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James Herriot

James Herriot. Extraordinary Vet. Extraordinary Man. Biography and Herriot pictures, unless otherwise noted, are from http://www.jamesherriot.org/ . Herriot video clip http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/hambleton/herriot.nsf/pages/virtual.html. James Herriot.

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James Herriot

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  1. James Herriot Extraordinary Vet Extraordinary Man

  2. Biography and Herriot pictures, unless otherwise noted, are from http://www.jamesherriot.org/. Herriot video cliphttp://www.hambleton.gov.uk/hambleton/herriot.nsf/pages/virtual.html

  3. James Herriot “I love writing about my job because I loved it, and it was a particularly interesting one when I was a young man. It was like holidays with pay to me.”

  4. Key Biographical Info. • born in Sunderland, England on 10/3/16 • real name: James Alfred Wight • immediately moved to Glasgow, Scotland • Father = James Wight -- ship plater and musician • Mother = Hannah Bell Wight - professional singer

  5. And... • attended Glasgow Veterinary College • graduated (6 years later) in 1939 • joined vet practice in Yorkshire in 1940 -- the practice of J. Donald Sinclair (Siegfried) • actual town was Thirsk • married Joan Catherine Danbury in 1941

  6. And along came little ones • son, Jimmy born in 1943;he is a vet in Thirsk today • daughter, Rosie born in 1947; she is a physician in Thirsk today • one grandchild (an adult) Emma Page

  7. What about his writing? • Started writing (again) in 1966 at age 50!

  8. “For years I used to bore my wife over lunch with stories about funny incidents. The words ‘My book,’ as in ‘I’ll put that in it one day,’ became a sort of running joke. Eventually she said, ‘Look, I don’t want to offend you, but you’ve been saying that for 25 years. You’re never going to do it now. Old vets of 50 don’t write books’...

  9. And so “So I purchased a lot of paper right then and started to write.”

  10. Publishing history • first 2 publishers rejected his first book • third one accepted and published it • first four books: If Only They Could Talk It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet Let Sleeping Vets Lie; Vets in Harness

  11. Who are these people? • Herriot used his real life experiences, which he fictionalized, in his books. Here’s the lowdown: • Siegfried = J. Donald Sinclair (died, 1994) • Tristan = Brian Sinclair (died, 1990) • Darrowby = Thirsk • Helen = Joan Wight

  12. Who else? • Mrs. Pumphrey = Mrs. Marjorie Warner of Sowerbury (died, 1983) • Granville Bennett = Denton Petty (died in the 1980s) • Calum Buchanan = Herriot’s assistant (in later books) (died, 1990)

  13. The American Way • These four short books were then united to form the first American edition, published in 1972: All Creatures Great and Small

  14. Commenting on his sudden success: “I was dumbfounded by the reaction to that first book, absolutely dumbfounded. The most I had hoped for was that someone would publish it and a few people quite enjoy reading it.”

  15. Publishing history • Herriot went on to write 15 books which have been published in 26 languages. • He has sold 20 million books in 20 countries

  16. Herriot’s passing • He died of cancer at age 78 on February 23, 1995. • He had been ill for 3 years.

  17. Herriot on Herriot “There were people who thought I was a pretty fair vet, some who regarded me as an amiable idiot, a few who were convinced that I was a genius, and one or two who would set their dogs on me if I put a foot inside their gates. All this in a year. What would be the position in 30 years? Well, as it turned out, very much the same.”

  18. Others’ Viewshttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ • “"If there is any justice, All Creatures Great And Small will become a classic of its kind...With seemingly effortless art, this man tells his stories with perfect timing and optimum scale. Many more famous authors could work for a lifetime and not achieve more flawless literary control."-- Chicago Tribune Book World

  19. Andhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ "Herriot charms because he delights in life, embraces it with sensitivity and gust and writes with grace. All Creatures Great And Small may well be the happiest book of the year."-- The New York Times Book Review

  20. Key Themes • transformation of the medical profession from pseudo-science to science -- also farmers’ superstitions and quack remedies • death with dignity; death as a part of life.

  21. Additional Themes • the desire to prove himself • the maturation theme (Bildungsroman) • the power, beauty, dignity, & wonder of the animals and the environment • animals’ ability to make fools of humans • the variety and unpredictability of life

  22. Herriot’s style: What to look for • Depiction of life in the 1930s • use of detail • use of imagery • use of jargon pertaining to veterinary medicine • use of irony

  23. Furthermore... • use of humor • use of figurative language • use of contrast • warm, gentle, distinctive, authorial voice • incredible powers of observation

  24. How does he do that? “I was helped by having a verbatim memory of what happened years ago, even if I can’t remember what happened a couple days ago. Years ago farmers were uneducated and eccentric and said funny things, and we ourselves were comparatively uneducated.

  25. “We had few antibiotics, few drugs. A lot of time was spent pouring things down cows’ throats. The whole thing added up to a lot of laughs.”

  26. Herriot’s traits • inherent decency and honesty • incredible courtesy, politeness, and manners • love and respect of animals and nature • belief in death with dignity • charming social awkwardness

  27. To see more.. www.hambleton.gov.uk/hambleton/ herriot.nsf/pages/herriot.html

  28. Wight the younger (who followed in his father's footsteps and later joined the practice in Thirsk), is undoubtedly the best person to reveal the depths of a man whose public persona was as respected and trusted as the real man who tended to animals in and around the small Yorkshire village where he lived until the day he died. --Susan Harrison, Amazon.co.uk-- Photo and text are fromhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/

  29. To read more… By Herriot: • All Things Wise and Wonderful; Every Living Thing; All Things Bright and Beautiful; James Herriot’s Cat Stories; James Herriot’s Dog Stories

  30. When you do your writing homework, select from these themes. • transformation of the medical profession from pseudo-science to science -- also farmers’ superstitions and quack remedies • death with dignity; death as a part of life. • the desire to prove himself • the maturation theme (Bildungsroman) • the power, beauty, dignity, & wonder of the animals and the environment • animals’ ability to make fools of humans • the variety and unpredictability of life

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