Relentless Inquiry

The Kalahari Typing School for Men, Alexander McCall Smith I don't recall if I heard a recommendation for this on NPR, or found it in the New Books area at the Sunnyvale Library. I think the latter. I am not a big fan of mysteries, but there are a couple of types of mystery novel that appeal to me. One is the type where it is set in a very detailed depiction of a culture foreign to me, such as Tony Hillerman's Navajo reservation mysteries, or Arthur Upfield's mysteries from the Australian outback of the 40's and 50's. The other is the type where the protagonist is unusual, generally a woman, such as Dorothy Gilman's Mrs Pollifax books.

As you might guess, having gotten this far, the Kalahari Typing School for Men is a big win on both counts. Set in modern-day Botswana, the story is more of a narrative than a traditional mystery, eg there is no 'whodunit' aspect. The point of view is primarily Mma Ramotswe's, the woman who founded the 'agency'. She is an entrepreneur, although I daresay she might not use the word to describe herself. She read a book on becoming a detective, reasoned that her town could use a detective agency, and decided to use her natural powers of observation to start a business. She has an assistant, and her business is now being subject to competition– a man has opened up a detective agency, complete with glossy brochures, right in town.

I don't know much of anything about Africa, let alone the particulars of different countries within Africa. One of the strengths of this book, to me, is that one picks up a wealth of details about the country. The voice of each character is distinctive, yet there is a common chord, the note of that different culture and its attitudes. I really like how the book stays in its own vernacular. The viewpoint often moves between characters, but there is no distancing outside narration. Some combination of the story and the style caused me to relax and just enjoy the book, rather than rushing to see what happens– the pace of life depicted there is different, and one slows down, yet broadens out and looks for nuance. I like it.

I think I was drawn in by the line at the bottom of the cover, “more from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency”. This turns out to be the 4th book in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the other 3, plus a new one coming out in 2006.