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A review by kerisreads
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
4.0
Charming, like his first novel. I laughed out loud more than once, smiled often, and despite not being an animal lover or country girl by any stretch of the imagination, I quite enjoyed his vignettes of country vet life from start to finish.
My only minor complaints are these:
1) His chronology gets a bit confusing at times, switching ambiguously back and forth from his current married days to recalling his courtship with Helen - a story that we never really get the full picture on. I would have loved to have filled in the gaps more coherently between the beginning of their courtship and when they get married as one connected story rather than disjointed flashbacks.
2) There continues to be mild adult content, much like book 1 - some course jokes from the farmers, the occasional episodes of drunkenness and an expressed view of women that a little uncomfortably values physical beauty - even one off-handed comment describing his dance partner as pleasant for being "well-endowed."
Besides these minor drawbacks, I absolutely have loved getting into this series so far, and book 2 really did not disappoint.
A pleasant, cozy read that warms the heart with stories of veterinary care in the English countryside in the years immediately preceding WWII. Plus, the book's vignette structure makes it fun to meander through or consume in a few sittings depending on your mood and desired pace...
Can't wait to start book 3!
My only minor complaints are these:
1) His chronology gets a bit confusing at times, switching ambiguously back and forth from his current married days to recalling his courtship with Helen - a story that we never really get the full picture on. I would have loved to have filled in the gaps more coherently between the beginning of their courtship and when they get married as one connected story rather than disjointed flashbacks.
2) There continues to be mild adult content, much like book 1 - some course jokes from the farmers, the occasional episodes of drunkenness and an expressed view of women that a little uncomfortably values physical beauty - even one off-handed comment describing his dance partner as pleasant for being "well-endowed."
Besides these minor drawbacks, I absolutely have loved getting into this series so far, and book 2 really did not disappoint.
A pleasant, cozy read that warms the heart with stories of veterinary care in the English countryside in the years immediately preceding WWII. Plus, the book's vignette structure makes it fun to meander through or consume in a few sittings depending on your mood and desired pace...
Can't wait to start book 3!