The Full Cupboard of Life

Last updated

The Full Cupboard of Life
TheFullCupboardOfLife.jpg
First edition
Author Alexander McCall Smith
CountryScotland
LanguageEnglish
Series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
Genre Detective, Mystery novel
Publisher Polygon Books (2003)
Abacus (2004)
Publication date
2003
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback), Audio (Cassette & CD)
Pages202
ISBN 978-0954407506 First UK edition
OCLC 59259530
Preceded by The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002) 
Followed by In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004) 

The Full Cupboard of Life is the fifth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe as principal detective.

Contents

In this novel, Mma Ramotswe is asked to vet the four men offering marriage to one woman, who cannot tell which of them wants her money and which is in love with her. Mma Makutsi moves to new quarters, which her raise in pay and promotion allow. Mr JLB Matekoni gets roped into doing a parachute jump at a fundraiser for the orphan farm. He persuades his apprentice to do it instead of him; but there is a bigger reason to get Mr JLB Matekoni to that event. Mma Potokwane has arranged his wedding to Mma Ramotswe.

This novel has been reviewed as "delightful", [1] "charmingly gossamer", [2] "witty, elegant, gentle, compassionate and exotic.", [3] praised for "the warm humanity infused throughout" [4] and the whole series to date described as "literary confection of such gossamer deliciousness". [5] In short, it has been well received by reviewers in the US and in the UK. Further, it received the first Saga Award for Wit in 2003; Saga is a UK firm whose audience is people over 50 years old.

Plot summary

Mma Ramotswe is now engaged to the mechanic Mr. JLB Matekoni, but he seems reluctant to set a wedding date, which makes her a little unhappy. She takes on an interesting investigation: Mma Holonga, a rich businesswoman, is seeking a husband, and asks Mma Ramotswe to check the men on her shortlist of four, to eliminate those who only want her for her money. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi, Mma Ramotswe's assistant, moves to better rooms thanks to her promotion and extra income, but is mourning the loss of her brother.

Mma Potokwani, the formidable matron of the orphan farm, manoeuvres Mr J.L.B. Matekoni into agreeing to do a sponsored parachute jump to benefit the orphans. The gentle and timid mechanic is terrified at the prospect, Mma Ramotswe solves the parachute problem by persuading the garage apprentice Charlie to do it instead, convincing him that it will make him attractive to girls. Mma Potokwani offers to sort out the matter of the wedding by arranging it all herself, and presenting it to Mr JLB Matekoni as a fait accompli – Mma Ramotswe agrees, although Mma Makutsi is horrified.

Everyone assembles at the orphan farm to watch Charlie's parachute jump, which is successful. Mma Potokwani surprises everyone by announcing that she has made all the preparations for the wedding and, with the help of a priest who is present, Mma Ramotswe and Mr JLB Matekoni are married there and then.

Reception

This novel has been reviewed as "delightful", "charmingly gossamer", "witty, elegant, gentle, compassionate and exotic.", praised for "the warm humanity infused throughout" and the whole series to date as "literary confection of such gossamer deliciousness". In short, it has been well received by reviewers in the US and in the UK.

Publishers Weekly finds this novel "delightful". Mma Ramotswe always solves her cases, but not in haste, and following a code of behavior and decency. They credit the author for his "always engaging" way of portraying the code that guides his protagonists. [1]

Kirkus Reviews calls this a "charmingly gossamer mystery" in this "enchanting series" of mystery novels. There is a focus on marriage in this novel, including her own, after such a long engagement. They describe the strength of the protagonist, Mma Ramotswe, who "provides less detection than advice, and wise advice it turns out to be, even when her clients decline to take it." [2]

Marcel Berlins finds the protagonist of this novel to be the "magnificent Mma Ramotswe" who operates on intuition and common sense, skilled without much education or special training. He mentions that McCall Smith's novels have brought attention to a successful African nation that is not otherwise well-known. He finds this and the prior novels to be "witty, elegant, gentle, compassionate and exotic." [3]

Janet Malcolm, in an article reviewing the next book in the series, mentions the continuing theme in the novels of men as the weaker sex, and cites an incident in and quotes from this novel as one of the most charged examples of women succeeding in getting men to do what they need done. It "occurs at a rural orphanage and involves a fruitcake. Mma Potokwane, the bossy head of the orphanage, serves the cake to people from whom she wishes to extract favors; no one who eats the cake can refuse her. In the fifth book of the series, "The Full Cupboard of Life," McCall Smith spells out the reference that has obscurely hovered over the scene: "Just as Eve had used an apple to trap Adam, so Mma Potokwane used fruitcake. Fruitcake, apples; it made no difference really. Oh foolish, weak men!" Malcolm comments about all the novels in the series to date that "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is a literary confection of such gossamer deliciousness that one feels it can only be good for one." [5]

Clea Simon wrote that the mysteries closest to home are the most challenging to solve, and in this novel, marriage is that mystery. Simon calls this a "cozy mystery series", noting how the secondary characters begin to grow in this novel. The novel is true to its protagonist's strong moral code, but this novel adds the sly humour of the author. Simon considers the success of the series in bringing readers back for another novel rests on "the warm humanity infused throughout". [4]

Awards

2003: Winner of the first ever Saga Award for Wit. [6]

Publication history

There was an interesting pathway for knowledge and appreciation of the series by McCall Smith, a Scot, featuring Precious Ramotswe, the female detective in Botswana, to reach England. Marcel Berlins notes in his review of this novel that it is the fifth in a series, but the first to be readily available in England, via the success of the series in America. "This novel by an eminent Scottish law professor about a woman detective in Botswana is the fifth in a series, the other four having largely escaped English attention (and availability). The Scots have had better luck: they've known about McCall Smith for several years, but it has taken his extraordinary and unexpected success in the US for word to have filtered back to England that he's a treasure of a writer whose books deserve immediate devouring." [3]

