A Fifth of Ramotswe - The Trials of Matekoni

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	• The Full Cupboard of Life (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 5) Alexander Mccall Smith Anchor, 2004 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 82 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Pleasant story - but not a mystery

I started with this book in the series, and I admit I shouldn't have. There was mystery involved, no detective work, no puzzle to unsolve. It was a book for readers of the series to familiarize with the characters.

Full Of Life

This is the fifth of a contracted 8 books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. The first book in the series broke out of genre limitations and was as much an astute and charming literary experience as it was a detective's story. The next three books offered more time with the enjoyable protagonist and regular characters in the surprising world of contemporary Botswanna, but they no longer held the surprise of the first book, and the mysteries devolved into simpler puzzle that were more comments on the human condition than challenging plots.

THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE springs back with a lot of the energy of the first book. True, there is only one detective case that gets attention in the plot, plus the mystery of Mr. JLB Matekoni's intentions as Mma Ramotswe's fiancée-will he ever name the wedding date-but this volume buzzes with the character development, gentle humor, cultural backdrop and insight into human ironies that blasted the first book to international attention. There are twist endings to both questions posed to Mma Ramotswe. In the meantime, things are looking up for her associate, Mma Makutsi, whose entrepreneurship has brought her comfort in life though as yet has yielded a love interest, and there is much to be learned about the wiles of Mma Potokwani, the orphanage manager who knows how to get what she needs for her just causes. The author is true to his characters and their world, and works a spell with his graceful prose. The country he describes is astounding.

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Women organizing men

The No. 1 Detective Agency has a picture of the late President, Sir Seretse Khama, on its walls. He was both an hereditary ruler and an elected official. Mma Ramotswe had no outstanding matters to investigate as the book begins. She wants her house and business and that of her fiance to remain typical of old Botswana, exceedingly friendly. Her fiance, Mr. Maketoni, says they will get married next year or maybe the year after that.

If the matron of the orphan farm wrote a book, she would call it How to Run an Orphan Farm. Mr. Maketoni heads the matron's list of supporters. He is credited with chasing a snake away into the bush. The matron wants Mr. Maketoni to parachute from an airplane as a fundraising stunt. In the old Botswana people were still willing to do things without prospect of reward. Mr. Maketoni offers to fix the butcher's Rover car. He discovers a rival garage has been guilty of fraud when purporting to repair the Rover. The parachute jump is announced in the newspaper.

The characters of the stories are like an ensemble. It is determined that Charles, one of the apprentices, will do the jump in place of Mr. Maketoni. Mma Ramatoswe's assistant tells her that Mr. Maketoni is miserable. It seems that he is perplexed about what to do about the butcher's Rover car. Mr. Maketoni does not like conflict. The matron knows the man, the mechanic responsible for the problems with the butcher's car. She confronts him. He is a living illustration of the saying that all bullies are cowards at heart. The matron solves Mr. Maketoni's dilemma.

The matron feels that Mr. Maketoni is a man who needs to be organized by a woman. It is decided that his wedding will be held at the Orphan Farm. Mma Ramotswe is willing to push things along because she has gotten to the end of waiting.

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Too repetitious!

I absolutely adored the first four books in this sessions. This one was disappointing in comparison. My main complaint is that the first fourth of the book recaps what happened in previous books. After a while I began to wonder when the new material would begin! However, once the new material came into the story I was happy as a clam hearing what was happening to my favorite charachters!

A Fifth of Ramotswe - The Trials of Matekoni

Meanwhile, back at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.....

Mma Ramotswe has been pondering her never-ending engagement to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, the kindest and most gracious of men, and the best mechanic in Botswana. Now recovered from his bout of depression, present events threaten to upset his delicate balance, and his fiancée must use all her experience and tact to correct the balance without causing him embarrassment.

First of all, a powerful and persuasive woman has decided he's going to jump out of an airplane for her.

Secondly, he's come across proof that a competing repair shop has been cheating customers, and he has the mutated machine to prove it.

Thirdly, he's had a disturbing dream, in which his late father asks him a probing question.

On top of all this, Mma Ramotswe has a wealthy female client who's got her braids in a twist trying to choose a suitable and worthy husband, out of four likely candidates. Mma Ramotswe has the task of separating the gold from the gold-diggers, but will her client be happy with her choice?

Not forgetting Mma Makutsi, who, thanks to the success of her typing school, is now moving on up to a low-cost housing area with interior plumbing.

McCall Smith takes the time to recap the essential details of the four previous books to ensure continuity, but like a five-course meal, it's better not to start with dessert.

Sweet, but better if you've already enjoyed the first four courses.

Amanda Richards, November 28, 2004

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