Ruminations of a meandering mind

Readers, call it lacuna in my mind for lack of any new articles to post or a subterfuge to promote my favorite writer, I am re-writing this blog with a few changes. Hoping for a few comments this time around :-).

Being an avid reader, I am very often disappointed when some favorite writer of mine writes a real trashy book. I am unable to comprehend, why he/she would deteriorate to this level. I generally compare some of their earlier works to this one and try to analyse where they went wrong. I also conclude at times that the same writer could never have written this book.

The only exception to this is a writer who hasn't written a great deal. Each book of his( that I have read so far) is a gem. The first time I laid my hands on his book was some 10 years back when I had nothing else to read and this long neglected book( with its nearly tattered cover) was at my desk begging to be picked up. As I began reading the book I was transported into the beautiful world of Darrowby, its innumerable characters, be it animal or human stood out in this picturesque world so poignantly described. The book was "Vet in a Spin" and the writer James Herriot.

James Herriot, a pen name for one James Alfred Wight was a veterinary doctor who wrote of his exploits. His works are autobiographical and an absolute delight to read. What I find appealing in his books is the joy he seems to get in his job. This is very apparent in his writings. Probably thats the reason why he inspired many people to take up a veterinary career. His works also indicate that he was an acute observer and a great judge of character. Each chapter is a short story in itself, some really funny, some heart-rending especially when he has to put an animal to sleep since it carries a fatal disease and recovery is impossible. Stories of his end sometimes with a very signifcant one liner which stays with the reader for a long time. For instance, at the end of one chapter he says( not verbatim)- "This incident taught me one important thing, people are not how they seem to appear". Herriot was a big fan of the Yorkshire countryside- the description of the valleys and trees of Darrowby filled all his books, when he used to drive for miles in the worst weather to treat animals on farms.

Herriot's works are easy to identify with probably because he dosent portray himself as infallible. There were occasions when he hasnt been able to diagnose diseases because these maladies were unheard of during his time( iam talking of the 1940s and 1950s) and lack of quality medicines which are available now werent at hand then. On other occasions its the fear that accompanies every job( that of not being sure if its the right way to do it) that is so well described.

As I mentioned before, Herriot didnt write a great deal. His first book "All Creatures Great and Small" , brought him instant recognition. For all this fame, Herriot believed in living life without being exposed to the limelight of a bestseller author.He tried to protect his real identity for a long time without success. To all the reporters and people who finally tracked him down, he had one thing to say "If a farmer calls me to a sick animal, he couldn't care less if I were George Bernard Shaw."

Herriot died in 1995.