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Isabel Dalhousie #10
The Novel Habits of Happiness
The ever-delightful, insatiably curious Edinburgh philosopher and amateur sleuth returns to take on a case unlike any she's had before - this one with paranormal implications - in the tenth installment of this beloved author's consistently best-selling series. From a small town outside Edinburgh comes the news that a young boy has been recounting vivid recollections of a past life: a perfect description of an island off the coast of Scotland that he couldn't possibly know and a house there where he claims to have spent his former life. When the boy's mother asks Isabel to investigate his claims, she feels she must - of course! - help them learn the truth, and she and her husband, Jamie, set off for the island. But finding the house the boy described only leads to more complicated questions. And when she learns about the unusual story of the family who lived there, Isabel is suddenly faced with a situation of extraordinary delicacy that will require all of her skills as both sleuth and philosopher.
Listening Length: 8 hours and 26 minutes
Listening Length: 8 hours and 26 minutes
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2015
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About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
669 books12.7k followersAlexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
January 19, 2016
Amazingly this is the tenth book in this series in which nothing really ever happens. This however is what makes these books so wonderful. They are calm and collected, comforting and relaxing. No need to sit on the edge of your seat or take a breather before the next stressful scene. Isabel, Jamie and little Charlie make up the perfect family, living in a lovely old home in picturesque Edinburgh. Much time is spent on Isabel's musings about life in general and then there is a little mystery to be solved which never revolves around anything particularly unpleasant. Absolutely delightful and this one has a bonus at the end with the news Isabel is about to share with Jamie. Loved it!
December 1, 2013
I read the entire series of Isabel Dalhousie/Sunday Philosophy Club. I actually bought the entire series, that is something I have NEVER done. I had to buy the books because they were not available in the library.
That I was willing to spend my money on so many of these books speaks about the love I have for the Isabel Dalhousie series.
These books are not flashy fiction. Readers of action thrillers will do well to keep far away from these books. Readers who love Jane Austen, Anne Taylor, Ruskin Bond and such authors will love these series.
The books have a gentle laid back tone. Isabel Dalhousie is a rich woman. She edits a philosophy journal (Review of Applied Ethics) and had once founded Sunday Philosophy Club. The club closed down as the members did not have time for it.
Ruminating on philosophical aspects is what comes naturally to Isabel. She is a bit of an old fashioned girl. She likes following social niceties. She likes her old fashioned house that she inherited from her parents. She loves her unfashionable green Swedish car. She loves living her quiet, sedentary life in Edinburgh.
She brings to mind a leisurely era when people had time to lunch and dine gracefully, go to concerts, visit museums and art galleries, or merely walk about the town. Although she lives in our times, there are no mentions of mobile phones and dish TV. Emails and internet are referred to, but clearly, Isabel is a woman who prefers her letters handwritten or, at the very least, printed.
The mysteries that Isabel solves, are almost the side plot in each book. At times, the mystery is not satisfactorily solved even. But she likes what she learns out of each encounter. She likes meeting new people and she likes being allowed to look into their world.
I have completed all the nine books in the series. And absolutely adored all of them.Alexander McCall Smith
That I was willing to spend my money on so many of these books speaks about the love I have for the Isabel Dalhousie series.
These books are not flashy fiction. Readers of action thrillers will do well to keep far away from these books. Readers who love Jane Austen, Anne Taylor, Ruskin Bond and such authors will love these series.
The books have a gentle laid back tone. Isabel Dalhousie is a rich woman. She edits a philosophy journal (Review of Applied Ethics) and had once founded Sunday Philosophy Club. The club closed down as the members did not have time for it.
Ruminating on philosophical aspects is what comes naturally to Isabel. She is a bit of an old fashioned girl. She likes following social niceties. She likes her old fashioned house that she inherited from her parents. She loves her unfashionable green Swedish car. She loves living her quiet, sedentary life in Edinburgh.
She brings to mind a leisurely era when people had time to lunch and dine gracefully, go to concerts, visit museums and art galleries, or merely walk about the town. Although she lives in our times, there are no mentions of mobile phones and dish TV. Emails and internet are referred to, but clearly, Isabel is a woman who prefers her letters handwritten or, at the very least, printed.
The mysteries that Isabel solves, are almost the side plot in each book. At times, the mystery is not satisfactorily solved even. But she likes what she learns out of each encounter. She likes meeting new people and she likes being allowed to look into their world.
I have completed all the nine books in the series. And absolutely adored all of them.Alexander McCall Smith
July 31, 2015
2.5 stars. This one is about par for this series - an endearing piece of fluff, ten parts Isabel’s daydreaming to one part plot. The author is barely even trying to come up with a real mystery anymore, and I was particularly disappointed in this one.
