MostlyFiction Book Reviews » Alexander McCall Smith We Love to Read! Wed, 14 May 2014 13:06:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3 THE SATURDAY BIG TENT WEDDING PARTY by Alexander McCall Smith /2011/the-saturday-big-tent-wedding-party-by-alexander-mccall-smith/ /2011/the-saturday-big-tent-wedding-party-by-alexander-mccall-smith/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:51:11 +0000 /?p=17105 Book Quote:

“ Nowadays, people were always thinking of getting somewhere—they traveled around far more, rushing from here to there and back again. She would never let her life go that way; she would always take the time to drink tea, to look at the sky, and to talk. What else was there to do?”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Eleanor Bukowsky ( APR 1, 2011)

Here are some of the things that make us smile: the sight of a beautiful baby, a glorious spring day, a sincere compliment, and a new installment, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, in Alexander McCall Smith’s wonderful series featuring Precious Ramotswe. The “traditionally built” Mma Ramotswe is happily married to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, and along with her associate, the bespectacled and highly efficient Grace Makutsi, contentedly operates the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Gaborone. Little has changed, except that the date of Grace’s wedding to Mr. Phuti Radiphuti is drawing near. The bride has a great deal to do to get ready for this momentous event.

One thing that preys on Mma Ramotswe’s mind is the loss of her beloved little white van. Although she is now driving a new blue van that takes her where she wants to go, she cannot help but remember that her original vehicle was a treasured companion with its own unique personality. One day, she believes that she is hallucinating when she spots someone else driving her white van. Surely that is impossible, since no less a mechanic than her husband had declared that that to restore the van would require a “miracle-worker.” Another matter preoccupying Mma Ramotswe is a case involving the destruction of cattle belonging to her new client, Mr. Botsalo Moeti. In Botswana, where cattle are greatly valued, this is a serious crime. Who could hate Mr. Moeti enough to commit such a foul deed? In addition, Charlie, the ne’er-do-well perpetual apprentice who works for Mr. Matekoni, has always had a way with the ladies. However, is he man enough to live up to his personal responsibilities? Grace and Precious are determined that he do so.

McCall Smith enthralls us with this tender and often humorous tale in which the gentle spirit of his characters shine through. With his delicate and beautifully etched prose, perfectly pitched dialogue, and understanding of the need that we all have for love, respect, and acceptance, the author casts his usual spell. We can almost feel the strong rays of the sun and see the brilliant stars twinkling in the Botswana sky. Furthermore, we cannot help but appreciate Mma Ramotswe’s unerring tact, common sense, and adherence to the old ways; Mr. Matekoni’s kindness and integrity; and Grace’s pride in a job well done. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party is a delightful slice of life, with heroes, villains, and people who are a bit of both, all trying to get along in a world that is often difficult if not downright bewildering. It is charmingly whimsical and as satisfying as a cup of freshly brewed red bush tea.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-5from 260 readers
PUBLISHER: Pantheon (March 22, 2011)
REVIEWER: Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: Alexander McCall Smith
EXTRAS: Reading Guide and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Lots!  Read reviews of

Bibliography:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series:

44 Scotland Street

Portuguese Irregular Verbs Series:

Isabel Dalhousie Mystery:

Children’s Books:

Other:

  • The Criminal Law of Botswana
  • Changing People: The Law and Ethics of Behavior Modification (1994)
  • Health Resources and the Law (1994)
  • Forensic Aspects of Sleep (1997)

Movies from books:

]]> /2011/the-saturday-big-tent-wedding-party-by-alexander-mccall-smith/feed/ 0 THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF SCONES by Alexander McCall Smith /2011/the-unbearable-lightness-of-scones-by-alexander-mccall-smith/ /2011/the-unbearable-lightness-of-scones-by-alexander-mccall-smith/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:32:04 +0000 /?p=17110 Book Quote:

“I’m settling down at last. And what a way to settle: money, flat, Porsche, sexy-looking woman who thinks I’m the best thing ever—and who can blame her? All on a plate. All there before me for the taking. And I have taken it.”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Guy Savage (APR 1, 2011)

We read for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons frequently cited is that books offer an “escape.” How true that is, and books, of course, offer a variety of escapes. There’s the thrill of adventure and romance, and the infinite worlds of science fiction. But there’s another escape too–an escape into a simpler, cozier world in which, if the truth is told, the lives of some fictional characters seem enviable.

And this brings me to Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street series. Smith, the author of the phenomenally successful series: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency was inspired to write a series of tales set in his native Scotland following a trip to San Francisco and a discussion with author Armistead Maupin about his novel, Tales of the City. Upon returning to Scotland, Smith began writing 44 Scotland Street which appeared in serial form in The Scotsman. Writing approximately 1000 words a day, Smith’s Scotland Street series developed and blossomed with 44 Scotland Street, followed by Espresso Tales, Love Over Scotland, The World According to Bertie and now the fifth novel in the series: The Unbearable Lightness of Scones. In the Scotland Street series, we are introduced to a group of people whose lives are intertwined in a number of ways. These delightful novels possess both a comfortable and comforting old-fashioned feel, a certain coziness, and while the novels occasionally border on the twee, for the most part, reading about these characters is sheer delight. As we follow the trials and tribulations of the various characters, we become increasingly involved with the fictional dramas and traumas–never anything too bleak or dreadful, and always handled with a wonderful sense of humor and a profound generosity towards the human condition.

Here are some of the characters from The Unbearable Lightness of Scones:

There’s ex-school-teacher Elspeth and gallery owner Matthew whose fancy wedding and expensive reception is followed by a honeymoon to Australia.

There’s Bertie, a six-year-old boy whose domineering, politically-correct, frustrated mother suffocates the boy with Italian lessons, Yoga, and psychotherapy. Meanwhile Bertie is plagued by the unwanted attentions of his classmate Olive. Bertie’s goal in life is to be a boy scout—much to the horror of his mother:

“You see, Bertie, the problem is that these organizations appeal to a very primitive urge in boys. They make them want to pretend to be little hunters. They make them want to join together and exclude other people. They make them want to get dressed up in ridiculous uniforms, like Fascisti. That’s why Mummy thinks they’re a bad idea.”

Then there’s the “persistent narcissist” Bruce Anderson who’s engaged to the wealthy heiress Julia Donald. Bruce discovers his first wrinkle in the course of the story, but he’s destined for bigger shocks than that. Bruce, by the way, is one of my favorite characters. Here’s Bruce watching his girlfriend:

“But all of this material comfort was topped by having Julia herself. In the earlier days of their relationship, Bruce wondered how he would possibly be able to bear her vacuousness and her simpering. He had gritted his teeth when she called him Brucie, and when she insisted on sharing the shower with him. Of course, she’s mad about me, he told himself. That was understandable—women just were. But I wish she’d give me a bit more room. You can’t have somebody stroking you all the time, as if you were a domestic cat.”

What’s so nice about the novel is that there’s a wide range of characters. For example, on the other end of the economic spectrum there’s artist Angus and his dog, Cyril, Big Lou, owner of the Morning After coffee bar and her Jacobite plasterer boyfriend Robbie, and burly, shady ex-con, Lard O’Connor.

The chapters move back and forth in-between characters and points-of-view, blending storylines as the book develops. In many ways, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones reminds me of the Cranford tales by Elizabeth Gaskell. There are similarities: a small Victorian village in which a major drama erupts involving a lost cow, and in Edinburgh, skullduggery occurs over the high treachery of a missing blue Spode tea-cup.

The Scotland Street books are delightfully reassuring, and it’s no wonder that Alexander McCall Smith’s novels are so phenomenally successful. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones is recommended for those who enjoy the coziness of reading about the small, safe details of characters’ lives. There are no civil wars here, no terrorism. Most of our lives are spent on the petty details and the mundane moments, and so it is in The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, but here daily life is also laced with laugh-out loud humor and a very welcome whimsy.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-5from 57 readers
PUBLISHER: Anchor; 1 edition (January 12, 2010)
REVIEWER: Guy Savage
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: Alexander McCall Smith
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Lots!  Read reviews of

Bibliography:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series:

44 Scotland Street

Portuguese Irregular Verbs Series:

Isabel Dalhousie Mystery:

Children’s Books:

Other:

  • The Criminal Law of Botswana
  • Changing People: The Law and Ethics of Behavior Modification (1994)
  • Health Resources and the Law (1994)
  • Forensic Aspects of Sleep (1997)

Movies from books:

]]> /2011/the-unbearable-lightness-of-scones-by-alexander-mccall-smith/feed/ 0 TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT by Alexander McCall Smith /2009/tea-time-for-the-traditionally-built-by-alexander-mccall-smith/ /2009/tea-time-for-the-traditionally-built-by-alexander-mccall-smith/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 17:16:43 +0000 /?p=2021 Book Quote:

