Friday, November 07, 2008

A Crazy Colliding of Two Worlds

Two of my favorite kinds of books on tape are Harry Potter and the James Herriot books. Christopher Timothy always reads the Herriot books and does it exactly perfectly. Jim Dale always reads the HP books and likewise they are perfect. Imagine my surprise when I got a new James Herriot collection from the library (new to me anyway) and turned it on to hear Jim Dale's voice reading James Herriot (which are always told in first person). I can't describe it. It's just weird. He's reading about finding a little lost kitten as if it were some huge mysterious thing. Then to hear in Hagrid's voice "...Kitten? We haven't got no kitten." It just is cracking me up. You'd probably just have to be into listening to these books on tape, like I am to get how WEIRD it is.

10 comments:

lizS said...

omigoodness, i started to read a book by herriot called james herriots yorkshire or something like that, thinking it was just another herriot book, right? well it is, but come to find out, the other books are at least part fantasy!! this one was about all the things that aren't true! like, there's no such place as darrowby. he made it up as a sort of amalgum of all the places he's lived! he's sort of clearing up all the confusion, or something. i didn't read much, i couldn't handle the crumbling of my james herriot dream world.

lizS said...

all of his family are real though; helen, siefried, triston...all real. but he changed almost everyone else's names.

Mary said...

Helen, Siegfried and Tristan aren't their real names either, Liz. Siegfried is actually named Donald, and Tristan something infinitely less interesting as well. Don't be sad. The stories are mostly true, but think of his position. He didn't want to alienate the people he lives and works with, so he couldn't tell such intimate details about them as their names, or single any one person out. Besides, all good storytellers know that stories have to be embellished a little or else they aren't terribly interesting!

Renae said...

Yeah! Herriot's real name was Alf White, and he wasn't even a vet!

lizS said...

really? he changed his family as well? i didn't get that far in my reading i guess. i mean, yeah, it makes sense, but it also points up the fact of how gullible i am.

timpani76 said...

la la la la (covering ears) la la la I love James Herriot, so everybody just shut up!!!

Renae said...

BTW, incase no one caught that, it was a bit of a joke. Yes, his real name was Alf White, and he WAS a vet in real life. I read a biography of him done by his son (who was also a vet). His stories were based on truth, but he had to change names and details like that, as Mary said.

Dana Cheryl said...

I really need to read this Herriot guys books it seems. Maybe I'll pick one up over Christmas break.

I have one of the HP books on CD. It would be really weird to hear that guy reading another book. I'll have to try it out. :)

lizS said...

his name was ALF WHITE?! it wasn't james herriot? oh man, stop! i can't take anymore!

Anonymous said...

Hah! I wondered who was going to be the first one to put up christmas music!

I like all the tunes you have up now renae way mucho!

I just got done ripping down the Haunted house. I did it listening to Trans siberian Orchestra. Seemed appropriate. I dont think christmas music b4 thanksgiving is bad. After all, if you arent thankful for Jesus then you are SCUM!!!!

j