Chapters

  1. A Great Sadness among the Cars of Botswana
  2. How to Run an Orphan Farm
  3. Mma Ramotswe Visits her Cousin in Mochudi, and Thinks
  4. A Woman Who Knows About Hair
  5. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni has Cause to Reflect
  6. Mr Mopedi Bobologo
  7. Early Morning at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors
  8. Tea is Always the Solution
  9. How to Handle Young Men through the Application of Psychology
  10. Mr J.L.B Matekoni's Dream
  11. Meeting Mr Bobologo
  12. Mr Bobologo Talks on the Subject of Loose Women
  13. Mr J.L.B Matekoni Receives the Butcher's Car; the Apprentices Receive an Anonymous Letter
  14. Inside the House of Hope
  15. Bad Men are Just Little Boys, Underneath
  16. Mma Potokwani and Mma Ramotswe Discuss Marriage
  17. Mr Spokes Spokesi, the Airwave Rider
  18. The Parachute Jump, and a Universal Truth about the Giving and Taking of Advice
  19. A Very Rich Cake is Served

Related Research Articles

Alexander McCall Smith British/Zimbabwean writer and academic

Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE, is a British writer, raised in Southern Rhodesia and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He became a respected expert on medical law and bioethics and served on related British and international committees. He has since become known as a fiction writer, with sales in English exceeding 40 million by 2010 and translations into 46 languages. He is known as the creator of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. "McCall" forms part of his surname.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith set in Botswana and featuring the character Mma Precious Ramotswe. The series is named after the first novel, published in 1998. Twenty-two novels have been published in the series between 1998 and 2021.

Tlokweng is a peri-urban settlement classified as an urban village located east of the capital of Botswana, Gaborone and falling under the jurisdiction of South East District Council. It can be considered part of the conurbation of Gaborone. Tlokweng stands on the other side of the river, and is on the road to the border with South Africa, the border post being just 15 km to the east. The population was 35,982 at the 2011 census. It is now part of Gaborone agglomeration, home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The tribe originating from Tlokweng is referred to as Batlokwa. Many people from across Botswana have come to seek permanent and sometimes temporary settlement in Tlokweng because of its proximity to the capital city where most jobs are.

<i>The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency</i> (novel)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is the first detective novel in the eponymous series by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, first published in 1998. The novel introduces the Motswana Mma Precious Ramotswe, who begins the first detective agency in Botswana, in the capital city Gaborone, after her beloved father dies. She hires a secretary and solves cases for her clients.

Culture of Botswana

Besides referring to the language of the dominant people groups in Botswana, Setswana is the adjective used to describe the rich cultural traditions of the Batswana - whether construed as members of the Setswana ethnic groups or of all citizens of Botswana. the Batswana believe in the rich culture of Botho-Ubuntu, ‘‘People are not individuals, living in a state of independence, but part of a community, living in relationships and interdependence.’ Batswana believe in working together and in being united.

The Sunday Philosophy Club is a series of novels by the author Alexander McCall Smith. It is also the name of the first novel in the series, and an informal talking group founded by the main character Isabel Dalhousie. The series is set in Edinburgh.

<i>Tears of the Giraffe</i>

Tears of the Giraffe is the second in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Botswana, which features the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>Morality for Beautiful Girls</i>

Morality for Beautiful Girls is the third detective novel in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana. The novel features the Motswana protagonist Mma Precious Ramotswe.

<i>The Kalahari Typing School for Men</i>

The Kalahari Typing School for Men is the fourth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>In the Company of Cheerful Ladies</i>

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies is the sixth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>Blue Shoes and Happiness</i> Crime novel by Alexander McCall Smith

Blue Shoes and Happiness is the seventh in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency</i> (TV series) Television series

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. The series was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one of the first major film or television productions to be undertaken in Botswana..

<i>The Good Husband of Zebra Drive</i>

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive is the eighth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>The Miracle at Speedy Motors</i>

The Miracle at Speedy Motors, published in 2008, is the ninth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>Tea Time for the Traditionally Built</i>

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, published in 2009, is the tenth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>The Double Comfort Safari Club</i>

The Double Comfort Safari Club, published in 2010, is the eleventh in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

<i>The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party</i>

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party is the twelfth mystery novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith and first published in 2011. The Motswana Precious Ramotswe is featured as the principal detective.

<i>The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection</i>

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is the thirteenth mystery novel by Alexander McCall Smith in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, first published in 2012. The story is set primarily in Gaborone, with Motswana Precious Ramotswe as the main detective.

<i>The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon</i>

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon is the fourteenth mystery novel by Alexander McCall Smith in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, first published in 2013. The novel features the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe and is set in Botswana.

<i>The Handsome Mans De Luxe Café</i> Book by Alexander McCall Smith

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café is the fifteenth mystery novel by Alexander McCall Smith in the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, first published in 2014. The novel features the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe, commonly addressed as Mma Ramotswe throughout the series. Mma Ramotswe is based in Gaborone, Botswana and has set up the first and only detective agency in the country.

References

  1. 1 2 "Review: The Full Cupboard of Life". Publishers Weekly. 29 March 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Review: The Full Cupboard of Life". Kirkus Reviews. 20 May 2010 [15 February 2004]. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Berlins, Marcel (18 July 2003). "Precious little happenings". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 Simon, Clea (25 April 2004). "Botswana's lady detective takes on suitors: Sweet, down-to-earth private eye views case with humorous, pragmatic eye" . Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 Malcolm, Janet (24 April 2005). "'In the Company of Cheerful Ladies': The Weaker Sex". New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "BBC News: report of Saga prize award". 23 September 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.