Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I found AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR by Patrick Taylor to be a delightful escape — one that transported me to life in a charming Irish village. I kept telling myself, "Just one more chapter," but it was never enough. I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what the cast of engaging characters was going to do (or fail to do) next.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content
Barry Laverty has taken a position as a doctor’s assistant in the small Irish village of Ballybucklebo – a town so small that he can barely find it on the map. When he arrives only to find the doctor, his new boss, in the middle of throwing a patient into a bush, he realises that his new life may take some getting used to.
An Irish Country Doctor is a sweet little read, unchallenging but enjoyable and heart-warming. The characters, though often rather stereotypical for this sort of story, are by measure amusing and sympathetic. The setting invokes a nostalgia for the simple country life, albeit one that the novel reminds us is in the middle of changing. As the author points out in his opening note: “The rural Ulster that I have portrayed has vanished.”
I was rather disappointed with the characterization of the love interest, Patricia. She is studying to be an engineer – hard enough for a woman today, let alone in the ’60s. Yet when she expresses her frustration, Barry somehow manages to make it all about him and how uncomfortable her feelings are for him. And though many events and conversations in the story should have given Barry some perspective on what Patricia was talking about, he never seems to make the connection – he never even tries to understand where she is coming from. The whole book is, at least in part, about him learning to see things the way his patients see them so that he can provide them with care that they will understand and accept, yet he just frustratingly manages never to apply that new-found skill to the one person he ought to have every motivation in the world to try and understand.
It’s a small complaint, though, since Patricia occurs only infrequently and is rather inconsequential to the plot.
The writing is solid, very readable. The pepperings of Ulster dialect/slang is a nice touch. The book is a great light, fluffy read to escape from a bad or stressful day.
An Irish Country Doctor is a sweet little read, unchallenging but enjoyable and heart-warming. The characters, though often rather stereotypical for this sort of story, are by measure amusing and sympathetic. The setting invokes a nostalgia for the simple country life, albeit one that the novel reminds us is in the middle of changing. As the author points out in his opening note: “The rural Ulster that I have portrayed has vanished.”
I was rather disappointed with the characterization of the love interest, Patricia. She is studying to be an engineer – hard enough for a woman today, let alone in the ’60s. Yet when she expresses her frustration, Barry somehow manages to make it all about him and how uncomfortable her feelings are for him. And though many events and conversations in the story should have given Barry some perspective on what Patricia was talking about, he never seems to make the connection – he never even tries to understand where she is coming from. The whole book is, at least in part, about him learning to see things the way his patients see them so that he can provide them with care that they will understand and accept, yet he just frustratingly manages never to apply that new-found skill to the one person he ought to have every motivation in the world to try and understand.
It’s a small complaint, though, since Patricia occurs only infrequently and is rather inconsequential to the plot.
The writing is solid, very readable. The pepperings of Ulster dialect/slang is a nice touch. The book is a great light, fluffy read to escape from a bad or stressful day.
Fun characters in an interesting setting. Not sure I am interested enough to continue the series, but I enjoyed the book overall.
This book reminded me of a not-quite-as-well-written James Herriott book. Definitely a light read and the perfect book to read leading up to St. Patrick's Day. I will most likely read more books in this series. I'm hoping the main character, Dr. Barry Lavarty, has more character development in the subsequent books.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The setting and atmosphere of this novel were charming and the irish dialect and dialogue were well constructed with good historical details. Unfortunately the main character mainly felt like a vehicle for the reader without much depth. Other characters were much more charming. The lack of plot and boring main character made the reading experience a bit of a drag.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Loved, loved, loved it - I could just see the Irish countryside and the little rural village of Ballybucklebo! It is written in a similar vein to the [a:James Herriot|18062|James Herriot|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1258249907p2/18062.jpg] vet series (which I also loved).
This series is about the trials and tribulations of life as a rural GP. A senior doctor takes new graduate, Barry Laverty, under his wing to train up in the tricks of a country GP's trade! I have now added the next in the series - [b:An Irish Country Village|2270950|An Irish Country Village|Patrick Taylor|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317063744s/2270950.jpg|2276970] - to my TBR list!
This series is about the trials and tribulations of life as a rural GP. A senior doctor takes new graduate, Barry Laverty, under his wing to train up in the tricks of a country GP's trade! I have now added the next in the series - [b:An Irish Country Village|2270950|An Irish Country Village|Patrick Taylor|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317063744s/2270950.jpg|2276970] - to my TBR list!
This is one of a series of stories located in the small Northern Irish village of Ballybucklebo. This story is set in the 1960s, when young, newly-minted Dr. Barry Laverty takes an assistant position in the village. The doctor, who soons becomes Barry's mentor is Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. We see the variety of patients, and medical situations a rural general GP deals with and see how Barry learns that following all the rules doesn't always make a situation work better.
This is a feel-good novel that gives a sense of the Irish countryside of the past. It has elements of the coming-of-age novel with Barry's growth as well. There are lots of good characters and great situational comedy. An entertaining read.
This is a feel-good novel that gives a sense of the Irish countryside of the past. It has elements of the coming-of-age novel with Barry's growth as well. There are lots of good characters and great situational comedy. An entertaining read.
Engaging novel that is mostly autobiographical, about a general practitioner in a small town in Northern Ireland in the 70's. Reminds me a lot of James Herriot meets Ballykissangel (but then again, what Irish story doesn't remind me of this show?), but Taylor isn't quite as good as a storyteller as Herriot. It's still a nice, relaxing read.