Book: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Pick one, a few, or all of the following questions to comment on for this month. Feel free to make other comments too! You can find a guide with more questions at http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/1_ladies'_detective_agency1.asp
1. What was your favorite part of the book?
2. Were there any parts that you didn't like? If so, which parts & why?
3. Any lessons you learned?
4. How do you think the author sustains the reader's interest without the normal tension, suspense, and violence that is found in other mystery books?
5. Do you think that Mma Ramotswe is right in suggesting that women are more perceptive than men are (see pg 61)? Why or why not?
One of my favorite quotes from the book:
"You can go through life and make new friends every year--every month practically--but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into adult years." (pg 219)
Monday, November 12, 2007
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5 comments:
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the book. And yes I will probably read the whole series now. I already bought the second book.
Here are my answers to the questions.
1. My favourite part is when she rescued the boy and left the witch doctors wife in the dust. She wasn't going to expose the child to anymore of the fear of being with those people, or give them any chance to get at him again.
2. Didn't like? That is hard to say. The only thing I can think of is the second chapter jump. The first got me all excited about the mysteries and then it all of a sudden jumped to her fathers life. Kinda of threw me for a moment because it was not what I expected. Although I did end up enjoying the back story.
3. Lessons learned? I want to live in Africa. Maybe then I would be considered a beauty? Being not so petite as some. "Hee Hee"
4. I think the author did a great job keeping your interest by the intriguing and sometimes surprising twists in the solving of each of the cases. How was she going to solve the next one?
5. I am sorry but saying the women are more perceptive then men is like saying men are smarter. You of course can't make blanket statements like that. BUT I will agree that maybe due to lifestyle and what we do can make us more aware of certain aspects of the world around us. Such as, I can look at my children and usually tell whether they are lying or not. I have had to develop that skill. Mma Ramotswe was definately trained from an early age and showed a talent for being perceptive making her a good detective. Another good fictional detective showing a talent for being perceptive- Sherlock Holmes. Men and women can both develop these sorts of traits. Although having a positive blanket statement said about my sex is kinda nice. It made me smile when I read it.
ok i just finished the book ! i must say it was hard to read right after the twilight series! because i am in love with those ! but it was a good book .here are my answers 1. when she rescues the boy! 2. yes i like books with a lot of action so some parts were boring to me! 3. i learned how to pernounce some names,and places!4. i dont know how she did that. 5. yes she is right we are more perceptive , by far!
I have read the whole series, and look forward to re-reading the first book. But, since I can't find my copy right now, I'll just answer the questions based on what I remember.
1. I love how the author, a white male, does such a convincing job narrating through a black woman. I also love how he infuses the story with little facts about Botswana and how things were before and are now.
2. can't think of any at the moment.
3. This book also made me want to visit Africa. It also made me want to be more aware of the needs of those around me.
4. I was facinated by the various cases the characters had to solve, as well as the happenings in their personal life. I think the author used detailed and in depth characters to move the plot along.
5. hmmm...are women more perceptive? I would say that in general this is true.
I can't wait to read next month's book. I loved the kite runner, and have been putting off reading A Thousand Splended Suns because I had heard it was really sad. The book club gives me a good reason to suck it up and read the book.
1. My favorite part of the book is when the teenager fools her into believing she (the teenager) really does not have a boyfriend, and then introduces them later...Priceless!
2. I can't think of a part I didn't like, maybe the snake in the engine incident.
3. Lessons learned: Maybe it really is OK to be nosey and interested in other people's business.
4. It was easy to be interested in such light and airy writing. Though I like reading heavy things, this was a breath of fresh air.
5. I am often surprised by men's/boy's perception and women's/ girl's lack thereof. I find my husband's difference of perception, from mine that is, maddening at times...but that is usually because I don't want to admit that he is right and I am wrong.
Okay, sorry I didn't add my comments before the end of the month. I've been a little stressed about my job interview I had yesterday. It went okay.
1. I really liked the part when she was the story when she was younger and that boy kept wanting her to look at her "thing." I loved what the teacher said about how ridiculous boys are about thinking how special their thing is. (pg 35) Reading it again still makes me laugh.
2. The only thing I didn't like was that it had to end.
3. I learned that you don't have to write elloquently to write a book. Marcos keeps telling me I should write children's books. This book was so simple and yet so enjoyable that it makes me wonder if I really could write a book too.
4. Because each mystery/case is so short and precise, it doesn't need all the suspense other books use. I think the suspense in this book is about finding out what the next problem wil be and how clever she is to solve it.
5. Like mentioned in other comments, I too don't feel that all women are more perceptive than all men. It depends on personality. However, I would venture to generalize that many women seem to be more sensitive to other people's feelings than most men are.
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