James Herriot is an English writer, as well as a veterinarian and pilot who is known for his series of books about animals. In his works, he describes interesting cases that occur with an ordinary rural veterinarian in his practice.
short biography
By Harriot James, whose real name is James Alfred White, was born in 1916 in the north-west of England in the family of an orchestra conductor. James graduated from veterinary college, and then moved to live in Yorkshire, where he began to practice veterinary medicine. With the outbreak of World War II, James retires to serve as a pilot in the British Air Force.
After the war, James returns home and continues his work. In the process of practice, small notes appear about animals that James Harriot loved very much. Stories eventually come together in small chapters, and chapters are collected in books of the same series. In the last years of his life, Harriot was sick a lot and died in 1995 with his family.
Writer career
Family and profession are what James Harriot devoted most of his time to. The veterinarian’s notes all grew, but there wasn’t enough time to write a book. Finally, thanks to the efforts of his wife, at the age of 50, James first began to seriously engage in writing. He begins to work under a pseudonym, since at that time any veterinary advertising was forbidden in England, and although the book was not such, the author was still a practicing veterinarian. He begins to use another name - James Harriot. The biography claims that the first works of the author did not have much success until the moment when they began to be published not just in separate stories, but in a whole book.
The first book about animals comes out in 1972. After her success in the United States, a film was made based on her motives, which was very successful. For his work, James Harriot was awarded the Order of the British Empire, and also received a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Main works
During his life, James Harriot wrote a huge number of stories that are filled with love for animals. His works are collected in separate collections and series. The most famous books of the author:
- "About all creatures - large and small."
- "About all creatures - beautiful and intelligent."
- "About all creatures - wise and wonderful."
- “And they are all creatures of nature.”
- "Dog stories."
- "Cat stories."
- "Among the Yorkshire Hills" and others.
Books became the basis for the film, as well as the popular British series, which totaled almost 100 episodes.
The basis of the plot for the stories
James Harriot built his books in the form of short stories and memories of various funny and sometimes sad episodes that happen in the practice of a veterinarian. According to critics, despite the fairly simple stories and plots, the author’s attitude not only to animals, but also to their owners, is conveyed very subtly. Sometimes it is full of lyrics and sadness, and sometimes sarcasm and humor, but it is always humane.
Stories describe work that does not have any working hours or days off. Regardless of mood, weather and various circumstances, the veterinarian must do his job, using not only his specialist skills, but also ingenuity and imagination. Although the stories are primarily about animals, they also describe people. To do this, the author uses an original set of heroes from different social layers, whose life is connected with their favorites.
Problems of works
James's stories illustrate the complex work of a rural veterinarian. Despite the artistic style, the texts contain professional terms and interesting episodes that are useful for veterinarians (reviews confirm this).
The author also very accurately depicts the social situation in England in the 1930s - a time when unemployment flourished everywhere, and even experienced specialists found it difficult to find a place for themselves. The role of nature is also important. Even if the author uses one or two sentences for this, readers can feel all the warmth and love of the author for rural life, native land and the magnificent green landscape, warmed by the sun.
In the books, the veterinarian is portrayed by some psychologist who can understand and help not only animals, but also their owners. Among them are ordinary workers and farmers who share the latter with their favorites, and rich people who are trying to compensate for their pain and broken heart with love for animals.
Author's famous quotes
Kindness, love, caring and understanding are the basis of the books that James Harriot wrote. Quotes from his books have become common nouns and have been repeatedly used and are used in films, books, etc. The most famous of them are:
- “When you give your heart, you become so defenseless.”
- "If the soul is to know how to love, to be faithful and grateful, then animals have a soul to a greater extent than many people."
- “A truth that should be a comfort to all dog owners: the pet’s short life does not mean the eternal pain of loss - the void will fill up over time, and wonderful memories will remain forever.”
- “If we lose, then there is something to lose.”
- “Animals are unpredictable, which means that our life with you is also unpredictable”
In all his quotes, there is a deep love for animals, as well as a clear philosophy of life of the author.
Real harriot
In 1999, after the death of the author, his son, Jim White, wrote a book about his father, “Real James Harriot. Remembering my father ”, which is filled with love and respect, and also shows the writer on the other hand. For his book, Jim uses all the notes of his father, as well as letters, photographs, manuscripts and, of course, personal memories.
In his book, James describes his father as a man who was 99% a veterinarian and only 1% a writer. For him, it was, rather, a hobby, which he often equated with a passion for gardening. Jim also recalls that his father respected his colleagues, from whom he learned a lot, as well as the people he had encountered in life. According to Jim, the biggest fear of James was that he was afraid in his stories to accidentally hurt any of his acquaintances, whom he partially used for his stories. That is why all real names in the works were replaced with pseudonyms, and the actions took place in fictional places.
Jim describes his father as an ordinary person, who sometimes liked to drink after lunch, sit back, but always put his family first, and the real joy for him was to give joy to others.
James Herriot is a unique writer known for his short stories about the work of a veterinarian. In his books, the author demonstrates his love for animals, people, and also perfectly illustrates his positive attitude towards life in general.