I've read a lot of hard-hitting books this month so was total up for something with a cozier, more heartwarming feel. All Creatures Great and Small was perfect for that. This memoir of a veterinarian starting his career in rural UK was perfect. The book has recently been made into a TV series so they've issued new editions of the audiobook, which I had the pleasure of listening to these past few day. The book is narrated by Nicholas Ralph, the actor who plays the lead role in the TV series. He brought a warmth and a depth to the portrayal of James Herriot.

I had not previously read Herriot's books though they had been on my reading radar for awhile. So, when I saw that the audiobook was available for review, I leapt at the chance. In this first volume, Herriot is fresh out of Veterinarian school and is working for established vet Siegfreid Farnon. The two make house calls to help the locals with their livestock and house pets. There is a lot of calving and mending of wounds, but through it all, Herriot writes personably and has an undeniable knack for storytelling.

Now, on to book 2: All Things Bright and Beautiful!

A beautifully reread version of this long time favorite classic. The narrator, who plays James in the new masterpiece TV show, does a wonderful job bringing these stories to life.

I had read this series many years ago and it was delightful to revisit it. The narration brought a sense of the English countryside that reading alone did not provide. The stories of Herriot’s adventures as a country veterinarian were enlightening and enjoyable. This is a great listen for a cold night with a warm cup of tea.

I may be the only person that I know who has not yet read or listened to, All Creatures Great and Small. As an animal lover and fan of all that is British I have no reason why. This audio version is a tie-in to the new PBS Series and is narrated wonderfully by Nicholas Ralph. It is the story of a young, newly graduated veterinarian who goes to the Yorkshire Dales for his first job. It is a lengthy book , but each Chapter is short telling a different story in each. A very heartfelt listen. I enjoyed the daily life of an " old time" Vet.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audiobooks for the opportunity to review this Audio book

I love this book! James Herriot and all the charming people of the Yorkshire dales have put Yorkshire on my bucket list to visit someday. This was delightful on audio....Nicholas Ralph is the perfect Dr. Herriot!!!

All Creatures Great and Small // by James Herriot // narrated by Nicholas Ralph

How do explain the sheer pleasure that listening to this audiobook was? For most of my life I wanted to be a veterinarian myself and I started out in college with that same dream in mind. Sadly, circumstances made my path change, something I still remember sadly though I know it was the right way to go. I do recall the joy of learning of this gem of a book for the first time though and read it as quickly as was possible while being a full-time student with at least one job at the time. I no longer own that copy of my book thanks to a chewy puppy but recalling the pleasure of reading that book the first time made me jump at the chance of listening to this audiobook as soon as I saw it. I just knew I could not miss out on it.

Now after reading that first paragraph, you are probably thinking that I devoured the entire audiobook in a really short amount of time. But the opposite is actually true. It took me more than a month and a half to finish it this time around, which is much longer than usual for me. I really liked it that way though. It was like taking your time to enjoy a nice glass of wine or an exceptionally delicious piece of chocolate cake. I did not want to rush through this time around and the setup of the book suits that approach very well. While there definitely is a linear aspect to the story, which you see in the growing level of experience as well as the introductions of recurring persons in his live, each situation he finds himself in though can be listened to as a standalone almost without much prior knowledge. Even when I did not listen to this book for a whole week, it felt so natural to dive back into it and find myself laughing and enjoying myself just as much as the last time around. This audiobook would be a perfect way to introduce children to this format, classics, farm life, etc. as the writing is neither complicated nor pretentious. I think it would make for a fun experience as a family on car rides.

Nicholas Ralph is the narrator for this audiobook as well as the follow-up, All Things Bright as Beautiful, which I of course will begin very soon. I do not think it would have been possible to find a more perfect person for this job. He infuses this audiobook with so much character and charm, I could not imagine listening to anybody else read it. His voice, inflection and accents meld the words so perfectly that I can just see James Herriot himself in my mind telling me these stories. The humor, sorrow, cheer, love, anger and every other emotion that the author must have felt while writing this book are portrayed perfectly by Nicholas Ralph. I do not know if there are other audiobook versions of this book available but I will forever be loyal to this one as I cannot imagine a better experience than what I had this time around.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mostly gentle, calm stories with a few grim or gross moments. Funny and reflective in equal measure, I can see why these books persist. This particular audio is easily understood, with a pleasant accent and solid pacing.

