A review by jhbandcats
Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, by Leonie Swann
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I first read this ten years ago and was completely charmed. I recall being a bit disappointed in the ending but, aside from that, I was sold on the idea of sheep detective novels, this one in particular. This time around I read focusing more on the journey than the destination and was happier with the ending as a result. I wanted to see what the sheep would do as they tried to determine who killed their beloved shepherd George.
The humor, mostly low key with a memorable laugh-out-loud scene in a church, revolves around sheep's perceptions of humans. They take everything literally. The sheep think the priest is named God; people die and go to God, but the sheep don't see where God has put George. God's house has a garden full of stones but no vegetables, and that just doesn't make a lot of sense.
George read to his flock every night so they learned some idea of human behavior - but one book was about diseases of sheep and the rest were romances, so that doesn't really give them much insight. All the other humans pale in comparison to George, especially the terrifying butcher. There's just so much about these other people that is mystifying. And as a great deal of each day is spent grazing, it's hard to figure out who would have killed George. The sheep never lose hope that they'll find out what happened, though.
All in all, a cute, fun story with surprisingly strong characterization of sheep and an entertaining plot, too.
The humor, mostly low key with a memorable laugh-out-loud scene in a church, revolves around sheep's perceptions of humans. They take everything literally. The sheep think the priest is named God; people die and go to God, but the sheep don't see where God has put George. God's house has a garden full of stones but no vegetables, and that just doesn't make a lot of sense.
George read to his flock every night so they learned some idea of human behavior - but one book was about diseases of sheep and the rest were romances, so that doesn't really give them much insight. All the other humans pale in comparison to George, especially the terrifying butcher. There's just so much about these other people that is mystifying. And as a great deal of each day is spent grazing, it's hard to figure out who would have killed George. The sheep never lose hope that they'll find out what happened, though.
All in all, a cute, fun story with surprisingly strong characterization of sheep and an entertaining plot, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Murder