The Right Attitude to Rain (An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery)

Alexander McCall Smith writes beautifully. His storytelling follows a calmly measured pace. Ethical dilemmas are presented directly but gently. You care about these characters and wonder how they will decide which path to take. Isabel edits an ethics periodical from her home in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is involved with family and friends. Knowing her through these books is a privilege akin to knowing the lady detectives of Botswana in Smith's other fine series.

What I love about his Sunday Philosophy Club books is that they really make you think whilst at the same time you also enjoy where the story takes you. I find that the author has tremendous insight into people's motives and inner lives but he is never heavy-handed. I like the romantic element in this installment, as well, but these could never be called romance novels! I highly recommend this series.

I have been pleased and surprised at well the author,a man, could do at creating such thought provoking women characters. However, I became annoyed at having to share in every thought that ever passed through Isabels mind. If we needed to know every thought, I felt cheated at the end when we were not fully made aware of Isabels philosphies in reguards to the surprise at the end of the book.

I am very fond of the Alexander Mccall Smith books. The settings in Scotland really intrigue me and I never expect to get to see them so I enjoy the seemingly quiet, refined old-fashioned way of doing things, reminiscent of my youth. His knowledge of people and characterizations are superb. The story is not breathtaking but it is satisfying and that is important to me.Isabel, his main character, is a lovely, unselfish, refined woman and I think her philosophical discussions with herself are interesting.

I was thrilled to learn that Alexander McCall Smith has written a 3rd in his Isabel Dalhousie series. This one is as good or better than the previous two -- The Sunday Philosophy Club and Friends, Lovers and Chocolate. It even has a surprise ending, but don't peek! If McCall Smith published a new book every month I would gladly buy it and read it.

i loved all of the previous books by Alexander McCall Smith and looked forward to each new one, although the frequency of publications does make one question if his writing has turned into a pure money producing scheme. However this novel failed to develop Isabel in the manner that I have always viewed her character and has became superficial. To end as this does seems extrordinarily superficial to meet a mass market view of society, and reminds me of the second movie in the 'Back to the Future.' This novel destroyed Isabel for me.

mark

To understand how frivolous this book is, one need only realize that its philosophical water-bearer is someone who has no real job, no children, and no marriage - but she does somehow have scads of money and a domestic assistant. These are not the conditions that breed useful insights for the rest of us.

The narrative pace is just as contrived. Isabel's conversational partners are apparently accustomed to long, long silences while she wanders in reverie up and down a mental garden of friends, past experiences and ethical dilemmas. By the time she wakes up and remembers she has a reply to make, real friends would have done public safety a favor by driving her home and putting her to bed.

I couldn't finish the book.

While some of this book was beautifully written, I had the feeling that he had gotten to his limit word-wise or interest-wise and decided to just end it in a hurry without resolving several major plot points. Extremely frustrating!