Customer Reviews

If only they could talk

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

James Herriots' stories are always going to go down well.
A struggling vet just out of college joins a practise and attempts to woe the old fastidious farmers in and around Darrowby in Yorkshire circa 1930's.
Trying to educate them to his own way of thinking becomes a far bigger task than he realises and some of the characters he meets on this journey are nothing short of brilliant.
They are all so well depicted you feel that they are so genuine and realistic that should you drive into the Yorkshire Dales you would half expect to bump into them.
The story has been around for years but well done, it is still a magnificent story.
Benjamin J. West, Author of The Eight of Spades, A Law unto Themselves

Ok, I'd like to clear something up. People keep saying they're disappointed because these books (If Only They Could Talk, Let Sleeping Vets Lie, Vet in a Spin, etc.) are a rip-off of the "original" series, including All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, etc.

The first-mentioned series (starting with If Only They Could Talk) is the original. Later, these shorter books were compiled into the longer "All Creatures" series. the shorter books aren't a rip-off; they're just in their original published format.

Now, as to the books themselves, they're absolutely hilarious. A great read! They almost make one want to become a Yorkshire Dales vet... almost, but not quite. These books don't tone anything down. We are given the nitty-gritty details of farm and vet life in the 30s and 40s. Those who are especially squeamish may shudder a bit at some of Herriot's experiences. By the end of the series, you could almost deliver a calf in a pinch... almost, but not quite.

Anyways, wonderful series. Read them!

By just reading the back you'd think this book would be a fluffy tale about a young handsome country vet who moves to an idyllic rural English countryside and lives the life ...of a country gentleman. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the first book in a series that is the true story of life as a country vet in late 1930s England. There's no fluff here...you get specifics about what its like being a vet: its 2am, its the dead of winter, you're stripped to the waste, the only light is an old lamp that a gruff farmer is holding above your head, and you've got your arm up a cow's birth canal trying to turn the calf around so it doesn't kill itself or the mother. That being said, you grow to love the people James Herriott works with (eccentric Siegfried and lazy Tristan) and the farmers of Darrowby. Being a vet is rough, but this series makes you appreciate what they do and the important role they play in agriculture and in taking care of your pet.

If my family is any indication, these country vet books by James Harriet are universal. My grandfather (an engineer) enjoyed them, his daughter/my mother (elementary teacher) enjoyed them, and now I have read "If Only They Could Talk" and enjoyed it. Three generations, three different educational backgrounds. So what is it that makes them enjoyable? Granted, we all liked animals, which is presumably a must in getting into a story about a vet. But more generally, it's the method of writing and the self-deprecating humour that makes the reader feel at home in the English midlands, circa 1935. I've never been to Yorkshire, but the characters and stuations are universal, and Harriet does a good job of invoking a time and place I have never personally witnessed.

Fresh out of vet school, James is looking for work in his chosen profession. He joins a small group (eventually consisting of the head vet, himself only a few years older than James, his rascally brother, and a battleaxe secretary) specializing in farm animals. We then spend our days (and not a few nights!) out with James and sometimes one of the others, as he delivers lambs, cures a cow of constipation, puts down a horse and a dog with incurable maladies, etc. We basically grow into the position with James over the first year in Yorkshire and get to know the farmers and their families at the same time.

I'm sure the book, written just after the WWII about a time just before the war, reads much differently today than it would have to those that lived in the 1930s. I certainly have no nostalgia for a time when every "gentleman" had a live-in housekeeper, and I've never had to crank a car to start it. But nostalgia does not drive the narrative, rather it adds to the ambiance. This is obviously an advantage for the modern reader (and the modern bookseller!) that Harriet so clearly paints his canvas that you easily fall into the time and place of the book.

There are no great insights here. There are only a few big laughs. But the book is charmingn and engaging throughout that you are left feeling a little better about the world when you put the book down.

This book really introduces you to James Harriot. A young, fresh out of college Veterinarian who wishes to specialize in farm animals, begins his career in the Yorkshire countryside of rural England. The book is a collection of short stories about his day-top-day interaction with temperamental farmers and unpredictable creatures. His dedication and love of animals, and incredible ability to relate stories, filled with humor and tenderness is your glorious reward. I would recommend any (and all) of James Harriot's books as treasures that you will enjoy reading, over and over again.

Love love love this whole series! I cant say enough about it. i have enjoyed reading and re-reading this series for several years and there is just nothing like it. Great stories of a Vets life in the olden days of england. Colorful descriptions and comedic and gripping writting. I would suggest this book for anyone looking for a chuckle or aspiring veterinarians... like me!!

This is the first James Herriot book I have read and I really enjoyed it. I'm in my second year of vet school and when I saw this book I remembered that at least half of my class had cited the Herriot books as their inspiration for becoming a vet. Having read one now, I would definitely agree with them. This book made me excited to finish vet school and get to work taking care of animals (and their interesting owners!)

The book is a bit slow through the first 20 pages or so, and the writing is not great to start either, but then the story brings you in and the writing improves quickly as things get going. Herriot describes his characters in a way that makes you care about them and want to know more. The descriptions of the countryside are good as well and paint a beautiful picture of the hills, valleys and towns that Herriot travels through as he goes from appointment to appointment.

A really great read if you like animals, the country, farms or just need something fun to do for a few hours.

I have read many of James Herriot's books, and enjoyed every one. This one is as good as the others. I have even given a copy of this to our son-in-law and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He travels much and it makes for great company.

BEWARE, I purchased this series thinking they were a continuation of James Heriot's first four but to my disapointment the publisher riped off the public by reprinted the original stories under a new title. I tryed to return them but gave up and donated them to the local library

Book arrived in great condition and very quickly. Would not hesitate to buy from this seller again.