So, All Creatures Great And Small…
Over the last few years I’ve been slowly reading the various books in the series of James Herriot’s memoirs of his time and life as a country vet, beginning in the 1930s and progressing over the years…
I’ve found them interesting as the television series is a sort of Sunday night, chocolate box, no alarms and no surprises take on such things – nothing wrong with that, a good break and escape is not a bad thing…
However, the books, although not necessarily dark or gritty, present a much more real, visceral life and practice.
Mortality and the very physical nature of the work of a country vet are told in a quite unflinching but not gratuitous manner – this is just how it is.
Curiously, they are still rather restful in nature, despite this realism – sort of chocolate box-ish without being over sweet.
I’ve been rather taken by the covers of the reissues by Tom Cole, which link together to form a set/one image and reflect the passing of time and life rather nicely – again in a sort of chocolate box-ish without being over sweet manner.
(File under: Trails and Influences / Year 3 Wanderings)
Intertwined wanderings around these parts:
Day #253/365: One For Sorrow; Helter skelter, hang sorrow, public minded urgings from times when the lights may well go out of an evening and heading towards Rocket Cottage-isms…
Elsewhere in the ether:
Peruse the book here.