Nevertheless, it’s fun to see Isabel and Jamie and little Charlie living their gracious lives in Edinburgh. Isabel ponders, Jamie plays his bassoon, and Charlie conveniently falls asleep when it’s time for them to have intimate dinner parties.
These books are charming - if only they were slightly more substantial.
Nevertheless, it’s fun to see Isabel and Jamie and little Charlie living their gracious lives in Edinburgh. Isabel ponders, Jamie plays his bassoon, and Charlie conveniently falls asleep when it’s time for them to have intimate dinner parties.
These books are charming - if only they were slightly more substantial.
May 6, 2015
“We might believe that things did not exist because we had no evidence for their existence, but they still existed – in spite of our ignorance”
The Novel Habits of Happiness is the tenth book in the Isabel Dalhousie series by popular British author, Alexander McCall Smith. Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is a busy woman. Her young son, Charlie is now almost four, and a delightful boy developing his own character. Her niece, Cat has started a new relationship, and Isabel is apprehensive about meeting Cat’s latest fling. And the intentions of two visitors from London at the Enlightenment Institute are a source of worry for her. Isabel is asked by a good friend to help a concerned mother whose young son is speaking of a previous life. While sceptical of reincarnation, Isabel cannot ignore an appeal, and, surprisingly, finds she has Jamie’s blessing, and even his assistance.
This tenth instalment of Edinburgh’s favourite philosopher sees Isabel musing on patriotism, aphorisms, a benevolent god, the effects of prayer, meal envy, desk guilt, the titles of paintings, unwelcome thoughts, generalisations, the Loch Ness Monster and the Tooth Fairy. As always, McCall Smith includes plenty of gentle philosophy and an abundance of wisdom: “Scepticism had its place, but we should not lose sight of the possibilities that some beliefs were both necessary and beneficial, a belief in human goodness being a prime example of this…..if one ceased to believe in it then we would lose the comfort of trust”
Isabel continues to appreciate her husband: “And she liked, too, the way he was filled with music; it was there in his mind, and it came out so effortlessly when he sat at the piano or played his bassoon, or when he sang. It was as if there were wells within him, deep wells of music waiting to be drawn upon” and, after some uncharitable thoughts (That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise), learns something surprising about Professor Lettuce from an unexpected source,
The reader is treated to some lovely descriptive passages: “This was the North Sea, cold, blue, lapping at the jagged edge of the country, a reminder of where Scotland lay in the true nature of things; a place that was mostly water and wind and high empty sky; a place where the land itself seemed to be an afterthought, a farewell gesture from Europe” is just one example. Isabel’s reflections often bring a smile to the face, and her banter with Jamie and Charlie provide some laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful read, as always.
The Novel Habits of Happiness is the tenth book in the Isabel Dalhousie series by popular British author, Alexander McCall Smith. Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is a busy woman. Her young son, Charlie is now almost four, and a delightful boy developing his own character. Her niece, Cat has started a new relationship, and Isabel is apprehensive about meeting Cat’s latest fling. And the intentions of two visitors from London at the Enlightenment Institute are a source of worry for her. Isabel is asked by a good friend to help a concerned mother whose young son is speaking of a previous life. While sceptical of reincarnation, Isabel cannot ignore an appeal, and, surprisingly, finds she has Jamie’s blessing, and even his assistance.
This tenth instalment of Edinburgh’s favourite philosopher sees Isabel musing on patriotism, aphorisms, a benevolent god, the effects of prayer, meal envy, desk guilt, the titles of paintings, unwelcome thoughts, generalisations, the Loch Ness Monster and the Tooth Fairy. As always, McCall Smith includes plenty of gentle philosophy and an abundance of wisdom: “Scepticism had its place, but we should not lose sight of the possibilities that some beliefs were both necessary and beneficial, a belief in human goodness being a prime example of this…..if one ceased to believe in it then we would lose the comfort of trust”
Isabel continues to appreciate her husband: “And she liked, too, the way he was filled with music; it was there in his mind, and it came out so effortlessly when he sat at the piano or played his bassoon, or when he sang. It was as if there were wells within him, deep wells of music waiting to be drawn upon” and, after some uncharitable thoughts (That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise), learns something surprising about Professor Lettuce from an unexpected source,
The reader is treated to some lovely descriptive passages: “This was the North Sea, cold, blue, lapping at the jagged edge of the country, a reminder of where Scotland lay in the true nature of things; a place that was mostly water and wind and high empty sky; a place where the land itself seemed to be an afterthought, a farewell gesture from Europe” is just one example. Isabel’s reflections often bring a smile to the face, and her banter with Jamie and Charlie provide some laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful read, as always.
August 8, 2015
How eager I always am for each new Isabel Dalhousie novel! I feel as if my endearing old friend has returned after months afar, and we have so much to catch up on.
