasure reading recently. But even in the short, five minute stretches I’ve managed to wrench from my chaotic schedule, it’s inevitable that I lose myself completely in the enchanting stories of James Herriot’s life as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales. Mr. Herriot- er, Dr. Herriot- effortlessly animates the pages of his book as he remembers the entertaining details of his tumultuous veterinary practice, the country-esque scenery and ma...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Lillie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't remember how old I was when I read James Herriot for the first time. It must have been late elementary school or middle school. What I do remember is the burning desire it fostered in me (and in probably every other child who reads it) to be a vet. James Herriot adored his life, and his passion pours through in his simple, straightforward, but absorbing, storytelling.
It was recently, standing beside (and filming) one of our vets as he put his arm to the shoulder up the back ends of a st...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs, veterinary-rural-practice

Pleasant and enjoyable stories about a veterinary surgeon and his farm animal patients and their owners in the 1940s.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Christopher Timothy. It was pleasant. It is partially autobiographical, but primarily fiction. It was written by a veterinary surgeon who worked in Yorkshire, England, starting in the 1940s. It is told in the first person and describes the working life of a country vet whose primary patents are large farm animals. He is sometimes injured by...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Rosemaryknits rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My family and I are working our way through this excellent series of audio books. I read them way back when, as the author was writing them, and while I completely enjoyed them, I missed a lot because I had no idea what the Yorkshire farmers were saying. In this version, the reader delivers the vernacular in such a way that I have no trouble understanding, whatsoever.

Christopher Timothy, the reader, is the actor who played the role of James Herriot in the television adaptation. He really does an...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Shanna Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-12

All Creatures Great and Small opens an unforgettable series of personal memoirs by a country veterinarian in 1940's Yorkshire (also known as James Alfred Wight). These are written in a series of short chapter vignettes, with a warm, wry humor that vividly, affectionately, and sometimes mercilessly captures human nature in the context of this cultural scene. Many descriptions are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and will be spontaneously read aloud to the nearest listener. But Herriot is no cynic -- his...more All Creatures Great and Small opens an unforgettable series of personal memoirs by a country veterinarian in 1940's Yorkshire (also known as James Alfred Wight). These are written in a series of short chapter vignettes, with a warm, wry humor that vividly, affectionately, and sometimes mercilessly captures human nature in the context of this cultural scene. Many descriptions are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and will be spontaneously read aloud to the nearest listener. But Herriot is no cynic -- his writing pokes fun at himself at least as often as others, and his self-deprecating wit provides an appeal that is near irresistible. This first book in the series follows Herriot's starting-out years as a vet, his induction into Siegfried Farnon's local practice, his adjustment to the local ways and customs, and his courtship of the lovely Helen Alderson.

A country vet's life involves a lot of bloody and sometimes gross work, which will appeal to some readers and may repel others. There is an obvious appeal for animal lovers and potential medical students, as he treats both pets and farm animals, and Herriot sets a good moral example through his kindhearted willingness to undergo inconvenience and indignity for the sake of the animals under his care. Implicit throughout his books is the belief that humans have a responsibility to provide good care to the animals who serve them.

In his portrayal of his Yorkshire clients, he attempts to capture the flavor of their speech, and this does include some profanities. The words "bloody," "hell," and "bugger" appear fairly frequently, but there are few American swear words. Parents ought to use discretion, but I don't think this element should not be too harmful for mature readers.

Because some of the humor is rather sophisticated and Herriot's prose is sometimes difficult, I recommend this for ages 16-18, but if enjoyed with a parent it is quite likely to appeal to younger readers, especially those who have enjoyed Herriot's stories for children James Herriot's Treasury for Children Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small.(less)

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May 04, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, sciencewriting

I can't remember how old I was when I read James Herriot for the first time. It must have been late elementary school or middle school. What I do remember is the burning desire it fostered in me (and in probably every other child who reads it) to be a vet. James Herriot adored his life, and his passion pours through in his simple, straightforward, but absorbing, storytelling.

