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Decades in which nothing happens
Mar. 24th, 2025 09:16 pmBook Reviews: Blue Shoes and Happiness, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, and The Miracle at Speedy Motors, by Alexander McCall Smith
Time for another round of revisiting for Mma Ramotswe. By now, we know what to expect: there may be a couple of puzzles whose detection is described, perhaps a few other cases that will be referred to but not filled out, and some domestic developments. I did notice on the re-read that things have become a bit timey-wimey: there's a suggestion we have moved on a few years, which of course seems inevitable, but the foster children haven't done much growing up, and Mr J L B Matekoni's apprentices are still apprentices - there's almost a subversive humour in everyone wondering if they will ever complete their qualifications. A couple of years ago I bought three books from the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series at a National Trust second-hand bookshop; when I came home, I found I already had two of them. It's fair to say they are forgettable, but it would be harsh to view that negatively; they just take life at a gentle pace. Original thoughts here, here, and here.
Time for another round of revisiting for Mma Ramotswe. By now, we know what to expect: there may be a couple of puzzles whose detection is described, perhaps a few other cases that will be referred to but not filled out, and some domestic developments. I did notice on the re-read that things have become a bit timey-wimey: there's a suggestion we have moved on a few years, which of course seems inevitable, but the foster children haven't done much growing up, and Mr J L B Matekoni's apprentices are still apprentices - there's almost a subversive humour in everyone wondering if they will ever complete their qualifications. A couple of years ago I bought three books from the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series at a National Trust second-hand bookshop; when I came home, I found I already had two of them. It's fair to say they are forgettable, but it would be harsh to view that negatively; they just take life at a gentle pace. Original thoughts here, here, and here.