All Things Wise and Wonderful

"There's more to be learned up a cow's arse than in many an encyclopedia" - Siegfried Farnon. This installment sees our James acting almost as a zoological Sherlock Holmes, even tangling with a corrupt dog track operation!

While this does have the slight narrative strain of Herriot's brief time in the RAF at the outbreak of WWII, it is mostly just a substructure for more lovely stories of being a Yorkshire vet. For some reason, I do not have this book so I got a library copy but will have to rectify that hole in my personal collection.

I remember my dad giving me these books for a birthday or xmas fairly early on, and I've loved them and returned to them ever since. Just re-listened to the excellent audio book version. _- love the accents, the humor, the wonderful setting, and the compassion to animals. Great storytelling.

Still delightful, although I don't think Herriot's war service works particularly well as a framing device. There are several entertaining anecdotes about it, but most of the chapters start with some clumsy segue that doesn't actually add anything and is rather distracting.

Framed by his brief time in the Royal Air Force, veterinarian James Herriot shares more stories of his life and work. He treated farm animals for cranky farmers and small pets for little kids, while living with his patient wife, eccentric boss, and suave coworker.

Genuinely could not tell you a single story that is in this collection I just finished. They go in one ear very smoothly and out the other just as easily. They could be the exact same stories from the previous book and I wouldn’t know the difference. They’re very enjoyable to listen to in the moment, but don’t stick around or mean much.

Although ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL has been out since the 1970s and although this book is the third in a series, it is the first of James Harriot‘s books that I’ve read. I loved it and wonder what took me so long.

Most of us know of Harriot's books even if we haven’t read them. They’re classics. He was a country veterinarian in England, and his books are stories of, mostly, his work with the various animals. Plus he also throws in some people stories here and there. In ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL, while he is training to be a pilot in the Royal Air Force, he remembers his time as a veterinarian during the 1930s.

While many readers like myself are easily bored by books of stories, this one is absorbing. Harriot‘s books were show more best sellers, and people all over the world love him. Now I do, too. I only wish he were still alive so I could tell him. show less

I was turned off by the sentimentality but so many good stories about animals and the people that love them, so if that's your thing, that's your thing and you'll probably love this.