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lycanjamie's review
3.0
Just another book in the series, they aren't masterpieces or anything but nice to read when you need a break from heavier stuff. I also love reading them in the wintertime while reading about all the snowy landscapes and the wartime period, two things which make me feel nostalgic.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
This was a marvelous little addition to Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small series. I first read the series back in high school, often during English class, after finishing the assigned reading. What always sticks in my mind was the difficulty of containing laughter, so I didn't disturb the rest of the class. Like the others, this book had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
In this book, James has given up his vet practice to serve King and country. As he reports for RAF training, he prides himself on his fitness thanks to his work as a country vet. It doesn't take him long to realize that his newly married status has made negative inroads on that fitness. The book is filled with vignettes of those days of training, both the painful and the amusing. His vivid descriptions made me feel as if I was there, from the long marches to the potato-peeling to the seriousness of the task at hand. Two of the RAF scenes stick with me - one where they've been training for a visit from a senior officer, and the other where he helps a local farmer with his harvest. The overwhelming emotion of the RAF scenes is that of missing the people and animals at home.
Most of the RAF episodes described in the book bring flashbacks to things that occurred as a vet. Herriot has a talent for bringing both people and animals to life. I loved the glimpses into country life in 1930s Yorkshire and his commentary on the changes he witnessed. I especially enjoyed the times when he poked fun at himself after learning a hard-won lesson in humility. I also liked his obvious love for the animals he treated and all of their quirks. The dog who used to lie in wait for passersby walking on the other side of the fence made me laugh out loud. There were some heartbreaking occasions when there was nothing that could be done, and others that made me cry at a happy outcome. Herriot's amazing depictions of people made it easy to envision them, from Tristan's attempts at cooking to the various farmers and their personalities.
In this book, James has given up his vet practice to serve King and country. As he reports for RAF training, he prides himself on his fitness thanks to his work as a country vet. It doesn't take him long to realize that his newly married status has made negative inroads on that fitness. The book is filled with vignettes of those days of training, both the painful and the amusing. His vivid descriptions made me feel as if I was there, from the long marches to the potato-peeling to the seriousness of the task at hand. Two of the RAF scenes stick with me - one where they've been training for a visit from a senior officer, and the other where he helps a local farmer with his harvest. The overwhelming emotion of the RAF scenes is that of missing the people and animals at home.
Most of the RAF episodes described in the book bring flashbacks to things that occurred as a vet. Herriot has a talent for bringing both people and animals to life. I loved the glimpses into country life in 1930s Yorkshire and his commentary on the changes he witnessed. I especially enjoyed the times when he poked fun at himself after learning a hard-won lesson in humility. I also liked his obvious love for the animals he treated and all of their quirks. The dog who used to lie in wait for passersby walking on the other side of the fence made me laugh out loud. There were some heartbreaking occasions when there was nothing that could be done, and others that made me cry at a happy outcome. Herriot's amazing depictions of people made it easy to envision them, from Tristan's attempts at cooking to the various farmers and their personalities.
izz_mh's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
iteechesinglish's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
Another great installment in the All Creatures series. This one continues with James starting his service in the RAF during World War II. There are a few stories about his military training, but it is mainly used as a framework for more reminiscing about life as a country vet. Highlights include the story of the neglected boy whose puppy gets distemper, the guide dog poisoned with rat poison, and the dog that gets hit by a car.
But while the stories themselves are quite good, the writing is really what shines. For example, the description of the Dales. "Here, great trees, oak, elm and sycamore in full rich leaf, stood in gentle majesty in the green dips and hollows, their branches quite still in the windless air. In all the grassy miles around me I could see no movement, nor could I hear anything except the fleeting hum of a bee and the distant bleating of a sheep." The writing here is so lovely and descriptive and I can just imagine what it was like to be there. But then he brings us back to earth, "Through the open window drifted the scents of summer; warm grass, clover, and the sweetness of hidden flowers. But in the car they had to compete with the all-pervading smell of cow." Ha! This is what makes the writing so good. You can tell Herriot really loved the Dales, but he also has a keen sense of the humor of situations and isn't afraid to poke fun at himself either.
But while the stories themselves are quite good, the writing is really what shines. For example, the description of the Dales. "Here, great trees, oak, elm and sycamore in full rich leaf, stood in gentle majesty in the green dips and hollows, their branches quite still in the windless air. In all the grassy miles around me I could see no movement, nor could I hear anything except the fleeting hum of a bee and the distant bleating of a sheep." The writing here is so lovely and descriptive and I can just imagine what it was like to be there. But then he brings us back to earth, "Through the open window drifted the scents of summer; warm grass, clover, and the sweetness of hidden flowers. But in the car they had to compete with the all-pervading smell of cow." Ha! This is what makes the writing so good. You can tell Herriot really loved the Dales, but he also has a keen sense of the humor of situations and isn't afraid to poke fun at himself either.
jess64au's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
4.0
As good as I remembered.