The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Alexander McCall Smith
number of voters: 7
percentage of voters who finished the book: 100
highest rating: 9
lowest rating: 4
average rating: 6.41
random quotes about this book: “didn’t love it” “didn’t get it” “liked it fine” “really liked it” “take it or leave it” “liked it” “love it”
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“Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa...” and First Monday Reading Group might need her to solve the mystery of what to think of her novel.
We’ve never read another book quite like The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency—and depending on your perspective that might be a good thing or a bad thing. Is it overly simple, or simply unpretentious? Is it choppy and uneven, or consistently varied? Are the African themes beautiful and moving, or too picturesque?
Precious Ramotswe is the first woman in Botswana to open a detective agency (hence, the title). As a main character, Precious is strong, independent, and clever. She solves cases with alacrity, and each case reveals to the reader some new, hidden facet of her character. In this way, the novel is surprisingly deep.
The cases, however, are fairly uncomplicated, and as readers we don’t get far before the author takes us somewhere else. The quick, short mysteries can be entertaining but can also lack depth. Also, the story jumps around so much that it can be hard as a reader to get a good footing as to where the plot is going.
The setting is undoubtedly a rarely seen portrait of Africa. Whether it focuses too much on the continent’s beauty and not enough on its hardships is debatable, but never for a moment does the story feel like is could take place anywhere but the sub-Sahara.
So, is The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency recommended reading? The case file is open. A ruling is pending. You just might have to read it to decide the answer for yourself.
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