All Creatures Great and Small

The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor

By: James Herriot

Narrated by: Christopher Timothy

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Find All Creatures Great and Small: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor, read by Nicholas Ralph, star of the new PBS Masterpiece series, on Audible.

These are the stories that catapulted James Herriot to literary fame. When this book was first published, it was a simple volume of memoirs by an unknown Scottish veterinarian. But within a year, the book became recognized as a masterpiece. And in the two and a half decades that followed, Dr. Herriot became one of the most universally loved authors of our time.

In this first volume of his memoirs, then-newly-qualified vet James Herriot arrives in the small Yorkshire village of Darrowby, and he has no idea what to expect. How will he get on with his new boss? The local farmers? And what will the animals think? This program is filled with hilarious and touching tales of the unpredictable Siegfried Farnon, his charming student brother, Tristan, and Herriot's first encounters with a beautiful girl named Helen.

Now as then, All Creatures Great and Small is full of humor, warmth, pathos, drama, and James Herriot's love of life. His journey across the Yorkshire dales, and his encounters with humans and dogs, cows and kittens, are lovingly told by Christopher Timothy with all the fascination, affection and joy that suffuses Dr. Herriot's works.

©1972 The James Herriot Partnership; Master recordings produced by Chivers Press Limited: If Only They Could Talk (p) 1994, It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet(p) 1993, Let Sleeping Vets Lie (p)1994 • Compilation (p)1996 by Macmillan Audio (P)1996 by Audio Renaissance

Critic reviews

"One of the funniest and most likeable books around." (Atlantic Monthly)
"If there is any justice, All Creatures Great and Small will become a classic of its kind....With seemingly effortless art, this man tells his stories with perfect timing and optimum scale. Many more famous authors could work for a lifetime and not achieve more flawless literary control." (Chicago Tribune Book World)
"Herriot charms because he delights in life, embraces it with sensitivity and gust, and writes with grace. All Creatures Great and Small may well be the happiest book of the year." (The New York Times Book Review)

More Than Just Animal Stories

James Herriot is a gifted story teller. I was given these books to read as a child and loved them dearly. On a whim I downloaded this book and was surprised at the sophistication of the writing and the depth Herriot brings to a story. These books are not just for fans of the animal story genre, a category of books I grew out of around 9 years old. These stories are rich with the lives of the characters who he writes beautifully and the glimpse he gives into Yorkshire life is believable, warm and human.
The audio book is read well, and the narrator is skilled with creating different voices and accents that arn't painfully fake.
I must add a side note that I would not give this book to a child unless they have a certain amount of maturity regarding biology and the lightly crass speech of some of the farmer characters. I grew up in a house where my mother would apologize for saying "oh sugar!" so i can quite understand how this ended up in my hands, but I'm glad it did.

wonderful story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this story to a friend especially a young adult, a glimpse at life in the 30's English country of Yorkshire.
This is a wonderful story that takes you back to a simpler time. I laughed and cried as I listened, and felt so drawn into the story. James, Sigfried, and Tristan become so alive that you expect to see them at the Vet Hospital here in town. I love all the characters that live in their little town. This is a peaceful story to listen to during our hectic, intense, uber electronic age.

What did you like best about this story?

The beautiful descriptions of the country side and the eccentric characters that live there.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Timothy – was your favorite?

James Herriot, Vet surgeon

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

film already done but try," Bring a bucket of warm water, soap and a towel, I'm going in"...

Like visiting an old friend

Excellent story I'd read long ago. it was like visiting old friends. Narrator is very good. A Feel Good Story; Reminds me of Garrison Keeler.

A marvelous trip back in time

Herriot's books take you back to a simpler way of life. His love of animals shines through all his books. And the narrator is PERFECT!! I was sad to have them end. Be sure and listen to the other books in the series

Made me laugh throughout the book

Great book of short stories. Had me laughing and it was clean and respectful, nothing trashy. I’m ready to listen to the next book!

classic with excellent performance

I can say no higher praise than this book makes me wish that I was a vet in the Yorkshire Dales and that darrowby was a real place. I love the collected works of James Herriot and the way he describes the simple hard working life of the dalesman is a national treasure. Christopher Timothy is spot on on his pacing, accents and emphasis, a fitting narrator for the collection.

Something you can listen to over and over again

What did you like best about this story?

These are fun and engaging stories. I like that although this is a fairly long recording each story is only a few minutes long. That makes it great for listening to while you commute and makes it a recording that you can stop part way through and start up again weeks later without feeling lost.

What about Christopher Timothy’s performance did you like?

Christopher Timothy is a great narrator and I am sure that the fact he played James Herriot in this BBC series has given him more depth that someone coming to the script cold.

awesome

my favorite audible book ever! the narration was wonderfully entertaining as well. thumbs up to the reader who really put effort into likvening up the character interplay.

A Shining Narration of a Much-Loved Classic

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Narrating a work that is as dearly loved as James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small" is a risky undertaking, indeed; however, Mr. Timothy has superbly accomplished this difficult task, bringing to the stories the delight, the tenderness, and the love they demand—and deserve. I so thoroughly enjoyed this narration that I will with gladness seek out other works narrated by Mr. Timothy. So very well done.

Charming performance of a classic

James Herriot's books were some of my favorites as a preteen. This wonderful recording brings the story to life in a delightful way, not just due to the accents, but also due to the narrator's skill and obvious enjoyment of what he is reading. A strongly recommended download!