All Things Bright and BeautifulAll Things Bright and Beautiful
Score Classic
What it's about
James Herriot, newly married to Helen, is settling into life as a vet in Darrowby, a market town in the Yorkshire Dales, alongside his brilliant, erratic partner Siegfried Farnon and Siegfried's lazy, charming younger brother Tristan. Each chapter is a story: a calving in a freezing barn at midnight, a farmer who won't trust a young vet, a pampered Pekingese named Tricki Woo, and the dogs, cats, cows and horses Herriot comes to love.
Why it's worth reading
It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list and is part of one of the most beloved series of memoirs ever written. It's warm and very funny.
You'll love it if you liked
All Things Wise and Wonderful
The Lord God Made Them All
Pilgrim at Tinker CreekGood to know
It's the second of the series, after All Creatures Great and Small, but each chapter stands alone. The vet work is sometimes graphic but always affectionate.
By the numbers
- Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #63 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #97 of the 762 classics we rank
- #313 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by James Herriot
All Things Wise and WonderfulThe Lord God Made Them All
Every Living ThingIf you like this, read next
Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood
Up From Slavery
The Glass Castle
This Boy's Life: A Memoir
Cheaper by the Dozen
The Road From CoorainExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is All Things Bright and Beautiful worth reading?
Yes. It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list and is part of one of the most beloved series of memoirs ever written. It ranks #313 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is All Things Bright and Beautiful about?
James Herriot, newly married to Helen, is settling into life as a vet in Darrowby, a market town in the Yorkshire Dales, alongside his brilliant, erratic partner Siegfried Farnon and Siegfried's lazy, charming younger brother Tristan. Each chapter is a story: a calving in a freezing barn at midnight, a farmer who won't trust a young vet, a pampered Pekingese named Tricki Woo, and the dogs, cats, cows and horses Herriot comes to love.
How long does it take to read All Things Bright and Beautiful?
About 10 hours (408 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after All Things Bright and Beautiful?
If you liked it, try All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot, The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot or Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard.