I am always on the lookout for books which appeal to readers. These books are of genres which somehow say to the bookworm or the overeducated, “Look, what you have learned is not useless – it’s helping you to understand this story!”
When such a work is fictional, the result is far more gratifying. The Portuguese Irregular Verbs series by Alexander McCall Smith represents three such books, appealing to literary, philosophical, and anthropological understandings. At the same time, any student of human nature would be thrilled by the whimsical interactions of the characters in this and other McCall Smith works.
As a huge fan of the delightful characters in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, I picked up this slender piece of fiction at a used book store, eager to encounter others of the author’s works. The author understands people, that much is certain. As adept at noting the finer points of human relationship in England, Germany, and Columbia as he is with his Botswana tales, McCall Smith brilliantly weaves a tale not so much about story as it is about people. Don’t read this book looking for a linear, western plot, rather enjoy each individual character and culture peculiarity.
I look forward to reading the other two short novels in this series, and will be certain to report on them to you.
1 comment:
Dear "Unexpected": Thanks for the comment. I enjoy the "#1 Ladies Detective Agency" series. Smith writes in the authentic voice of bilingual Africans, based on the few that I know. As to the Christian faith expressed by the characters, it matches any place that missionaries are still active, and have been present for a century or more. The women's faith is real, though still mixed with folkloric beliefs, and the men have whatever level of religious practice minimizes nagging by their wives. Note that I distinguish religion from faith. Faith is an inward reality; religion is a practice, which may or may not be based on faith. As you may guess, I am a Christian of a most generic sort. No added labels; the appropriate "name" for the church is "Mrs. Christ."
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