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A review by samyukta_24
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
4.0
I know way too much about cow uteruses now.
Going into the book, I mostly expected descriptions of breathtaking landscapes and a Dr. Dolittle-esque series of adventures with various farmyard animals. One of these preconceived notions was fulfilled, and it wasn't Dr. Dolittle. What replaced it was unexpectedly heart-wrenching moments of farmers risking losing their livelihoods due to threatening outbreaks in their livestock. It's a lot more morbid than it lets on, but Herriot's dry commentary is actually laugh-out-loud funny at times, especially while describing his patients. Interspersed in between these very serious cases were also digressions into the eccentric characters populating Yorkshire, and Herriot getting caught in their lives.
All in all, this book is not a one-sitting read, but rather provides the best experience when read in small amounts, taking care to live each moment through Herriot's eyes, because the ending is startlingly bittersweet and before one knows it, it feels like the window to Yorkshire has been closed.
Going into the book, I mostly expected descriptions of breathtaking landscapes and a Dr. Dolittle-esque series of adventures with various farmyard animals. One of these preconceived notions was fulfilled, and it wasn't Dr. Dolittle. What replaced it was unexpectedly heart-wrenching moments of farmers risking losing their livelihoods due to threatening outbreaks in their livestock. It's a lot more morbid than it lets on, but Herriot's dry commentary is actually laugh-out-loud funny at times, especially while describing his patients. Interspersed in between these very serious cases were also digressions into the eccentric characters populating Yorkshire, and Herriot getting caught in their lives.
All in all, this book is not a one-sitting read, but rather provides the best experience when read in small amounts, taking care to live each moment through Herriot's eyes, because the ending is startlingly bittersweet and before one knows it, it feels like the window to Yorkshire has been closed.