So…funny story – I actually only picked up this book because (thin as it was) it was taking up space in my non-existent bookshelf (swipe to see what passes as a bookshelf these days!)
I had tried reading this before but DNFed it for some reason.
Apparently my taste has evolved since I last picked it up many months ago, because I found it lovely!
Vet in a Spin by James Herriot is a cute little memoir about life as a country vet. In the book, Herriot, training to be an air force pilot (no idea why; he was a competent vet), reminisces about how his days were in his hometown of Darrowby.
If books had emotions, this one would be…nostalgic.
I never imagined I’d like a memoir so much, but there you go! Books surprise you sometimes 😊
James Herriot is a master storyteller.
I have a dog, you see…and I yap about him every chance I get. My friends get bored when I go on and on, and only the few who have pets (or who know him) understand.
But this guy talks about his consultations with ordinary farm animals that are not even his and it’s the most interesting thing in the world! I think that’s true talent.
Every chapter in the book is a different story of a time he treated some animal or the other during his country practice in Darrowby. Some of them are heart-breaking, some are funny, and some are heart-warming. But all of them are utterly adorable!
Since each short chapter was a new story and there was no real continuity to the book, I went back to it when I needed a break from work or studies.
When I read the book, I got the same feeling I get when my dog greets me at the door after a day at work.
I think I enjoyed it even more because I had no expectations from it! The blurb at the back of the book told me nothing except that it was a memoir (and I’m biased against those things). I don’t typically go in blind but I wanted a thin book to read and this was just sitting there, taking up space…and boy, am I glad I decided to give it a shot!
Reading the book gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling. You should definitely read it when you’ve just finished a really heavy book and want a break from all the depressing stuff; or even when you’re just looking for something light to read and you don’t have much time.
I highly, highly recommend it!
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