Although this is not the first time I’ve read this book, I was curious to hear the new audio recording knowing about the new PBS Masterpiece series. The narrator's accent is wonderful!

Pros: This book is just so very charming. It’s a lovely set of vignettes tied together by the memoirist.

Cons: A warning to animal lovers—keep a box of tissues nearby! A book about a veterinarian and the animals he cares for is sure to lead to some tears.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this new recording of this beloved book.

So much nostalgia with this one. I read these a very long time ago and cheers to see them now as audiobooks.

Love, love, loved this! I have watched the shows and now finally getting to the books. Having the actor who plays Herriot in the newest show read the story really made this so realistic. I can see him and the story in my mind as I’m listening to it. The book I have to say is much better and with a few different ending but a wonderful book series to listen to. Can’t wait to listen to the next.

I really hoped that I'd enjoy this book as I'm an animal-lover and the sister of a veterinarian. While I did enjoy listening to the narrator, the book just never got interesting. It was more about Herriot's encounters and relationships with the animals' owners than the animals themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio. Narrator did an amazing job narrating. He was able to identify each character with their own voice. Highly recommend.

I read all of Herriot's books when I was a kid. (I wanted to be a vet when I grew up.) I remember my mom read them, too, and we would talk about the funny stories. I still have the whole set of paperbacks from my childhood. Beautiful stories, full of humor and heart. And this audio production is terrific. Thanks for taking me back in time!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

I recently was able to listen to the Audio book of All Creatures Great and Small narrated by Nicholas Ralph who is the new actor taking on the role of James Herriot in the new BBC series. He does a great job reading the book. I have been a big fan of these stories for years. I loved the old TV series and was thrilled to see it revisited. The book is the same great stories of country vet life in the Yorkshire Dales. Such full characters and funny events. A great snapshot of life in that time period and place. If you haven't visited Darrowby with James Herriot grab this book for a read or a listen you will laugh along with the antics of this joyful cast of characters brought to life in these stories.

All Creatures Great and Small is that rare book that translates into TV, film and audio. Indeed, this has just been remade and released on Channel 5 in the UK and PBS in the US-highly recommended). Along with its TV brilliance, it’s wonderful to read and this is a STUNNING audiobook.

Nicholas Ralph is the perfect choice to be the narrator. He brings authenticity with his lilting Scottish tones, especially as he plays James in the TV reboot.

For fans of Herriot’s stories, whether you’ve read them or watched them, it’s easy to believe he’s a remarkable veterinarian, but what you might not recall is that he was also a stunningly beautiful writer. From the opening scene, we are taken on a journey through the wild and wonderful Yorkshire Dales. You can feel the cold stone walls and the biting wind.

If you’ve never watched one of the movies or the TV series, let me explain. James Herriot (real name Alf White) was a fresh-faced veterinary school graduate in the 1930s. The books (this is one of a series), take readers (listeners in this version) to rural North Yorkshire in northern England. During the journey we meet a variety of clients and some truly entertaining situations. James’s colleagues, the fiery tempered Siegried Farnon and his younger brother, the harmless rogue Tristan leap from the pages and into readers hearts.

As a book, this ticks all the boxes with wonderful characters, entertaining anecdotes and fabulous scenery, all punctuated with touching moments when the inevitable happens and an animal doesn’t make it. The secondary characters, comprising patients and some of their owners,

Having listened to All Creatures Great and Small, I’m now moving on to All Things Bright and Beautiful.

To grab your own copy or listen to a sample, click here…

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, a very well read audiobook. I grew up a fan of this series and would love to hear the rest of them. This Reader really brought it to life.

Of course, I had heard about this book often, having grown up in the years shortly after it was published in the 1970s. It is a charming collection of stories/memories of a country vet in the harsh Yorkshire countryside. Some of it is autobiographical but for the most part, the stories weren't really meant to be a tale of Alf Wight's (James Harriot is a pen name) practice or life. Many are pieced together from various vet stories that Alf would collector or embellish. The stories are as much incisive commentary about the people as the animals; there are some great insights but also a lot of wonderfully quirky individuals. The audio book is narrated by the actor who played James Herriot in the recent BBC series. He does an excellent job in voicing the various characters and personalities and makes it a very enjoyable listen.

