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Product Description
Product Description
A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd.
On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, 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.
The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the “bad-boy” black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love.
Three Bags Full is already an international hit. “It’s rather as if Agatha Christie had re-written The Wind in the Willows, and I ended by loving it, ”Jane Jakeman wrote in The Independent. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, 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.
The A-team of investigators includes Othello, the “bad-boy” black ram; Mopple the Whale, a merino who eats a lot and remembers everything; and Zora, a pensive black-faced ewe with a weakness for abysses. Joined by other members of the richly talented flock, they engage in nightlong discussions about the crime and wild metaphysical speculations, and they embark on reconnaissance missions into the village, where they encounter some likely suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher; Rebecca, a village newcomer with a secret and a scheme; Gabriel, the shady shepherd of a very odd flock; and Father Will, a sinister priest. Along the way, the sheep confront their own all-too-human struggles with guilt, misdeeds, and unrequited love.
Three Bags Full is already an international hit. “It’s rather as if Agatha Christie had re-written The Wind in the Willows, and I ended by loving it, ”Jane Jakeman wrote in The Independent. Funny, fresh, and endearing, it introduces a wonderful breed of detectives to American readers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The most hilarious book I've ever read. The main characters of this book are a flock of sheep living on the green hills of an Irish village called Glennkill. Their characterization is to the point and so convincingly realistic that you can even imagine them being sheep next door, very special sheep who love tomato salad and geraniums...
One morning, the sheep get out of the shelter where they always sleep, when they discover their shepherd George lying on the wet grass of Glennkill, dead, with a shovel still sticking in his chest. Due to the fact that George used to read out detective stories to them, they know what to do, especially Miss Maple and Mopple the Whale. The detailed description of Miss Maple as the cleverest sheep of the flock, maybe of Glennkill and possibly in the whole world is definitely a perfect copy of the cunning movie detective Miss Marple. Mopple the Whale is "the memory sheep", Miss Maple tells him everything and he remembers it. Mopple is also the most hoggish sheep of the flock, he's always the first sheep to get hungry. This flock of sheep is very special, they even create a little garden which none of the sheep shall ever touch at the place where the most delicious herbs grow and they call it "George's place". Once they even have to defend this place against another flock of sheep.
The highly witty descriptions, for example, of sheep jiggling their ears because of excitement or fear make the book very funny and exciting at the same time. Every time a sheep jiggles its ears, you know that something is going to happen.
The author of this book, Leonie Swann, was born in 1975 in Dachau, Germany. Her first novel "Three bags full - A sheep detective story" was published in 2005 and it was originally written in German. This book has been translated in 20 different languages. In my opinion, it will be hard for her to tie in with the success of this book.
After reading "Three bags full - A sheep detective story", I wasn't able to walk past sheep without considering what was going on in their mind. Sheep have become totally different animals because of this book.
One last word: This is an amazing book and if you like funny detective stories this is the perfect book for you - I mean, when do you ever get the opportunity to see things through the eyes of sheep?!
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because I always had to laugh while reading it. I absolutely enjoyed it and if there ever happens to be a sequel to it I will certainly read it.
One morning, the sheep get out of the shelter where they always sleep, when they discover their shepherd George lying on the wet grass of Glennkill, dead, with a shovel still sticking in his chest. Due to the fact that George used to read out detective stories to them, they know what to do, especially Miss Maple and Mopple the Whale. The detailed description of Miss Maple as the cleverest sheep of the flock, maybe of Glennkill and possibly in the whole world is definitely a perfect copy of the cunning movie detective Miss Marple. Mopple the Whale is "the memory sheep", Miss Maple tells him everything and he remembers it. Mopple is also the most hoggish sheep of the flock, he's always the first sheep to get hungry. This flock of sheep is very special, they even create a little garden which none of the sheep shall ever touch at the place where the most delicious herbs grow and they call it "George's place". Once they even have to defend this place against another flock of sheep.
The highly witty descriptions, for example, of sheep jiggling their ears because of excitement or fear make the book very funny and exciting at the same time. Every time a sheep jiggles its ears, you know that something is going to happen.
The author of this book, Leonie Swann, was born in 1975 in Dachau, Germany. Her first novel "Three bags full - A sheep detective story" was published in 2005 and it was originally written in German. This book has been translated in 20 different languages. In my opinion, it will be hard for her to tie in with the success of this book.
After reading "Three bags full - A sheep detective story", I wasn't able to walk past sheep without considering what was going on in their mind. Sheep have become totally different animals because of this book.
One last word: This is an amazing book and if you like funny detective stories this is the perfect book for you - I mean, when do you ever get the opportunity to see things through the eyes of sheep?!
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because I always had to laugh while reading it. I absolutely enjoyed it and if there ever happens to be a sequel to it I will certainly read it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
64 reviews
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Entertaining but Meandering -- Kind of Like its Protagonists...
20 July 2007
Format:Hardcover
Translated from German, set on the Irish coast, and featuring a flock of sheep as protagonists, this debut channels Agatha Christie, Gary Larson (of "Far Side" fame), and "Murder, She Wrote" in a story about the murder of a shepherd and his flock's attempt to unmask his killer and bring about justice. The sleuthing sheep are a great conceit, and one that, for the most part, carries the book through the somewhat meandering and slow-developing story.
