Book Review: Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

A novel about a flock of sheep trying to investigate the murder of their shepherd.

“It’s the story that matters, not the storyteller. Hear the stories, listen to them, pay attention to them, gather them up from the meadow like buttercups…”

One fine morning, a flock of sheep in the quaint village of Glenkill finds their shepherd, George Glenn, dead. George was a good shepherd who cared for them and even read books to them. They decide to investigate his death and expose the killer. Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in the village, possibly the entire world, leads the team. While each of them brings a different skill set, they realize that they don't know one crucial thing—how humans think. The only detective novel that George read to them was abandoned halfway. But the determined flock follows the clues and begins to comprehend more about humans, themselves, and the large world outside their meadow.

Three Bags Full is a sheep detective story written by Leonie Swann and originally published in 2005 in German. The English translation is done by Anthea Bell. The book is a bestseller and much acclaimed. The use of sheep, which were usually considered docile and forgetful animals, as detectives was considered a unique premise, and critics loved the humor, philosophical concepts, and clever execution. On the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, a deluxe edition of the book has come out. I received a review copy from the publisher, Allison & Busby, through NetGalley.

A flock of sheep trying to solve a crime may sound silly. But the silliness remains confined to the synopsis, with the narrative leaping towards more nuanced and poignant levels as it proceeds. There is a unique balance that it manages to maintain between various tonal and stylistic devices used in narration. While there is a certain lighthearted and comic undertone that strongly binds the plot together, one cannot ignore the infusion of elements of black humor, horror, and philosophy in this tale of mystery. An example in the opening chapter depicts a single crow sitting on the dead shepherd, studying his internal organs with a professional interest.

While the protagonist is Miss Maple, the smart and curious sheep that inspires others in the flock to continue with their investigation even when they find literal and figurative walls preventing them, the plot provides sufficient opportunities for all the characters to develop in ways that are unpredictable. This stands true for both the ovine and the human ones. The mystery elements of the story develop through the gradual evolution of the characters. It's brilliant how the revelation equally happens to the characters, both sheep and human, and also the readers.

The novel is also an attempt to watch us humans from some different sets of eyes. It is also a lesson in perspectives and how our inherent traits make it difficult for us to look at someone else and understand them. In the novel, only George is able to transcend the deep abyss between the two species. He communicates with his flock and reads them romantic books, which they understand. In the plot, sheep are able to comprehend human speech, and though it isn't explicitly stated, it is due to George; it feels so. The death of George widens this gap for the sheep, and for the first time they are compelled to understand human behavior.

There is a liberal dosage of sheep-related puns sprinkled in the novel. The reference to the wool power of sheep, the title that's taken from a nursery rhyme about sheep, and many names of its characters are only a few examples. There are also the hilarious misunderstandings between humans and sheep, like the word 'grass' used in different contexts. Miss Maple is obviously a parody of the name of the renowned character of Agatha Christie. Othello is the literal black sheep of the herd, who is also an outsider but groomed to be a leader. The plot also contains several literary references, one of which becomes integral to the final deduction.

Three Bags Full is a brilliant novel that's equally funny and poignant, about a flock of sheep trying to cross the abyss and understand humans and their weird ways. Though the premise may look silly, its narrative style manages to transcend its confines, just like its ovine characters.