Three Bags Full (Leonie Swann)

Title: Three Bags Full
Author: Leonie Swann
Copyright: 2005 (Flying Dolphin Press); 341 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-7679-2705-5
Series: N/A
Sensuality: N/A
Genre: Mystery, General Fiction

From the Back: On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennikll, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George’s killer.

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1. Reason for choosing this book:
I liked the idea of sheep solving a mystery.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought the author did an amazing job of presenting what our world might look like to a flock of intelligent sheep. Even so, there were times while reading it, I remember being sometimes confused by what was really supposed to be going on — as opposed to what the sheep thought was happening, and a little frustrated when the sheep got sidetracked by something that may or may not have been important to the mystery (I’ve forgotten how much turned out to be relevant to the mystery). Re-reading the part where the sheep “explain” what happen to George to the villagers reminded me how clever the book was.

The cover of the book has 19 sheep, numbered, on it. The “dramatis oves” inside identifies which sheep is which. There is also a flip-drawing of a little sheep, that hops up and down when you fast-flip the pages.

3. Reasons for recommending this book.
Clever idea and, for the most part, cleverly executed.

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

Started: 24 October 2009
Finished: 28 October 2009

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.