It was recently, standing beside (and filming) one of our vets as he put his arm to the shoulder up the back ends of a st...more

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May 24, 2012 Cyndy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book to make you fly through the pages, chuckle ridiculously to yourself, and sigh with contentment at the end. I read this book in high school and liked it very much. This time as well, for some reason, it just really hit the spot. Not the least of it is that Herriot is clearly a man who found meaning in what he did and where he lived. He loved the Yorkshire Dales. They became a part of who he was. As a narrator, he is conscious about this measure of grace in his life and reflects upon it in...more

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May 19, 2012 Amanda Lerch rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As an ever avid reader of books, how in the hell did I miss this classic gem by James Herriot? A delicious cocktail of amazing character depth mixed with a comedy of errors made this book one of my favorites. Herriot paints an immensely vivid portrait of the land and the characters living in the English countryside. I laughed aloud multiple times throughout this book. The book takes place in the 1930's or 40's(this isn't quite clear) and is about a surgical vet named James Herriot who just gradu...more As an ever avid reader of books, how in the hell did I miss this classic gem by James Herriot? A delicious cocktail of amazing character depth mixed with a comedy of errors made this book one of my favorites. Herriot paints an immensely vivid portrait of the land and the characters living in the English countryside. I laughed aloud multiple times throughout this book. The book takes place in the 1930's or 40's(this isn't quite clear) and is about a surgical vet named James Herriot who just graduated from veterinarian school and lands a job as assistant to the primary vet in a remote English village. The authors name is actually Alf Wright, who wrote under the pen name James Herriot and the book in part is based on his own experience as a vet.

The book outlines James' hilarious adventures to remote farms to treat sick animals, which often would occur in the middle of the night and with him driving miles and miles in the piece of crap unreliable car given to him by his boss, which led to some very funny mishaps. The colorful personalities of the various farmers and townspeople that made up the practice's client base was entertaining to say the least. James struggled as a newby vet in town and had to prove himself as an expert in the field to farmers who often relied on age old impractical methods of treating animal maladies that were often counterproductive if not dangerous to the animals. James handled his difficult clients with a rare combination of grace, wit and patience that often left me admiringly baffled. His boss, Sigfried was a painfully oblivious head in the cloud's lovable character who was pre-occupied with Tristan, his younger lazy brother who came to live in the house with them because he was failing out of vet school. The constant tension between the brothers is rather comical, with Tristan walking on egg shells and breaking them with his late night drinking binges and constant mistakes in helping with the practice. James, who also lived in house with the brothers is often privy to, if not caught in the middle of the brotherly spats.
In short, if you are an animal lover, fan of British wit and appreciate immense character depth, you will probably like this book as much as I did!(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Kelda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Any book by James Herriot is like comfort food.
You read it and you feel warm and fuzzy, like everything's right with the world, and it's as if time freezed for a few moments as you let the words roll over you; making you laugh or cry, or float in the clouds.
I usually like to read books with action; sword fights, guts and glory, dragons-
But at the end of the day, somehow I always come back to this book. When I pick up this book, I'm lost in Yorkshire, or wherever James Herriot is, bouncing alon...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"All Creatures Great and Small" is one of my favorite books. James Herriot's memoir of life as a veterinary surgeon in Yorkshire, England, in the 1930s is excellently written, humorous, and insightful. The author's descriptions of the people and animals with whom he comes into contact are vivid. His stories of helping animals are enjoyable to read, and I especially like the anecdotes about life at Skeldale House with his fellow veterinarian Siegfried Farnon and Siegfried's brother Tristan; from...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my favorites! I remember reading a few times as a teenager, and just re-read it and enjoyed it just as much as ever. I absolutely love James Herriot's autobiographical writing style. He makes me laugh out loud with his vivid descriptions of his life as a newly trained veterinarian in 1930's England. My favorite chapter (22!) is the one where he is riding along on a farm visit with a neighboring vet, cantankerous old Grier, not imagining that he'd even have to get out of the car......more

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About James Herriot

James 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...more James 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.

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“And there was that letter from the Bramleys—that really made me feel good. 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. There are still a few left, of course—old folk who cling to the ways of their fathers and when I come across any of them I like to make some excuse to sit down and talk with them and listen to the old Yorkshire words and expressions which have almost disappeared.” — 5 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32089.All_Creatures_Great_and_Small?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356447327l/32089.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32089.All_Creatures_Great_and_Small?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot[/url]

All Creatures Great and Small (All Creatures Great and Small #1)

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