“We were all at the mercy of chance, no matter how confident we felt, hostages to our own human frailty. And that applied not only to people, but to countries too. Things could go wrong and entire nations could be led into a world of living nightmare; it had happened, and was happening still. Poor Africa; it did not deserve the things that had been done to it. Africa, that could stand for love and happiness and joy, could also be a place of suffering and shame.”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Mary Whipple (MAY 27, 2009)

Not a believer that change is entirely for the better in Botswana society, Mma Precious Ramotswe, the “traditionally built” owner of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency in Gaborone, has decided that cars are among the biggest agents of change, making people lazy. She has therefore decided to walk the two miles each way to her office, located beside the garage where her husband Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni operates a car repair service. She secretly admits, however, that the real reason she is walking is that her beloved little white van, now twenty-two years old, is making strange noises, and she fears that when Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni hears them that he will decide her little van can no longer be repaired.

Focusing on relationships and the patterns of politeness that make good communication flourish, the novel, though ostensibly a mystery, is filled with warm, homey touches—the giggling of Motholeli, Mma Ramotswe’s wheelchair-bound foster child, when she plays with her friends; Mma’s need to urge the children to do their homework; her foster son Puso’s love of football (like the passionate love for football among all her other male acquaintances); her protectiveness toward her husband; her need to make Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant at the detective agency, a little more flexible about what she believes to be “the rules”; and her empathy toward Fanwell, a young apprentice who works for Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni and supports five other family members.

Her innate kindness toward others, and the belief that “there is plenty of work for love to do,” dominate all aspects of Mma Ramotswe’s life, because, she believes, “We [are] all at the mercy of chance… When we dismiss or deny the hopes of others…we forget that they, like us, have only one chance in this life.” Her husband, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, is just as thoughtful, donating one day every two weeks to help a needy friend keep abreast of the work that is piling up in his shop. As always he keeps the machinery at the local orphanage in working order, even when it is costly to himself.

More sentimental and less dependent upon plot than some of the earlier novels in this endearing series, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built intersperses local stories, gossip, and legends among several (sometimes thin) plot lines—Mma Ramotswe’s love for her little white van and her unhappiness about its possible future; a mysterious case of the Kalahari Swoopers, a great football team that is losing too many games, a particular worry for its owner, Mr. Molofololo; the fate of the romance between Mma Grace Makutsi and her fiancé, Mr. Phuti Radiphuti, after he hires Violet Sephotho to work in his furniture shop; and the case of a woman who is trying to live with two husbands.

Characters familiar to readers of earlier novels also make their appearances here. Charlie, the apprentice mechanic for Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, still does not like to work, if he can avoid it, but he plays a key role in resolving one of the plot lines. Glamorous Violet Sephotho, a poor student at the secretarial college where Grace Makutsi earned 97% on her final exam, lies about her exam scores to get a job with Phuti Radiphuti, intending to use her considerable charms to steal him away from his fiancée Grace. Mr. Polopetsi, a man saved from disaster in a previous novel, and who now works for Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, helps out at the detective agency and offers advice to Mma Ramotswe. And Mma Potokwane, who runs a large orphanage, drifts in and out of the action here, too, always in need of help.

“Cozy,” in the warmest sense of the word, the novel makes readers feel good about life, about principled women like Mma Ramotswe, about the pace of life which allows people to slow down or stop in order to be kind to others, and about the value of communication and good will in the solving of big problems. Whereas Mma Makutsi believes that “The trouble with this country [is] that there are too many people sitting down in other people’s chairs,” Mma Ramotswe believes that “if a chair is empty, then anybody should be welcome to sit in it…Maybe the real problem with the modern world,” she emphasizes, “[is] that not enough of us [are] prepared to share our chairs.”

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-5from 163 readers
PUBLISHER: Pantheon (April 21, 2009)
REVIEWER: Mary Whipple
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: Alexander McCall Smith
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Lots!  Read reviews of:

Bibliography:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series:

44 Scotland Street

Portuguese Irregular Verbs Series:

Isabel Dalhousie Mystery:

Children’s Books:

Other:

  • The Criminal Law of Botswana
  • Changing People: The Law and Ethics of Behavior Modification (1994)
  • Health Resources and the Law (1994)
  • Forensic Aspects of Sleep (1997)

Movies from books:

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