June 7, 2018

James Herriot: The Vet from Darrowby, Yorkshire

All Creatures Great and SmallAll Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small (All Creatures Great and Small Book 1) by James Herriot: Kindle Store

All Things Bright and BeautifulAll Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful (All Creatures Great and Small Book 2) by James Herriot: Kindle Store

All Things Wise and WonderfulAll Things Wise and Wonderful

All Things Wise and Wonderful (All Creatures Great and Small Book 3) by James Herriot: Kindle Store

The Lord God Made Them AllThe Lord God Made Them All

The Lord God Made Them All (All Creatures Great and Small Book 4) by James Herriot: Kindle Store

Every Living ThingEvery Living Thing

Every Living Thing (All Creatures Great and Small Book 5) by James Herriot: Kindle Store

James Herriot, a vet who practiced in a town called Thirsk (Darrowby in the books), close to the Yorkshire Dales wrote a series of novels. They dealt with his experiences as a vet in the 1930s-50s.

I was exposed to his books in my late teens. I have gone back to them time and again. Herriot had a wicked sense of humor and the stories are sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. They are also imbued with the frustrations and sadness which are integral to the act of looking over the health of a whole village of animals in a farming community. They transport me to a simpler time. He talks about a profession I have no exposure to, about a world I have no clue about, a time when I did not exist. I enjoy every minute I spend there. Herriot has a lovely way with words. His descriptions of the weather, the countryside, the smells and the people jump out of the pages and fill me with insight and longing. Insight into a world I do not know and longing for a long gone era. I love the books and the milieu they live in.

There is a a TV series from the BBC. I enjoyed that too. The TV series does take liberties from the original stories, they introduce a few extra characters, but it is a beautiful watch. If you love the books, it is worth your time to check it out.

My "mean aunt" introduced me to James Herriot. I thank her for the gift. It has given me a lot of pleasure.

As you can tell, I recommend anything James Herriot wrote heartily.

macosxguru at the gmail thingie


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