If Only They Could Talk

As a young Yorkshire Lass, I was brought up watching All Creatures Great and Small and after searching for a new audible book I was delighted to find the books on here.

Its a lovely 'listen' and it was joy to listen to Christopher Timothy narrating it.

I first read the James Herriot books in my very early teens, and loved them instantly. When the TV series arrived on our British screens I was delighted and addicted. I introduced my own children to the books, and chanced upon this audiobook when I was browsing for something to listen to. I was so pleased to discover that James Herriot's work was available in audioook form (unabridged - hurray!) and even more pleased to see that Christopher Timothy was the narrator. My expectations were very high, and I hoped it would be like rediscovering lost friends from long ago. I wasn't disappointed. Timothy's narration is excellent, and the stories still have their old charm. It was wonderful to be re-acquainted with familiar characters like Siegfried, Tristan, and Tricky-Woo. The past few days have been a fabulous nostalgia trip which has sent me hurrying off to You Tube to check out the TV series clips. Brilliant. I've added all the other unabridged audiobooks to my Wishlist and look forward to many more hours of happy listening!

I have read the books and seen the TV series, and thoroughly enjoyed both. The author is able to transport you back to a slower pace of life, and to a place where life was far more pleasurable. This will always be one of the greatest biographies ever written as it is full of so many wonderful characters.

However, the audio book is let down by one great flaw. Whilst Chris Timothy was well cast as James, and is a fine actor. He is not able to imbibe all characters with enough uniqueness to hold the listener. It actually became dissapointing as at points I needed to take a break from what sounded a very flat reading of what should have been a wonderful story.

I would buy these again if read by another more adept reader.

This series never gets old. The characters, the settings, and story lines are well conceived and expertly delivered. Christopher Timothy makes this first book of the series extremely welcome listening. His characters come to life and you start to recognise the voices as you continue to listen.
I travel a lot and usually listen to a variety of audio and radio productions but have found this unabridged story a wonderful change. The time and miles just fly by.
This would have received a 5-star rating and deservedly so, however one little niggle. There were only 31 chapters in this book and that is how the audio is broken down, so if I missed a piece by being on the telephone or stopping for fuel, I had to start the chapter again and that could take me back 15 to 20 minutes in the story.

I just love listening to these books. I found myself chuckling in the middle of the airport, out walking and at some inopportune moments, totally drawn into the moment. The whole gambit of emotions are here and this is beautifully written and narrated by Christopher Timothy. I am sure these books led to a new generation of young people becoming vets! In another lifetime I would reconsider another career as a veterinary surgeon. Once you have listened, I can guarantee you will want more!

An absolutely fantastic listening experience and brilliantly read by Christopher Timothy.



"I'm hooked"



Looking forward to listening to all the other titles in this series.