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mattivatti's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
trin's review against another edition
2.0
I resisted reading any books by Alexander McCall Smith for a long time, based on the rather snotty and shallow reason that a lot of people bought them from the Barnes & Noble where I worked, and I have a tendency not to read books that lots of other people are buying (unless the protagonist's name rhymes with "Barry Trotter"—or, well, I feel like it). ANYWAY, I finally came across a copy of the first book in this series, available for the low low price of 50 cents! And I'd seen them so positively reviewed by a blogger I like. So.
Well, I can definitely see why she likes them, and why a lot of people like them. They're...very nice, and I mean that genuinely, not as a back-handed compliment. The books are quietly funny, and there's a good, sturdy backbone of perseverance and dignity in the face of great hardship and tragedy. Precious Ramotswe is a really interesting character—she has a fascinating background, and is clever, with a deeply moral center. I like her. I just wish...well, I wish there were more of a plot. The book is mostly anecdotal, and the few through-threads get resolved in a kind of half-assed way. Minor spoiler: Smith has Mme Ramotswe refuse several proposals of marriage, and then at the end, she just suddenly says yes. Bwah? He offers no clue as to why she suddenly changes her mind. Maybe it'll be explained in the next book in the series? Which, yes, I totally will be reading, because Smith is nothing if not addictive.
ETA: Except I never read it, because reading some of Smith's other books turned me off. So much for that, then!
Well, I can definitely see why she likes them, and why a lot of people like them. They're...very nice, and I mean that genuinely, not as a back-handed compliment. The books are quietly funny, and there's a good, sturdy backbone of perseverance and dignity in the face of great hardship and tragedy. Precious Ramotswe is a really interesting character—she has a fascinating background, and is clever, with a deeply moral center. I like her. I just wish...well, I wish there were more of a plot. The book is mostly anecdotal, and the few through-threads get resolved in a kind of half-assed way. Minor spoiler: Smith has Mme Ramotswe refuse several proposals of marriage, and then at the end, she just suddenly says yes. Bwah? He offers no clue as to why she suddenly changes her mind. Maybe it'll be explained in the next book in the series? Which, yes, I totally will be reading, because Smith is nothing if not addictive.
ETA: Except I never read it, because reading some of Smith's other books turned me off. So much for that, then!
travellingbookjunkie's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lindapatin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
naridhi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jsc55's review against another edition
3.0
probably more like 2.5... i liked it enough to finish it, but not enough to read any more in the series.
rosemwood's review against another edition
3.0
I am not a huge fan of cozy mystery detective books so my rating in probably lower than a person who would enjoy these types of books. This is the first book in the series of about 22-24 books. It is told in a slow moving, simple straightforward manner that at times almost seems like a bunch of short stories. There are a bunch of small plot lines of back-stories and mystries that are solved throughout the novel that helps develop the main female character. I listened to this audio and found the back noises distracting.
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
2.0
I really was not impressed with this book at all. It made me sad because after seeing all the sequels in bookstores I was hoping to find a book that would be enthralling and fun. Not to say that it was horrible, I am sure that there are those who enjoyed it, but to me it just wasn't up to par. It seemed as if the story jumped all over the place and left the main part until the last 10 pages... which was difficult to understand how they would wrap it up. In addition, everything was far too easy... there was no real trouble with a character who was easily solving cases that just seemed to drop into her lap. I just was not that impressed.