To paraphrase an old adage, the first impression lingers on. I hated this book for its colonial undertones (not against the Africans as much against the Indians)and I still do. But, yet I find it a delightful and engrossing book to read. More so, as the world sketched in this book was totally alien to me.
Precious Ramotswe is a sharp-minded detective, kind-hearted and eager to help, yet at times a tough-nut, always warming up to the topic of women’s rights. The cases that she solves doesn’t require too long-winded deductions, they are simple enough, yet it could only have been solved by a patient and strong willed woman that Mma Ramotswe is, who is also gifted with a lot of common sense (and is a thorough professional as we see in Chapter 14!). Alexander McCall Smith‘s writing is simple and lucid, the cases described are pretty straightforward yet they are redolent of life in Botswana.
What I gauged of Mr. Smith from the book is that – he is a person deeply in love with Africa and its people, yet is a bit colonial in his outlook, he is also a purist not wanting the people to change and want them to live as they always have (Much similar to Ruskin Bond in India). Of course, he thinks that the Patels are colonizing Africa now-a-days with their rustic, restrictive and strangulating Indian customs. Fucking, stupid narrow-minded Indians, with their penny-pinching habit and a stupid tendency to huddle together!Fucking Nouveau riche, couldn’t possibly stop from brandishing their wealth!
He has long basked in the limelight for having a kind, non-racial approach and has been hailed by the Western Media. The praise sounds self-congratulatory. Praising a book that is non-discriminating is praising oneself for being non-discriminatory! But that’s the irony. This book isn’t what it seems. But that is my opinion, you are free to make yours.
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