This time, the thoughtful Isabel is faced with two dilemmas. One deals with a 6-year-old boy named Harry who firmly believes he’s been reincarnated; he even provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of his previous life. Harry’s worried mother Kirstin wants Isabel to investigate in order to set her mind at ease. In the second, Isabel’s old mischief-making nemeses from London, Robert Lettuce and Christopher Dove, show up again in Edinburgh; when the scheming pair of professors claim they’re just on a social visit, Isabel rightly realizes that, once again, they’re up to no good. However, the overweening theme of The Novel Habits of Happiness is when to reveal unpleasant truths — and when it is best to say nothing. How very appropriate for the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics and a moral philosopher.
As with all cozies, the atmosphere is always whimsical, but, unlike with run-of-the-mill mysteries, the philosophical discussions are anything but light. I love the thoughtful bent of this series, and author Alexander McCall Smith writes some of the few fiction books that force me to consider how the small actions we take can have lasting importance.
I do have one objection: Isabel Dalhousie, for much of the book, comes off as a bit priggish. She’s quite hard on herself — and her husband Jamie — for being human. For example, Isabel chides herself for entertaining revenge fantasies dealing with Lettuce. But who hasn’t dreamed of how sweet it would be if an adversary got their comeuppances — even while knowing that one would never actually do whatever it was, even if one could get away with it. Isabel quibbles over Jamie’s making assumptions and reads bad intent where none is meant. She reproves Jamie so much at one point that I don’t understand how he didn’t either lose his temper or just give up on her. How dreadful if I had to watch every syllable that came out of my mouth in private with my own husband for fear that he would dissect my every word and find fault! She grew so tiresome about one-third of the way through (although she did recover herself soon after) that I had to knock off one star. Still, I did enjoy the book very much, and I hope that McCall Smith — and Isabel — will be back in form for the next novel.
This time, the thoughtful Isabel is faced with two dilemmas. One deals with a 6-year-old boy named Harry who firmly believes he’s been reincarnated; he even provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of his previous life. Harry’s worried mother Kirstin wants Isabel to investigate in order to set her mind at ease. In the second, Isabel’s old mischief-making nemeses from London, Robert Lettuce and Christopher Dove, show up again in Edinburgh; when the scheming pair of professors claim they’re just on a social visit, Isabel rightly realizes that, once again, they’re up to no good. However, the overweening theme of The Novel Habits of Happiness is when to reveal unpleasant truths — and when it is best to say nothing. How very appropriate for the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics and a moral philosopher.
As with all cozies, the atmosphere is always whimsical, but, unlike with run-of-the-mill mysteries, the philosophical discussions are anything but light. I love the thoughtful bent of this series, and author Alexander McCall Smith writes some of the few fiction books that force me to consider how the small actions we take can have lasting importance.
I do have one objection: Isabel Dalhousie, for much of the book, comes off as a bit priggish. She’s quite hard on herself — and her husband Jamie — for being human. For example, Isabel chides herself for entertaining revenge fantasies dealing with Lettuce. But who hasn’t dreamed of how sweet it would be if an adversary got their comeuppances — even while knowing that one would never actually do whatever it was, even if one could get away with it. Isabel quibbles over Jamie’s making assumptions and reads bad intent where none is meant. She reproves Jamie so much at one point that I don’t understand how he didn’t either lose his temper or just give up on her. How dreadful if I had to watch every syllable that came out of my mouth in private with my own husband for fear that he would dissect my every word and find fault! She grew so tiresome about one-third of the way through (although she did recover herself soon after) that I had to knock off one star. Still, I did enjoy the book very much, and I hope that McCall Smith — and Isabel — will be back in form for the next novel.
November 7, 2016
It is always hard to know how to shelve Alexander McCall Smith's books. The 10th in his feel-good Isabel Dalhousie series is, as always, set in one of my favorite cities, Edinburgh. This one had a rather intriguing puzzle at its center--a six year-old boy who has been relating vivid fantasies of a past life and a house near the sea. That provides an excuse for Isabel and Jamie to take a scenic and surprising holiday in the Highlands.
I loved the sub-plot featuring Professors Lettuce and Dove who always prompt Isabel to think the worst: "In her mind's eye, Isabel saw Lettuce lying on the Oxford Street pavement, gasping like a stranded fish....The Expiry of Professor Lettuce. It could so easily be the title of a painting. She immediately censured herself. One should not think such things; and yet, of course, one did....That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise." It looks like Lettuce may be moving to Edinburgh! Can the city and Isabel survive? The twist towards the end of the book was wonderful.
The Dalhousie series provides dependable comfort reads; each book slides in easily into my mind and is just as easily forgotten. Sometimes that's the sort of warm cup of tea needed on a dreary November eve.
