dorothy_gale's review
4.0
4★: OOF, VETERINARIAN DETAILS... I CAN'T DO IT! Classic, true, high-rated bestseller with animals?! Count me in for a single episode, then I'm out! This was the first two of an 8-book series, and I won't be returning for more. I'll take cartoon talking animals any day over surgical details. I don't have the stomach for it.
karaklos's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started All Creatures Great and Small. There were many vivid descriptions of animal parts and procedures that made me wonder what I was getting myself into. As I continued, I found the parts and procedures were secondary to the characters in the story who were so unique and full of life.
Following a young veterinarian on his rounds around the Yorkshire Dales, this is a very funny collection of stories that made me laugh out loud. Herriot has captured the best and worst in humanity in the most relatable way. A very nice reprieve from some of the more soul-crushing books out there.
Following a young veterinarian on his rounds around the Yorkshire Dales, this is a very funny collection of stories that made me laugh out loud. Herriot has captured the best and worst in humanity in the most relatable way. A very nice reprieve from some of the more soul-crushing books out there.
sarahjolioli's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
4.0
avid_reader_sf_and_f's review against another edition
4.0
I will always love James Herriot and his tales of a country vet.
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
5.0
All Creatures Great and Small // by James Herriot // narrated by Nicholas Ralph
How do explain the sheer pleasure that listening to this audiobook was? For most of my life I wanted to be a veterinarian myself and I started out in college with that same dream in mind. Sadly, circumstances made my path change, something I still remember sadly though I know it was the right way to go. I do recall the joy of learning of this gem of a book for the first time though and read it as quickly as was possible while being a full-time student with at least one job at the time. I no longer own that copy of my book thanks to a chewy puppy but recalling the pleasure of reading that book the first time made me jump at the chance of listening to this audiobook as soon as I saw it. I just knew I could not miss out on it.
Now after reading that first paragraph, you are probably thinking that I devoured the entire audiobook in a really short amount of time. But the opposite is actually true. It took me more than a month and a half to finish it this time around, which is much longer than usual for me. I really liked it that way though. It was like taking your time to enjoy a nice glass of wine or an exceptionally delicious piece of chocolate cake. I did not want to rush through this time around and the setup of the book suits that approach very well. While there definitely is a linear aspect to the story, which you see in the growing level of experience as well as the introductions of recurring persons in his live, each situation he finds himself in though can be listened to as a standalone almost without much prior knowledge. Even when I did not listen to this book for a whole week, it felt so natural to dive back into it and find myself laughing and enjoying myself just as much as the last time around. This audiobook would be a perfect way to introduce children to this format, classics, farm life, etc. as the writing is neither complicated nor pretentious. I think it would make for a fun experience as a family on car rides.
Nicholas Ralph is the narrator for this audiobook as well as the follow-up, All Things Bright as Beautiful, which I of course will begin very soon. I do not think it would have been possible to find a more perfect person for this job. He infuses this audiobook with so much character and charm, I could not imagine listening to anybody else read it. His voice, inflection and accents meld the words so perfectly that I can just see James Herriot himself in my mind telling me these stories. The humor, sorrow, cheer, love, anger and every other emotion that the author must have felt while writing this book are portrayed perfectly by Nicholas Ralph. I do not know if there are other audiobook versions of this book available but I will forever be loyal to this one as I cannot imagine a better experience than what I had this time around.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
How do explain the sheer pleasure that listening to this audiobook was? For most of my life I wanted to be a veterinarian myself and I started out in college with that same dream in mind. Sadly, circumstances made my path change, something I still remember sadly though I know it was the right way to go. I do recall the joy of learning of this gem of a book for the first time though and read it as quickly as was possible while being a full-time student with at least one job at the time. I no longer own that copy of my book thanks to a chewy puppy but recalling the pleasure of reading that book the first time made me jump at the chance of listening to this audiobook as soon as I saw it. I just knew I could not miss out on it.
Now after reading that first paragraph, you are probably thinking that I devoured the entire audiobook in a really short amount of time. But the opposite is actually true. It took me more than a month and a half to finish it this time around, which is much longer than usual for me. I really liked it that way though. It was like taking your time to enjoy a nice glass of wine or an exceptionally delicious piece of chocolate cake. I did not want to rush through this time around and the setup of the book suits that approach very well. While there definitely is a linear aspect to the story, which you see in the growing level of experience as well as the introductions of recurring persons in his live, each situation he finds himself in though can be listened to as a standalone almost without much prior knowledge. Even when I did not listen to this book for a whole week, it felt so natural to dive back into it and find myself laughing and enjoying myself just as much as the last time around. This audiobook would be a perfect way to introduce children to this format, classics, farm life, etc. as the writing is neither complicated nor pretentious. I think it would make for a fun experience as a family on car rides.
Nicholas Ralph is the narrator for this audiobook as well as the follow-up, All Things Bright as Beautiful, which I of course will begin very soon. I do not think it would have been possible to find a more perfect person for this job. He infuses this audiobook with so much character and charm, I could not imagine listening to anybody else read it. His voice, inflection and accents meld the words so perfectly that I can just see James Herriot himself in my mind telling me these stories. The humor, sorrow, cheer, love, anger and every other emotion that the author must have felt while writing this book are portrayed perfectly by Nicholas Ralph. I do not know if there are other audiobook versions of this book available but I will forever be loyal to this one as I cannot imagine a better experience than what I had this time around.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.