leumasn

There’s quite some time since I last wrote in my blog and about my book. I’ve also read pretty much now, about 180 pages of 270. The book has developed in many ways. Last time I wrote there was this Zambian man who was the kind of the center of the book.  Now, he hasn’t been mentioned for a long time.  The case is moving from one thing to another till where it stands now.

First there was an accident, were Mme Ramotswe hit a cyclist with her tiny little white van. Then there was one of Mr. J.L.B Matekoni’s apprentices (Charlie) who resigned from the job as a mechanic. After that Mme Ramotswe was nice by offering the cyclist (Mr Polopetsi) the job that Charlie did before as a payback for hitting him. Charlie himself became an object for some investigation by the No1 ladies detective agency. They found out that in the house where Mr. J.L.B used to live before staying together with Mme Ramotswe, and now rent to a rich lady, has turned into some illegal business.

So as you can see there’s a very clear thread in the story. The case goes hand in hand and one lead to another and you can really understand the cases. So it’s really one case which is leading to many minor cases. But now the biggest thing in the book has come to be J.L.B’s problem with his rented out house and a private matter for Mme Ramotswe. As I wrote before she is now married to Mr. J.L.B, but the problem is that she’s still married to another man..and now he’s back!



McCall Smith & the ladie who plays Mme Ramotswe in the films,
Jill Scott

Now, I’ve read about five or six chapters and you are getting closer to know what the book is all about. As the author is so good at descriptions it kind of takes some time to get to the main act. He also likes to discuss things in the book and he’s hiding it in various ways. He can do it just by writing a discussion down who has something to do with that part of the book. Or it might be two or more people having a conversation and it turns into a discussion.

I’m not right there but I have a feeling of what the main things that will get the book exciting are. Not to have just one act in the book he works with several. The main or the biggest case that Mme Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi will take care of is a missing Zambian man. They are quite surprised, overwhelmed and honoured to get this case by the Zambian government. It’s a difficult job and it could easily just act on that but the author isn’t content with that and takes it to another level by having some small mysteries beside the one with the missing Zambian.

I like this because it’s more interesting to read and much more exciting with a lot of accidents and occurrences. I think it has a reason to, and it’s that you can have more different faces and personalities. You meet so many different people in the book and everyone has different characteristics and ways to act. Some good, some bad, one is shy and one’s not. It’s just fun to read, to not read the same boring things again and again. Especially now when this takes place in Africa.

I’m reading a book called”In the Company of Cheerful Ladies”. This book was written by an author named Alexander McCall Smith. Alexander is known for his books about a woman named Precious Ramotswe, who lives in Botswana (an African nation). Her father left money for her when he passed away, which she has invested in a detective agency. She’s the first lady detective in Botswana and you will follow her daily life as a detective at the streets of Gaborone, capital of Botswana.

The name of the series is “The NO.1 ladies’ detective agency”. I’m starting with the sixth book, as above called “In the Company of Cheerful Ladies”. I’ve already read the books 1-5, some in Swedish and some in English.   

Here are some thoughts about chapter one, “Honesty, Tea, and Things in the Kitchen:

After reading several of McCall Smith’s books I know he’s a very brave author. He’s not one of these authors who just write to get a story. It seems to me like he put a lot of heart in his books. You’ll get a lot more than a story, because it’s like a hidden message, or there could be more than one.

The chapter starts in Mme Ramotswes mind. She sits on a café one Saturday, in front of a big market, drinking bush tea.  She thinks of the old Botswana, where there were no crimes, no jealousy and everybody was happy. Everybody knew each other. It’s like this now as well, but not in the same way.

Now, the braveness I wrote above. He’s very brave here. Because, in every book, he presents the main characters that you will follow in different ways. So you don’t necessary have to read the other books before starting with this. And not to make it to monotonous, he presents the persons different every time. In this case, by explaining how the characters are being seen by the people in Gaborone. Example: Mme Ramotswe is seen as a detective who is married to Mr. JLB. Matekoni. He in his turn owns Gaborones best workshop for cars and has employed two younger trainees to work with him.

Then he goes on by explaining one after another so you have some knowledge about the characters. After this is done, some things happen and the books get a bit more exciting for every new page. Until the main thing happens in the end of the chapter when she discovers a break-in and the story continues..

I don’t know what it is but, I just get stuck in his books. I like to read about different cultures and different places, that plus McCall Smith’s writing skills might be it for me to read on. He’s very good at describing, not just the environment but also the characters and their feelings. You get a really good picture of where it all takes place. And you could never ever know what will happen next.

For some people it can be hard to get to know the book and his type of writing, but he’s just got to write like this in the first chapter because it’s after all an independent book. So it’s important to the readers to get to know the book and the characters. So for me I can’t say much about what I think of the book by just reading chapter one. If it had been my first time reading this series it might have been easier to have an opinion about the first chapter. But when you’re in it, you won’t be able to get away from it.