I can easily make a top 10 list of my favourite authors and hovering startling close to the top would be this man, Alexander McCall Smith. He is an absolute artist!I got my taste for the works of this incredibly subtle and insightful Scottish law professor with the first in the series about Mma Precious Ramotswe and her detective agency, set in Botswana. I've paced myself, making sure I read two other authors between each installment, but I'm now in the swing of the sixth and final book and I'm really going to miss Mma Ramotswe!
These books are warm, gentle and clever and make me laugh out loud. You can tell from the way he writes that McCall Smith grew up in Africa and the Botswana he reveals is ancient, beautiful and simple. I am now in love with the idea of the place and really want to visit. I have read another of his series about a German linguistics professor and am totally enchanted by McCall Smith's work.
I'm not overly sure what sort of reading the SRF likes, aside from a bit of fantasy and sci-fi, so I'm not game enough to recommend it outright but...
4 comments:
Sounds like something I might enjoy, can I borrow the first book?
Sure can! I'll try to extract it from my Mum's pile of 'to reads'.
It should also be mentioned that Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers is quoted amongst the heaps of reviewers who lend their praise for this guy's books (not that he's known for his literary critique, but an interesting fact none the less).
I think his books are really lovely too! He has an amazing style, so simple and unaffected, yet so subtle, and so full of meaning and feeling. I wanted to go to Botswana too after reading those books.
I will happily add my recommendation to Sarah's.
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