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. I have watched the lovely BBC series (the remake) of this and it is super heartwarming, funny, and cozy, so my partner and I decided to do a read aloud of the first of the books.

This series centers around James Herriot, young Veterinarian, who juts got a job with Siegfried Farnon, who owns a practice.

And even more entertaining is Siegfried’s younger brother Tristan, a fun-loving veterinary student who waltzes in and out of the house and the books, adding more hilarity. I think just about anyone would enjoy these episodic adventures of a veterinary in the Yorkshire Dales. His opening chapter describes his struggle to deliver a calf in the middle of the night, while the farmer has little faith in him, as he is a young, inexperienced vet.

To a Glaswegian like James, 1930s Yorkshire appears to offer an idyllic pocket of rural life in a rapidly changing world. I found that I had had no idea as a child of the time period that he was writing in, and the changing face of farming life between the wars was interesting, as was the changing of medicine with the advent of antibiotics. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation. If only they could talk’ undoubtedly is at its pinnacle when it comes to the descriptions of the landscape in which the book is set and is among one of the best countryside books I have ever read.That man in the picture had just finished an excellent lunch and had moved next door to do a bit of calving just for the sheer pleasure of it, as a kind of dessert.

Nothing on the masterpiece of words, the thought out plot, the detail that Orwell describes extensively, not even mentioning the main characters. Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, If Only They Could Talk is a book for all those who find laughter and joy in animals, and who know and understand the magic and beauty of Britain’s wild places. 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. He is also a sharp observer of the people, animals and their association in an agrarian society as these stories offer a delightful insight born out of his observations into the country life of Yorkshire. Having only been qualified for the last seven months, James knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was up to the challenge or so he believed.

Nesavieb seju nepatīkamā grimmasē, galu galā tāda ir skarbā realitāte, ja esi nolēmis savu profesionālo ceļu brist lauku dubļos. The life of the farmers and the role of animals in their emotions of happiness, accomplishment, sadness and even heartbreak are all portrayed by Herriot with the flair of a master narrator. Nezinu nevienu citu grāmatu, kur galvenais varonis lielāko daļu epizodēs ir iebāzis roku kādā lielā mājdzīvniekā.

Because All Creatures Great and Small, probably his best-known and best-loved book, was originally published in part as If Only They Could Talk. God this book made me laugh hard, sob, it made me put it down and take some time away, it was really hard to read in places but a great read, a great insight to being a vet in the countryside. I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then. Equal importance is given to the farmers, their crusty exterior hiding some of the most generous and wonderful people one could meet. Ja esi sirdī dzīvnieku mīlis, šī grāmata ir jāizlasa- humors savijoties ar ikdienas skarbumu pavērs durvju šķirbiņu uz 30.Tak lama, bergabung pula Tristan Farnon, adik Siegfried yang memiliki sifat jauh berbeda — ia periang, ceroboh, namun selalu beruntung. The characters of Skeldale house, along with the eccentric locals - (not forgetting Tricki Woo, the over-indulged Pekingese), will have you really guffawing from start to finish.