Story: Scotsman James Herriot has just graduated veterinary school - an achievement his parents sacrificed to make happen so their son could get a chance at a better life. But jobs are scarce in 1930 and James has a hard time finding a position. When the family is about to give up and put him to work in the docks of Glasgow, he seizes on a chance to take a newly open position in the Yorkshire countryside. As James begins his position, he has to come to terms with a VERY quirky boss, the boss' individualistic brother, and the diverse but grounded people of the countryside. At the same time, he finds himself falling in love with the countryside: of stone fences stretching across the beautiful windblown hills and remote farms perched in shadowy valleys.

The book is really a love letter to the countryside. Herriot is an amiable character who is able to interact with various personalities without ever losing good sense. He is definitely not written to make Alf Wight look good - Herriot shares his mistakes with good humor as much as the things he got right. Interlaced throughout, the author notes how the practice had changed from the 1930s to the 1960s, when the stories were written. But more than that, it is how the countryside changed - e.g., from all farms having draft horses for plowing to the introduction of tractors and machines and how few farms would still have horses in only a decade.

A lot of the stories deal with the many visits a country vet makes: calving issues, milk fever, lead poisoning, accidents, etc. But each visit is really more of a commentary of the people than the sick animals. How each farmer deals with the issues, how their home life is, what the animal's death would mean to them, and the trials and tribulations as well as kindnesses shown to Herriot. From know-it-all farmers with ancient but silly 'remedies' to travelling 'vets' with no certifications but legally allowed to practice. It's an interesting insight into Norther Britain in 1930-1968.

Along with the farm practice, Herriot also has to see to small animals and pets. From the aristocratic Pekinese known as Tricky Woo to cats, birds, and more. Herriot's practice is mostly about farm animals, though, and often the pets would be sent to an expert on small animals (which also leads to a lot of interesting stories about the other vets).

Those who have seen the recent BBC series and wonder how the book compares, I would recommend the book. The series is an interpretation of the books that puts a different spin on quite a few situations (e.g., housekeeper Ms. Hall being so involved/c0ncerned over the practice's vets). I think the series also made the farmers a bit more modern and nicer, as if to not insult the people and place the filmcrew was utilizing. There is an underlying gentleness and thoughtfulness to the book that runs through all the stories that would be really hard to translate to film. As well, cultures, customs, and mores of the time that would not translate now.

The audiobook narrator is the star of the series and really did the book justice. I have to think that in preparing for the role, he did enough homework to really get a sense of the Yorkshire people and the Herriot character. The book is very easy to listen to - since it is a collection of short vignettes, you really don't miss anything in the story if you are not as attentive to one area as others. Reviewed from an advance audio copy provided by the publisher.

In the 70's, I watched the PBS series, All Creatures Great and Small and read the books by James Herriot. When I heard that they were making a new series based on these books, I was very excited to watch. Then, Harper Audio offered a preview of the audiobook on Netgalley, and I was thrilled. This is the perfect story for 2021. Everybody is looking for something to read and/or listen to that is pleasant, and simple. This book is a memoir of sorts. It is a collection of stories of the day to day life of a veterinarian in Yorkshire in the 30's. The author is a Scottsman from Glasgow that had no farm experience and finds himself in the farmland of Yorkshire. He falls in love with the land, and the people, eventually, and they are a tough sell. Herriot has an amazing storytelling capability. His characters are multidimensional and real. It was such a treat to revisit this book after so many years! Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love to read, I'd never read this before. As much as I love animals, nature and history, James Herriot's classic had never landed in my hands. That's all changed now, and I am thoroughly in love with these adventures, so beautifully and poetically told in All Creatures Great and Small.

I have to say that Chapter 11 reduced me to tears. It brought back personal memories, too close to home, yet so delicately handled in Herriot's words.

I'm already deeply engrossed in the next volume.

Nicholas Ralph's narration of the audiobook, couldn't be more perfect.

The stories are funny at times, but enjoyable always. The narrator tells the story with inflection in his voice and speaks clearly with a great cadence. Animal lovers won't want to miss listening to the classic tales narrated in this audiobook.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to listen to. The opinions expressed here are my own honest opinions provided voluntarily.