A few weeks back when a teacher of mine recommended me to
read some of Alexander Mccall Smith’s writings, I set out to look for a
book which will be best for me to step into his oeuvre with. So, I picked his
1998 released novel, The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Precious Ramotswe’s intelligence
and affability combined with McCall Smith’s witty narrative got me hooked so
much that by the end of this book I was itching to read the next instalment of the
series.
Set in Botswana, The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is one of
its kind in the entire country. Following her father’s death, Mma Ramotswe used
her inheritance to set up a detective agency because she unwaveringly believes
that ‘women understand what’s happening. They are the ones with the eyes.’
Ramotswe along with her assistant Mma Makutsi and a small white van set out to solve
cases and help people ‘solve the mysteries in their lives’. Though business
starts off slow with small cases involving con men, embezzlers and rebellious
kids, it does not take too long to pick up momentum as the perceptive and
quick-witted Mma Ramotswe bags important and high-profile cases in her kitty. Through the tribulations of the ingenious cases, cups of bush tea and Mr JLB Matekoni remain as constant friends to Mma Ramotswe.
Precious Ramotswe with her easy and patient demeanour and a
keen understanding of the human psyche comes across as a detective, au naturel. Her progressive and feminist ideals does not come in conflict with her traditional African values, compassion and grace. She is a patient feminist who puts an arrogant man in his place with her intelligence
and sharp wit and her amicable disposition. Mma Ramotswe is a confident woman who is not only sure of her looks and her colour, but also of her self and her
identity as a feminist. She is unlike the stereotyped sleuths who
are endowed with atypical qualities, for her judgement is tempered with compassion
and human understanding—the Moretsi case for instance. 
If Mma Ramotswe’s character is instrumental in keeping the
readers glued to the book, McCall Smith'snarrative is no less in making the novel such a success. The narrative’s inspection of human character, foibles and pressing issues of the society is deceptively covert by Smith’s lucid language and easy humour. McCall Smith let’s his protagonist use sly humour to cut through chauvinism, patriarchy and superstition. The narrative is interspersed with actions from Mma Ramotswe’s curiously interesting present and thoughtful ruminations from flashes of her painful past, thus, striking a delicate balance of wit and philosophy, of humour and pathos.
While some may dismiss McCall Smith’s handling of the
pressing social issues as trivial, it is undeniable that his protagonist,
nonetheless, comes across as a nosy realist who hesitates for no two seconds before
plunging headlong to address such issues in her own capacity. The plot doesn’t follow
the whoddunnit genre, nor does it involve sensational crimes, indomitable criminals or the maddening chases. McCall Smith’s novel relishes the
slow-paced life of Gabarone, the challenges that form the kernel of the mundane, and studies the foibles of human character in a different light, unlike most
detective novels. The novel, at best, stands out as a optimistic and humorous commentary
on human life, character and society.
