JAMES HERRIOT: THE LIFE OF A COUNTRY VET

It's difficult to perform the straight narrative of a biography entertainingly, but Paul Michael does a good job by changing his accents on the few occasions when non-Herriot characters are quoted. His overall intonation is properly regional, and anyone who enjoyed All Creatures Great and Small would probably enjoy this audiobook. The book focuses on distinguishing between the lives of the pseudonymous James Herriot and his creator, veterinarian Alf Wight. There were many similarities and some differences, as when Wight made embellishments to his own life for interviewers. It's especially interesting to see how the fictional characters stack up against their real-life counterparts. D.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR/APR 98]