Reviews

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

katielkrieger's review against another edition

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4.0

Totally delightful

em_croft's review against another edition

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adventurous funny relaxing slow-paced

4.5

jennie_cole's review against another edition

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4.0

All Things Bright and Beautiful covers the next couple of years of Herriot's practice as a country vet up until England enters WWII. The stories are great and hit a little more on the personal side sometimes including Herriot's marriage and personal flaws. They do also cover more stories about dog patients which introduce a new vet as well as make the narrator say "bitch" multiple times since the story was about a pregnant female dog (did make me wonder what the narrator thought about having to read that word several times). I liked this set of stories just as much as the first book.

counting_sunsets's review against another edition

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3.0

3 ⭐️

neglet's review against another edition

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Haven’t read it in a while, but it continues the familiar pattern of individual stories about a country vet in Yorkshire. This particular volume jumps about in time but ends with the author headed off to serve in WWII, making for a poignant ending. But otherwise there’s not much character development, making this a little less interesting than the first volume. Still enjoyable comfort reading about life in a simpler time.

dputiger's review against another edition

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Listening to this book was like getting a hug from a dear friend you haven't seen in years. What a comfort in these troubling times.

turddlett's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

5.0

magratajostiernos's review against another edition

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5.0

No es difícil entender porqué estos libros cuentan con una legión de fans tan inmensa en Reino Unido ni porqué fueron un éxito instantáneo en su momento.
Sin duda la saga autobiográfica de James Herriot sobre sus andanzas como veterianario rural a finales de los años 30, es ya una de mis sagas preferidas.
He disfrutado de este libro de una manera que pocas veces me ocurre... estar durante 600 páginas con la sonrisa en los labios parece imposible, pero Herriot lo consigue.
Son anécdotas todas ellas independientes (a veces ocupan tan solo un capítulo, a veces la historia se alarga durante varios episodios), conoceremos vacas, ovejas, toros, gatos, perros.. algunos amables y otros no tanto, pero especialmente vamos a experimentar junto al narrador la vida en el Yorkshire previo a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el mundo perdido de ganaderos y granjeros, de este veterinario que disfrutaba de amaneceres en las montañas tras una dura jornada laboral que no entendía de horarios.
Los personajes son tan peculiares como maravillosos, su genial jefe y su hermano siguen siendo de mis preferidos pero conocemos a otros tantos que no les hacen sombra.
Es un libro con el que me he reído muchísimo (porque nuestro protagonista es MUY INGLÉS), pero también me ha caído alguna lagrimilla... si como yo sois amantes de los animales o de las historias costumbristas con tintes cómicos, es una novela que no os podéis perder.
Simplemente maravillosa.
La única pena es que he visto que su tercera parte ('Un veterinario en apuros') está descatalogada :( Tendré que pasarme a leerla en inglés, porque no estoy dispuesta a separarme de James Herriot tan pronto.

askmashka's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

ehays84's review against another edition

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5.0

Ditto to the first one. Such a classic. I could read this over and over, and I probably will. A vivid and beautiful description of life in rural Yorkshire England made all the more poignant by his connections with the local people and their animals. If you don't like this book, you are dead inside.