If Only They Could Talk: The Classic Memoir of a 1930s Vet

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James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight, an English veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories, often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film and television adaptations.

This observation, which lightens the mood along with some comical dialogs that ensues with cow’s owner, sets the tone for the book. Even while at the end of his wits, we find a character who finds amusement from simple things from his surroundings which adds that extra bit of appeal even in his descriptions of surgeries and other animal medical conditions, which can be a bit squeamish if described in dry medical terms. I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then.' – Kate Humble Arriving in the small Yorkshire village of Darrowby newly qualified veterinary surgeon, James Herriot has no idea what is in store for him. Having only been qualified for the last seven months, James knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was up to the challenge or so he believed.Ini betul-betul salah satu buku yang mempengaruhi hidupku :). Alf Wight, seorang dokter hewan dari Yorkshire, menovelisasi hidupnya dan menggunakan nama samaran James Herriot.

it was his oppinion during the late 40's how he thought England would turn out if it went down the path of communism'. If only they could talk’ undoubtedly is at its pinnacle when it comes to the descriptions of the landscape in which the book is set and is among one of the best countryside books I have ever read. These wonderful tales with their morsels of emotions like elation, sorrow, and humiliation all flamboyantly honeyed with humor can delight both the general reader and lovers of animal stories.

Overall, Herriot's books are a testament to the power of compassion, empathy, and love, both for animals and for our fellow human beings. They are a joy to read, laugh-out-loud funny at times, heart-wrenching at others, and they remind us of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, as well as the importance of kindness and connection in our lives. He joins as an assistant to the eccentric ' Siegfried Farnon' – based on the actual veterinary surgeon ‘Donald Sinclair’ under which James Wight originally practiced in Thirsk - the veterinarian in ‘Darrowby’ who is portrayed by Herriot as a bombastic yet good-hearted character. Herriot who was hoping for some tranquil life at the rural Darrowby soon finds himself literally knee-deep in highly amusing adventures in which the farmers, animals and a bunch of other characters - like 'Siegfried Farnon' and his lazy brother ‘Tristan Farnon’ - adding to the merry. In the very first chapter we initially meet Herriot while he is performing a calving right in the middle of a winter night, drenched in sweat, blood, snow and mud, and wondering about the situation he is in when compared to the squeaky clean picture of a veterinary surgeon performing a calving that was provided in his obstetrics book while training. While that childhood dream did not come true, I have never lost the fondness for Herriot's work. So, when this book turned up on our office swap shelf, I nabbed it.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love animals. What many may not know is how author James Herriot's books inspired me to be a veterinarian. As a child, the answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up" was always "a vet." In ‘ If Only They Could Talk’, the first book in a series of his semi-autobiographies, the reader gets acquainted with a young James Herriot, just out of veterinary college, taking up a rural practice in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire during late 1930s. In the narrative he creates a fictional village called ‘ Darrowby’ based on the town of Thirsk and the surroundings rural areas, which act as the perfect setting for describing his amusing experiences about the early days of his veterinary career. But about the book now. It's James Herriot (not his true name) telling about his life in the UK as a country vet in the 1930s. I remember watching in the 1980s some little tidbits of the British TV series 'All Creatures Great and Small', which is based on this book (and later ones as well). As long as I can remember , I always wanted to be a vet till I was around 17 when I found out , I wasn't doing too well with seeing the insides of animals. Many years later my vet needed some urgent assistance during a surgery on one of my dogs and I had no problem with seeing what I saw so maybe I missed my calling after all.Fresh out of Veterinary College, and shoulder-deep in an uncooperative cow, James Herriot’s first job is not panning out exactly as expected . . .