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A review by grrr8_catsby
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
2.0
All Things Bright And Beautiful is the second entry in author/veterinarian James Herriot's memoir series, All Creatures Great And Small.
I will be honest - I did not care for this book. After reading the first two books in the series, the audience adoration must come from respect for Herriot's profession, rather than the author himself. Herriot the author is a charming man, while Herriot the practitioner is a morally gray one.
Granted, it is important to remember that the stories contained within this book took place in the 1930's, and the world, as well as the state of veterinary medicine, has greatly changed since. All Things Bright And Beautiful takes place before the invention (or discovery) of Penicillin and yes, of course, veterinary medicine has undergone immense modernization and change since then, but this does not excuse the gross incompetence and poor ethical decision making that Herriot repeatedly makes. From repeated braggadocious retellings of drinking while on the job, working drunk, getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, and even attempting to euthanize a client's animal without knowledge or consent, Herriot repeatedly paints himself as an untrustworthy character in a story of his own telling, and markably decreases the stark "likeability" of the book.
When he gets to it, the stories told within this volume are truly heartfelt, and you can feel the author's adoration bursting forth. Herriot's appreciation and drive for his profession are evident, and this feels like more than just a hashed retelling of "the good ol' days".
I will be honest - I did not care for this book. After reading the first two books in the series, the audience adoration must come from respect for Herriot's profession, rather than the author himself. Herriot the author is a charming man, while Herriot the practitioner is a morally gray one.
Granted, it is important to remember that the stories contained within this book took place in the 1930's, and the world, as well as the state of veterinary medicine, has greatly changed since. All Things Bright And Beautiful takes place before the invention (or discovery) of Penicillin and yes, of course, veterinary medicine has undergone immense modernization and change since then, but this does not excuse the gross incompetence and poor ethical decision making that Herriot repeatedly makes. From repeated braggadocious retellings of drinking while on the job, working drunk, getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, and even attempting to euthanize a client's animal without knowledge or consent, Herriot repeatedly paints himself as an untrustworthy character in a story of his own telling, and markably decreases the stark "likeability" of the book.
When he gets to it, the stories told within this volume are truly heartfelt, and you can feel the author's adoration bursting forth. Herriot's appreciation and drive for his profession are evident, and this feels like more than just a hashed retelling of "the good ol' days".