Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love animals. What many may not know is how author James Herriot's books inspired me to be a veterinarian. As a child, the answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up" was always "a vet." If only they could talk’ undoubtedly is at its pinnacle when it comes to the descriptions of the landscape in which the book is set and is among one of the best countryside books I have ever read. These wonderful tales with their morsels of emotions like elation, sorrow, and humiliation all flamboyantly honeyed with humor can delight both the general reader and lovers of animal stories. To be honest, I was quite disappointed by this book. He talks way too much (in my opinion) about the weather, the ongoing discussions between his boss and his brother, their secretary and the animal owners instead of going into more details about treating the animals and the animals themselves, it's all quite superficial to me. I even struggled to finish this book. If you are even slightly interested in animals, stories, people, romance, England, and Vets, this is the book for you. I should mention that you will COMPLETELY fall in love with the settings, and if you do enjoy the books, they made a rather good, and very accurate, series of it. Of course, the books are better, but a noble effort to do justice to a magnificent piece.

In ‘ If Only They Could Talk’, the first book in a series of his semi-autobiographies, the reader gets acquainted with a young James Herriot, just out of veterinary college, taking up a rural practice in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire during late 1930s. In the narrative he creates a fictional village called ‘ Darrowby’ based on the town of Thirsk and the surroundings rural areas, which act as the perfect setting for describing his amusing experiences about the early days of his veterinary career. But about the book now. It's James Herriot (not his true name) telling about his life in the UK as a country vet in the 1930s. I remember watching in the 1980s some little tidbits of the British TV series 'All Creatures Great and Small', which is based on this book (and later ones as well). That man in the picture had just finished an excellent lunch and had moved next door to do a bit of calving just for the sheer pleasure of it, as a kind of dessert.” Overall, Herriot's books are a testament to the power of compassion, empathy, and love, both for animals and for our fellow human beings. They are a joy to read, laugh-out-loud funny at times, heart-wrenching at others, and they remind us of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, as well as the importance of kindness and connection in our lives. He portrays them as hardworking, down-to-earth, and deeply connected to the land and the animals they care for.James Herriot, or in truth, James Alfred Wright, is a master storyteller, whose ability to paint scenes and emotions with only his words is truly astounding. How anyone can write so elegantly, and truthfully, is a rare and astonishing thing. His memoirs should truly be cherished, this first book setting an excellent scene for many humorous and poignant works. He joins as an assistant to the eccentric ' Siegfried Farnon' – based on the actual veterinary surgeon ‘Donald Sinclair’ under which James Wight originally practiced in Thirsk - the veterinarian in ‘Darrowby’ who is portrayed by Herriot as a bombastic yet good-hearted character. Herriot who was hoping for some tranquil life at the rural Darrowby soon finds himself literally knee-deep in highly amusing adventures in which the farmers, animals and a bunch of other characters - like 'Siegfried Farnon' and his lazy brother ‘Tristan Farnon’ - adding to the merry. In the very first chapter we initially meet Herriot while he is performing a calving right in the middle of a winter night, drenched in sweat, blood, snow and mud, and wondering about the situation he is in when compared to the squeaky clean picture of a veterinary surgeon performing a calving that was provided in his obstetrics book while training. While that childhood dream did not come true, I have never lost the fondness for Herriot's work. So, when this book turned up on our office swap shelf, I nabbed it. The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.

Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, If Only They Could Talk is a book for all those who find laughter and joy in animals, and who know and understand the magic and beauty of Britain’s wild places. I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then.' – Kate Humble James Alfred Wight, the British veterinary surgeon and writer, is renowned for his semi-autobiographical works written under the name ' James Herriot', which chronicle some of the most amusing moments from his life as a veterinarian. His reminiscences as a surgeon are pleasantly mild and warm to read and his style of narration that describe his adventures with the animals and their owners is of the most hilarious form that can make even the most serious of the reader burst out in a laugh. Apart from being incredibly entertaining, Herriot’s books also offer a historical perspective at the practice of veterinary science that was followed in Britain during the time period. The imaginative power of James Herriot and his capacity as a storyteller are praiseworthy as these amusing stories are not dry descriptions of incidents from his days as a veterinary surgeon, but they are often spruced up by the author with smartly crafted elements of humor to evoke absolute joy and laughter in the reader. He is also a sharp observer of the people, animals and their association in an agrarian society as these stories offer a delightful insight born out of his observations into the country life of Yorkshire. The life of the farmers and the role of animals in their emotions of happiness, accomplishment, sadness and even heartbreak are all portrayed by Herriot with the flair of a master narrator.Ada kisah keberhasilan saat Herriot dan tim secara cerdas atau secara kebetulan dapat mendiagnosis penyakit dan menyembuhkannya. Ada kisah mengharukan saat Herriot harus memberikan penenang permanen kepada hewan yang terkena kanker untuk melepas penderitaannya. Ada banyak sekali kelucuan saat Siegfried yang sok efisien harus terperangkap prinsip-prinsipnya, atau sekedar oleh kepikunannya yang luar biasa. Dan banyak hiburan akibat keusilan Tristan yang tak pernah habis. Tapi yang tak pernah membosankan adalah komitmen Herriot untuk setiap saat membantu makhluk hidup yang menderita, biarpun kadang ia harus melampiaskan kekesalan dan kemarahan; dan selalu diakhiri oleh kembalinya kesadaran bahwa hidup itu ajaib, lucu, agung, dan tak pernah membosankan. This observation, which lightens the mood along with some comical dialogs that ensues with cow’s owner, sets the tone for the book. Even while at the end of his wits, we find a character who finds amusement from simple things from his surroundings which adds that extra bit of appeal even in his descriptions of surgeries and other animal medical conditions, which can be a bit squeamish if described in dry medical terms.