In
All Things Bright and Beautiful, James Herriot gathers together a series of loosely related episodes detailing his life from the time of his marriage in 1941 to his call to
military service in 1943, with an occasional flashback to his courtship of Helen Alderson. Originally published in England as two separate books,
All Things Bright and Beautiful has no overall structure or climax. The episodes, which are not in strict chronological order, can be read separately, although Herriot seems to expect that his readers have read
All Creatures Great and Small (1972), which explains his relationship with Siegfried and Tristan Farnon.
For the most part, Herriot focuses on
people and
animals, pointing out their strengths and eccentricities. Unlike his partner, Siegfried Farnon, he values pets and small animals, even epileptic dogs and cows with mastitis. Often the people of Yorkshire hinder Herriot’s work, insisting that they know more about animals than he does. He encounters farmers who will only call him as a last resort and unqualified country folk who pass themselves off as animal doctors.
Several chapters in the
book treat Herriot’s attempts to gain the confidence of others. He seems to want to emulate the refined animal surgeon Granville Bennett, who always maintains his composure and can appear sophisticated even in a snow-storm. Although he has been in Darrowby for two years, Herriot believes that he is still earning the trust of those around him, as with the case of an artist who does not want him to operate on his dog. Throughout the book, he comes to appreciate seemingly unlikable people, such as Mrs. Donovan, who interferes with his practice, and the arrogant student Richard Carmody. Periodically, Herriot flashes back to the days when he courted Helen and tried to impress her by saving her father’s cow and by judging a pet show at the fair. Toward the end of the book, the episodes increasingly treat the changes in Herriot’s life and in Yorkshire. He thinks that he is witnessing a movement away from antiquated methods of treating animals, as when he experiments and saves a farmer’s cows. On a more personal note, Siegfried Farnon leaves for military service, Tristan Farnon graduates and becomes a full-fledged veterinarian, and Helen becomes pregnant. In the last two chapters, Herriot reveals how he received his "call-up" papers on his birthday in 1943 and describes his subsequent departure for military service. He concludes by wishing he had realized then that his life was just beginning, thus leaving the book open for his next sequel.
More reviews about the All Things Bright and Beautiful