Things kick off with the shepherd dead in his field with a spade through his heart. It's certainly amusing to watch the sheep try and understand the reactions of the various humans who discover the body and the reactions the killing provokes amongst the townspeople. In homage to their beloved master and inspired by a detective story he read to them, they vow to see justice done (even if they are somewhat hazy on what that means). The sheep are greatly handicapped by their limited exposure to human affairs, not to mention generally poor memories and short attention spans. However, this is somewhat balanced by their noses, which can scent lies, fear, and other human qualities. Led by the inquisitive ewe Miss Maple (that's Ms. Marple, in case you missed it...), they are soon skulking around the village, peering in windows, and eavesdropping left and right.
The book runs into a little bit of trouble in its need to maintain the sheep's perspective on events -- which makes things somewhat more oblique and drawn out than might be ideal. The central story is also sidetracked somewhat when the long-lost brother of the flock's lead ram mysteriously reappears and starts making all manner of enigmatic statements. But it's all generally entertaining enough to maintain the reader's interest until the end. Some may get added enjoyment from trying to spot the various literary allusions (such as Wuthering Heights, and gothic horror Melmoth the Wanderer), but on the whole, one's enjoyment is probably proportional to how interesting one finds the basic conceit of sheep as amateur sleuths.
Things kick off with the shepherd dead in his field with a spade through his heart. It's certainly amusing to watch the sheep try and understand the reactions of the various humans who discover the body and the reactions the killing provokes amongst the townspeople. In homage to their beloved master and inspired by a detective story he read to them, they vow to see justice done (even if they are somewhat hazy on what that means). The sheep are greatly handicapped by their limited exposure to human affairs, not to mention generally poor memories and short attention spans. However, this is somewhat balanced by their noses, which can scent lies, fear, and other human qualities. Led by the inquisitive ewe Miss Maple (that's Ms. Marple, in case you missed it...), they are soon skulking around the village, peering in windows, and eavesdropping left and right.
The book runs into a little bit of trouble in its need to maintain the sheep's perspective on events -- which makes things somewhat more oblique and drawn out than might be ideal. The central story is also sidetracked somewhat when the long-lost brother of the flock's lead ram mysteriously reappears and starts making all manner of enigmatic statements. But it's all generally entertaining enough to maintain the reader's interest until the end. Some may get added enjoyment from trying to spot the various literary allusions (such as Wuthering Heights, and gothic horror Melmoth the Wanderer), but on the whole, one's enjoyment is probably proportional to how interesting one finds the basic conceit of sheep as amateur sleuths.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
a woolly good read
13 July 2007
Format:Hardcover
This story is a really fun mystery told from the perspective of a few intrepid sheep. They've got a murder to find justice for, and no amount of tempting clover can keep them off the scent. I really did find the book quite clever and the author was good at constructing an engaging mystery.
The best part is how human behavior is interpreted from the sheep perspective. Through the course of their investigation they make some revelations of humans and their motivations that are both sheepy and accurate. Despite the mystery, the book is very relaxing and fun. A perfect choice for readers who love quirky stories from alternate perspectives.
The best part is how human behavior is interpreted from the sheep perspective. Through the course of their investigation they make some revelations of humans and their motivations that are both sheepy and accurate. Despite the mystery, the book is very relaxing and fun. A perfect choice for readers who love quirky stories from alternate perspectives.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Different and Fun
3 Aug 2007
Format:Hardcover
When I saw this murder mystery about sheep, I had to read it. I was not disappointed. Though its pace is a bit pastoral, it's a pretty good read, and the author did a great job of depicting the dynamics present in a flock of sheep.
Though the flock agrees that George wasn't the best shepherd in the world, he wasn't all that bad, and he was theirs. When his body is found lying in their meadow with a spade stuck through it, they decide they need justice. Working together with their variety of skills, the sheep decide to investigate George's murder themselves. Their suspects include the local butcher, the vicar (amusingly referred to as God by the sheep, as he occupies God's house), George's estranged wife, a neighbor named Beth who was always trying to save his soul, and another shepherd named Gabriel whom the sheep look up to at first, until they find out some very unpleasant things about him. The author did a fine job with the sheep's often warped comprehension of human conversations and actions, as well as creating very amusing interplay among the sheep. It was also a lot of fun watching the reactions of the human characters when they realized that George's sheep were no ordinary flock.
The pace is a bit slow for the first half of the book, and I was a bit disappointed by the outcome of the murder mystery aspect, but overall, it was a very enjoyable, highly creative book. There were several spots where I laughed out loud, and the author did a wonderful job in crafting the personalities of sheep. For a fun, quirky mystery tale quite different from the norm, this book is a winner.
Though the flock agrees that George wasn't the best shepherd in the world, he wasn't all that bad, and he was theirs. When his body is found lying in their meadow with a spade stuck through it, they decide they need justice. Working together with their variety of skills, the sheep decide to investigate George's murder themselves. Their suspects include the local butcher, the vicar (amusingly referred to as God by the sheep, as he occupies God's house), George's estranged wife, a neighbor named Beth who was always trying to save his soul, and another shepherd named Gabriel whom the sheep look up to at first, until they find out some very unpleasant things about him. The author did a fine job with the sheep's often warped comprehension of human conversations and actions, as well as creating very amusing interplay among the sheep. It was also a lot of fun watching the reactions of the human characters when they realized that George's sheep were no ordinary flock.
The pace is a bit slow for the first half of the book, and I was a bit disappointed by the outcome of the murder mystery aspect, but overall, it was a very enjoyable, highly creative book. There were several spots where I laughed out loud, and the author did a wonderful job in crafting the personalities of sheep. For a fun, quirky mystery tale quite different from the norm, this book is a winner.
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