In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

Another fun read in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I'm now reading #7. As usual, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Matkusi face both professional and personal challenges and come through them better than ever.

Things have gotten better in this, the 6th book of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Some of my frustrations of book 5 got resolved and there was more mystery and more matters that held our attention in this book. It began early with Mma. Ramotswe having a feeling there was an intruder in her home, and then there was the episode with the the pumpkin that mysteriously arrived on her porch. Mma. Makutsi plays a prominent role, once again in the book and we are also introduced to two new characters, Mr. Polopetsi and Mr. Phuti Radiphuti (maybe the best name I have heard in a while). Nothing too serious or exciting happened in the book and yet it is a quite satisfying read, as small matters now begin to consume the Agency. A person from Mma. Ramotswe's past shows up, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has tenant issues and Mma. Makutsi takes dancing lessons. Daily life really encroaches on the Agency and no matter how big or small, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is ready to tackle any case - even if we do have to wait until almost the very end to find out how that pumpkin got onto Mma. Ramotswe's verandah. The more you read this series, the more these characters become fleshed out and by the end of the book you are ready for the next book in the series to see how your friends at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency are faring in the day to day adventures of life in Botswana.

I don’t know why but it’s been many years since I read the previous books in this series. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next one.

I am loving this series so much. I love how the author sets up story lines several books in advance. I knew a certain character was to appear at some point, pleased it’s finally happened. Ready for the next book.

This was a delightful series and I was sorry to see it end (but it ended the way I hoped it would).

Why I'm reading this: In need of comfort food reading, I'm on a roll with Prescious Romotswe and her circle of relationships.

Alexander McCall Smith is now officially my hero. I'd read about three of his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, but for some reason I didn't quite realise how brilliant they were until I listened to the audio book version of In the Company of Cheerful Ladies.

No doubt, much credit must go to reader Adjoa Andoh, for being absolutely brilliant. The accents were perfect, and she did a fantastic job portraying all the different characters.

Potted summary: Mma Ramotswe is a detective. In fact, she is the senior detective at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, where she works with her secretary/assistant detective, Mma Makutsi, and later with her assistant assistant detective Mr Potokwami, who is extremely cool. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency shares its premises with Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, proprietor Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. This book is about their trials and tribulations, including (but not limited to) Mma Ramotswe's encounter with her abusive, blackmailing former husband, Mma Makutsi's attempts to meet a man by going to dancing class, Mr J. L. B. Matekoni's problems with his wayward apprentice, Charlie, and so on and so forth.

From the very start of the book, when Mma Ramotswe's 'traditional' build inadvertently squashes an unknown intruder who is hiding under her bed, you just know that it's going to be warm, funny, and best of all - it's going to end happily. Depression and all the angst of the world is wonderful, but sometimes you just want everyone to live happily ever after.

One of the greatest things about it is the way it portrays Motswana people and life. I'm no authority on the matter - I have spent three weeks in Africa and didn't visit Botswana. I also don't want to assume that all African peoples are the same or similar, because I know they're not. However, from what I know and also what a friend from Botswana told me, it's a very accurate portrayal of life in that part of the world. When I was reading it, I could smell it - that scent of desert and dust and animals and people that just says to me Africa. It's a beautiful thing, and I have no idea how he does it.

I just love everything about it. It meanders around, and you kind of want it to just get on with the plot from time to time, but the plot isn't the point, so it doesn't really matter. You welcome the long and fairly irrelevant digressions because they develop the characters more, and you get to find out more about their wonderfully eccentric quirks and foibles.

My favourite quote is when Mma Ramotswe says to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni "You are a very great mechanic, and that is enough for anybody." This idea embodies for me what is so very wonderful about this book. The characters don't aspire to money or power, they just want to do the very best they can do in everything they do. They are proud of their achievements and don't long to prove themselves to others. Mma Makutsi's seemingly infinite pride in her score of 97% in the final exam of the Botswana Secretarial College, for example, is just beautiful.

Above all, it's a story of human decency. Good people, doing their best to be good people. Facing up to the bad things in the world and trying to make things better. It was eye-opening for me. Upon reading it, I understood for the first time what forgiveness really means. At the end of the book (SPOILER ALERT but plot isn't really the point so blah) Mma Ramotswe somehow manages to forgive the man who, when he was her husband, beat her and treated her terribly. Now he tries to blackmail her and destroy the life she has painstakingly built for herself, yet she finds it within herself to forgive this fucking bastard. This scene literally brought tears to my eyes.

It's a feelgood story, that's for sure, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful.

Позарязвам поредицата, която за съжаление върви устремно надолу... То и българското издателство май също се е отказало, както гледам.

Много безсмислен пълнеж и повторения, на моменти се отегчих здраво, пречи и нулевото развитие на героите - каквито са в първата книга, такива са и в шестата.

Най-малко от маа Макутси съм очаквал да пристане на някакъв мухльо на име Фути Радифути, дето има магазин за маси и столове... За какво и бяха ония прословути 97%, a?

P.S. Липсва нова колоритна личност, да пораздвижи нещата - може би, някой като небезизвестния нам Путко Мафани от съседна РЮА!