Review: All Creatures Great and Small
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you grew up during the early Masterpiece era, you probably remember the BBC production of James Herriot's novels in the "All Creatures Great and Small" series, set in the Yorkshire Dales from the 1930s to the 1950s. They were delightful and pretty faithful to Herriot's books, which were novelizations of his (James Alfred Wight's) real-life experiences as a Yorkshire vet, along with his rather madcap partner, who he called Siegfried Farnon (Donald Sinclair, who was not always pleased with the way Siegried was characterized.) Writing as James Herriot, Wight had a gift for storytelling, and in addition to writing the books adapted for the BBC/masterpiece TV series, he wrote many popular dog and cat stories and quite a few children's books. I read, and loved, the three books which were published in the US in the 1970s, in addition to watching the BBC show. All Creatures made a real impression on my family. We even had a Peke named Trikki Woo.
When I saw this audiobook on offer on NetGalley, I thought it would be a soothing listen, and I wasn't wrong! But I'm also glad to have listened to this audiobook before the debut of the new Masterpiece production of "All Creatures Great and Small." Though the newer series highlights the sheer beauty of Yorkshire, it's already really departed from the book that James Herriot/James Alfred Wight wrote, and it's a pity. Readers who want a truer picture of the vet's life during his early years in Yorkshire should read the books. You can enjoy the scenery in the new production but the books give a better picture of his actual life.
Nicholas Ralph, who stars as Herriot in the new production, does a beautiful job of narrating this audiobook, which is suitable for middle-grade children and up. He manages to imbue the narration with the dry humor Herriot intended, some of which seems sort of missing in the show, which has exaggerated Siegfried in the wrong ways.
I received a digital audiobook of this novel via Net Galley, courtesy of Macmillan Audio, in exchange for an honest review.
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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you grew up during the early Masterpiece era, you probably remember the BBC production of James Herriot's novels in the "All Creatures Great and Small" series, set in the Yorkshire Dales from the 1930s to the 1950s. They were delightful and pretty faithful to Herriot's books, which were novelizations of his (James Alfred Wight's) real-life experiences as a Yorkshire vet, along with his rather madcap partner, who he called Siegfried Farnon (Donald Sinclair, who was not always pleased with the way Siegried was characterized.) Writing as James Herriot, Wight had a gift for storytelling, and in addition to writing the books adapted for the BBC/masterpiece TV series, he wrote many popular dog and cat stories and quite a few children's books. I read, and loved, the three books which were published in the US in the 1970s, in addition to watching the BBC show. All Creatures made a real impression on my family. We even had a Peke named Trikki Woo.
When I saw this audiobook on offer on NetGalley, I thought it would be a soothing listen, and I wasn't wrong! But I'm also glad to have listened to this audiobook before the debut of the new Masterpiece production of "All Creatures Great and Small." Though the newer series highlights the sheer beauty of Yorkshire, it's already really departed from the book that James Herriot/James Alfred Wight wrote, and it's a pity. Readers who want a truer picture of the vet's life during his early years in Yorkshire should read the books. You can enjoy the scenery in the new production but the books give a better picture of his actual life.
Nicholas Ralph, who stars as Herriot in the new production, does a beautiful job of narrating this audiobook, which is suitable for middle-grade children and up. He manages to imbue the narration with the dry humor Herriot intended, some of which seems sort of missing in the show, which has exaggerated Siegfried in the wrong ways.
I received a digital audiobook of this novel via Net Galley, courtesy of Macmillan Audio, in exchange for an honest review.
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