Brenda W. (Brendasbooks) -
Helpful Score: 9
For me, this story could continue forever. Although Ballybucklebo is a fictitious town in Northern Ireland, it's inhabitants are folk you could find most anywhere. It reminds me of the tv series Ballykissangel hosted by BBC America. I can't wait til I get the next book in the series, when I finished this one, I had a warm, fuzzy feeling when I closed the back cover. Sorry, this one is a "keeper".
Brenda W.
Brenda W.
Jodi (flfraidycat) -
Helpful Score: 7
This was a quick (too quick) read and a charming tale. Reminiscent of James Herriot's works, but instead of a Yorkshire vet, featuring a young doctor, James Laverty, M.B., in the Northern Island village of Ballybucklebo. Very enjoyable as he adjusts from the city to the country, and adapts to the wisdom and foibles of his mentor/boss, Fingal O'Reilly. I'll be reading more.
Arlene M. (luvtworead) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Delightful! I'd love to visit Ballybucklebo. Can't wait to continue reading about this cast of characters in An Irish Country Village.
Anna F. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I liked this book a lot, took me 2 days to finish it, I found myself wanting to know what they would do next. Quick and funny to read...
Valerie M. (Val) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 72 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful heartwarming book. The best book I have read in a while. ValM.
Nancy G. (ComfyReader) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 330 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Somewhere in the 1960's in Ballybucklebo, Ireland, Barry Laverty fresh out of medical school is on his way to apply as the assistant to Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. Barry is not quite sure if he wants to specialize or just stay with general practice so he decided to get a taste of small town doctoring. Getting lost more then once, Dr. Laverty shows up on Dr. O'Reilly's doorstep just as a patient, or customer as O'Reilly refers to them as, is bodily chucked of the office into garden.
Apparently, this is not the type of medicine that Barry has been trained in, but after a rather interesting interview with the good doctor, Barry decided to stay a bit and between the new medicine that Dr. Laverty knows, and the small town country doctoring that Dr. O'Reilly knows, the two set off to tend to the good people of Ballybucklebo. Even if that does mean that they butt heads on a daily basis.
There is learning for all of us in this book about not judging before you know and just because a person is gruff and intimidating on the outside does not mean that there is not a heart of gold under it all. In addition, and most importantly, just because you learned it at a university does not mean that it applies in real life.
The book is full of memorable characters, from the town drunk to the big man who owns half the town and lords it over the rest, to the local odd-ball with cats, and Kinky the housekeeper who makes sure the doctors eat, Patrick Taylor brings a voice to each of them and with their antics you are definitely turning pages and chuckling all the way.
I highly recommend this book and hopefully the rest of this series.
Apparently, this is not the type of medicine that Barry has been trained in, but after a rather interesting interview with the good doctor, Barry decided to stay a bit and between the new medicine that Dr. Laverty knows, and the small town country doctoring that Dr. O'Reilly knows, the two set off to tend to the good people of Ballybucklebo. Even if that does mean that they butt heads on a daily basis.
There is learning for all of us in this book about not judging before you know and just because a person is gruff and intimidating on the outside does not mean that there is not a heart of gold under it all. In addition, and most importantly, just because you learned it at a university does not mean that it applies in real life.
The book is full of memorable characters, from the town drunk to the big man who owns half the town and lords it over the rest, to the local odd-ball with cats, and Kinky the housekeeper who makes sure the doctors eat, Patrick Taylor brings a voice to each of them and with their antics you are definitely turning pages and chuckling all the way.
I highly recommend this book and hopefully the rest of this series.
Mary H. -
Helpful Score: 2
The series of stories always proves of interest, as if the characters are truly people that you have come to know. I read these books as a way of relaxing. I appreciate anything Irish and can relate to the pace of the living arrangements, both in the city and the country. I also enjoy the recipes that are offered in each selection. Read them in order and grow with the relationships, you won't be disappointed.
Millie W. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 75 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I thought that this book was reminiscent of James Herriot's veterinarian books of many years ago. The young doctor in this book is very believable and getting to know the people in this small Irish town is interesting and fun.
Kelli R. (kellilee) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 66 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
For those who enjoy quirky 1990s European films like "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain" and "Waking Ned Divine," this may be the book for you. Like those films, this book focuses on life's minutia and finds humor in the everyday. Although the lessons set forth are not new, there is no doubt that these are lessons worth being reminded of and there is no better way to be reminded then in a gentle novel such as this.
Mary E. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is such a fun book. I love anything to do with Irish
living in the country. The characters are interesting and at the same time humorous.
living in the country. The characters are interesting and at the same time humorous.
K.C. Kelly (KC-Cruiser) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 1
This is a very good book, written with skill, insight and a wonderful vocabulary. The story and characters exude a strong feel of compassion and sense of purpose that seems to have been lost in the world today. I hope this series inspires people around the world to bring it back into our communities and our lives.
Cynthia W. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
For those times life seems all too cold and harsh, Patrick Taylor offers the perfect antidote in An Irish Country Doctor. The story is set in the idylic rural Northern Irish town of Balybucklebo, where things always turn out well for the dozen characters we come to know and love. It revolves around Barry Laverty, a young physician who comes to the remote town to work with the town's revered family doctor. The characters are one-dimensional, predictable, and all too good to be true. You'll have no trouble closing the book when it's time for bed. But if a charming escape is what you're after, Taylor's Irish yarn can't be beat.
