Review: All Things Wise and Wonderful

All Things Wise and Wonderful

James Herriot

The omnibus edition of Vets Might Fly and Vet in a Spin finds James Herriot far from his Yorkshire Dales veterinary practice and in the middle of wartime boot camp. Herriot has been called up by the RAF, but most of the book consists of the flashbacks to the Dales he has while at basic training. Most of the tales originate from his veterinary work, but the focus is more often on the owners than their animals. As in the first two omnibuses of Herriot's stories (All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful), each chapter is a new story, none more than ten pages long, which makes the book as a whole very easy to read.

Though Herriot’s subject matter would initially strike many as boring - sick cows and sheep have never appealed to me all that much either – my great delight in his work is that, despite this, I am always entertained. There are no tumultuous romances or high-speed car chases (except for a brief jaunt in a Tiger Moth) yet the book is never dull. Herriot clearly loves his work and his life, and makes it very easy for the reader to engage with the people and animals portrayed.

While the actions of the Yorkshire locals provide most of the humour, Herriot's love for the country and its inhabitants is obvious and infectious. His tone is never mocking or disparaging and, indeed, he is just as prepared to make himself the butt of the joke. Regular appearances are also made by Herriot's wife, Helen, as well as the other members of the Skeldale House practice: the eccentric Siegfried and his younger brother Tristan.

This – as well as his other books – makes perfect reading for depressing rainy days.

Rating: 2 - great stuff