I recently borrowed the latest three installments of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series from the library, for some beach reading while I was on holiday in Ucluelet. I remember them being light but delightful reads, perfect for summer. But either my tastes have changed or the series has gotten even lighter, to the point where the delightfulness can no longer make up for the lightness. I am struggling to finish the last chapter of the The Miracle at Speedy Motors now that I am back home and have all sorts of options for what to read. I find the chapter on stain removal in Home Comforts more engaging, frankly. Sorry, Mma Ramotswe.
On the other hand, I re-read Portuguese Irregular Verbs while on hols and loved it again, annoying my family with read-aloud tidbits while they were trying to focus on their comic books or sand sculptures or wetsuit removal. How I wish that the Professor von Igelfeld Entertainments were greater than three in number! But then, maybe it's the Fawlty Towers/Office UK phenomenon: the brevity of the work is part of the greatness.
Anyhoo, Rara, who turned eleven this summer, has just cottoned onto the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, via rented DVDs of the HBO series starring Jill Scott. She finds Mma Ramotwse and Mma Makutsi fascinating, as I did ten years ago. So we will have Mr. McCall Smith's books around the house for years to come, I imagine, even if I'm not reading them anymore.
(Gratuitous vacation shot because "There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more" --Morrissey)
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