Kathy N. (addicated-to-reading) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 150 more book reviews
Thought this series looked interesting and got the first couple of books. I really like them a lot - they remind me of the Mitford series with Father Tim. Am looking forward to the next three. I recommend them.
Joy L. (vintagejoy) -
Seemed to me almost like a take off of James Herriots' books. Alot of stuff seemed to happen in an incredibly short time. Unfortunately could not get beyond the very bad language. I seriously do not understand why authors feel it is necessary to use this word. Was very disappointed in it.
Julia S. (itmaven) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 29 more book reviews
I enjoyed the book. It is not "All Creatures Great and Small"--there is profanity and mild sexual content. It is an entertaining, fictionalized account of a new doctor fitting into a Northern Ireland village practice. I enjoyed it enough to read the second book in the series.
Sherri S. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 27 more book reviews
Book was slow to get started but interesting read.
Deb K. (upnorth) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on
A delightful story set in Ireland about a newly graduated doctor who sets off to a small town practice. You will get to know how Barry adjusted to his new life and the doctor whose employ he was in.
R. L. M. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
Not my normal reading area, but I enjoyed reading about the small Irish village and some of the situations a rural doctor endured back then, I have since read the next book, and I have the 4th one.
Connie A. (jazzysmom) -
I opened this book thinking,this is gonna be just an "ok" read. I was wrong--this was fantastic!! I read the whole thing in one day and i want to read all of this series now. The flow of words was so smooth, it was funny and clear and had "people" that seemed so real, i wanted to know them and go there. I loved the older GP-he was a hoot and there was alot of love in this novel. This is my first time with this author--will not be my last.
Sharon D. (dulcimer42) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 107 more book reviews
A fascinating story of a new doctor, who decides to do general practice with an older doctor in a tiny, out of the way village in Ireland. The people he meets, the people he helps, the things he learns all blend together to make this a book that you will love to read!
Anne Marie O. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
I found this book to be a refreshing, enjoyable read.Wholesome story kept my interest throughout.
Shirley P. (booknookchick) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 117 more book reviews
I'm an avid reader that doesn't often pick books from the cozy genre. However, the beautifully-illustrated landscape on the cover and the lure of a story in a small country village in Northern Ireland during the 1960's compelled me to consider this book.
Dr. Laverty, just out of medical school, is moving to the village to consider a position as a physician's assistant to Dr. Fingall O'Reilly, as loudly vocal in the book as he is described by his stature. Even in text, each character has a distinct voice.
There were several things to enjoy about this book.
1) A quick read.
2) Could possibly laugh out loud
3) With their pastoral lifestyle, villagers rely, almost completely, on face-to-face communication.
4) There's time for Drs. O'Reilly and Laverty to tend to the physical complaints from their âsqueaky wheel' patients. What a switch from the pace and lifestyle of the 21st century.
5) The author was a physician for many years making the book more factional than fictional, although the village, Ballybucklebo, does not exist.
Has the author written this book as an underlying political statement by creating fictional Buckleballybo to contrast Ireland's history of conflicts? Perhaps it is.
Dr. Laverty, just out of medical school, is moving to the village to consider a position as a physician's assistant to Dr. Fingall O'Reilly, as loudly vocal in the book as he is described by his stature. Even in text, each character has a distinct voice.
There were several things to enjoy about this book.
1) A quick read.
2) Could possibly laugh out loud
3) With their pastoral lifestyle, villagers rely, almost completely, on face-to-face communication.
4) There's time for Drs. O'Reilly and Laverty to tend to the physical complaints from their âsqueaky wheel' patients. What a switch from the pace and lifestyle of the 21st century.
5) The author was a physician for many years making the book more factional than fictional, although the village, Ballybucklebo, does not exist.
Has the author written this book as an underlying political statement by creating fictional Buckleballybo to contrast Ireland's history of conflicts? Perhaps it is.
Gabriele C. (theoldbookshelf) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 43 more book reviews
i have read part of the book and came to PBS to get the next books in the series . i really like his writing and it reminds me of james herriot books . although i think herriots writing is a bit deeper , more winded and better writing [ and clean ]. after ordering 2 more books , i went back to reading and can now no longer recommend the books as easily . even before this afternoon , i was taken aback by foul language and cussing . today came the groping scene between one of the main characters and his girlfriend , and somewhat descriptive kissing scenes . well , its not like we dont see some of it on TV , but i have choices to turn the TV off -- IF i choose to . and i choose not to recommend these books . i will not finish reading the one i have either . i DID !!!! enjoy what i had read ... until today .... soo , this set is not all that clean ....
Nancy W. reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 54 more book reviews
This is "Ballykissangel" in written form.
Carol F. (cactusflowerwomen) reviewed An Irish Country Doctor (aka The Apprenticeship of Doctor Laverty) (Irish Country, Bk 1) on + 628 more book reviews
Good, run read, along the Lines of the Jamers Herriott books.