I loved the sub-plot featuring Professors Lettuce and Dove who always prompt Isabel to think the worst: "In her mind's eye, Isabel saw Lettuce lying on the Oxford Street pavement, gasping like a stranded fish....The Expiry of Professor Lettuce. It could so easily be the title of a painting. She immediately censured herself. One should not think such things; and yet, of course, one did....That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise." It looks like Lettuce may be moving to Edinburgh! Can the city and Isabel survive? The twist towards the end of the book was wonderful.
The Dalhousie series provides dependable comfort reads; each book slides in easily into my mind and is just as easily forgotten. Sometimes that's the sort of warm cup of tea needed on a dreary November eve.
October 7, 2018
3.75 stars. This series imo isn't as strong as his No. 1 Ladies or 44 Scotland St series, but I continue on because it is, after all, AMS, and there are always nuggets of wisdom and happiness in his books.
I recommend all of his books, but this series is best if you're in the mood for moral philosophy (which isn't nearly as boring as it sounds) and an extended family in Edinburgh.
Davina Porter does the entire audiobook series. She does a fine job with the Scottish accents. But nothing about this series bowls me over. Still, I will read anything he writes, and there is definitely more good than bad about every book in this series.
I recommend all of his books, but this series is best if you're in the mood for moral philosophy (which isn't nearly as boring as it sounds) and an extended family in Edinburgh.
Davina Porter does the entire audiobook series. She does a fine job with the Scottish accents. But nothing about this series bowls me over. Still, I will read anything he writes, and there is definitely more good than bad about every book in this series.
August 21, 2015
I always give Alexander McCall Smith 5 stars but I think stars aren't the right thing to award him. It should be cups of tea or something nice from Cat's delicatessen like a round of cheese or some finely shaped pasta, or maybe one of the olives that Charlie likes so much. I always say that Isabel's story is my favourite of all of Alexander McCall Smith's and that's saying something because I am so fond of Precious and I am constantly rooting for Bertie and all the friends in Scotland Street but Isabel is so unique in her blend of helping me to feel relaxed and exhausted at the same time. I love to read about her life but I am also wiped out by her constant train of thought.
In this visit with Jamie, Isabel and Charlie she again becomes involved in an unusual situation that takes her into someone else's life and she has to solve a 'mystery' of sorts. She uses tact and cleverness. We have a chance to visit the gallery (does she purchase a painting - you'll have to read it and see), there are a few delicious meals and one fine shift at Cat's shop. I always like a bit of time with Grace and this book has a nice scene or two. Charlie is getting older and that adds a spark to the story. A little less of Brother Fox but he is still there. I devoured each page and was so happy to be back with Isabel & her friends. It's amazing to me that McCall Smith can continue to surprise us each time with this series but he does. Lovely throughout and, as always, a truly satisfying ending. It sent me back to the bookshelf to read older Isabel books just so I could stay with her a little longer. 5 ripe olives for The Novel Habits of Happiness!
In this visit with Jamie, Isabel and Charlie she again becomes involved in an unusual situation that takes her into someone else's life and she has to solve a 'mystery' of sorts. She uses tact and cleverness. We have a chance to visit the gallery (does she purchase a painting - you'll have to read it and see), there are a few delicious meals and one fine shift at Cat's shop. I always like a bit of time with Grace and this book has a nice scene or two. Charlie is getting older and that adds a spark to the story. A little less of Brother Fox but he is still there. I devoured each page and was so happy to be back with Isabel & her friends. It's amazing to me that McCall Smith can continue to surprise us each time with this series but he does. Lovely throughout and, as always, a truly satisfying ending. It sent me back to the bookshelf to read older Isabel books just so I could stay with her a little longer. 5 ripe olives for The Novel Habits of Happiness!
April 29, 2015
The newest Isabel Dalhousie novel has several sweet story lines that really made me enjoy this tenth installment in the series. A woman comes to Isabel seeking help for her young son who discusses a past life, graphically and in detail. The woman wants to know if there is any veracity to the story and if reincarnation could be real. Isabel sets off trying to locate the house from the boy's description.
Isabel's niece, Cat, has found a new man in her life who is quite disturbing to Isabel for many different reasons. Former "enemies" make a plan to relocate to Edinburgh which is disturbing to Isabel but then she discovers a different side to one of their stories. The best part though is the relationship between Isabel, her husband Jamie and their son, Charlie. They have such lovely interactions. They consider if they should change their family's relationship.
The only thing that bothers me about the series is that it must be so exhausting to be Isabel. When someone says, "You have a lovely home", she goes through a whole discussion in her head as what to respond to the compliment. Should she say that she inherited the house? Is the house a reflection on her? On and on. I screamed in my head, just accept the compliment. This goes on and on as she considers the most innocuous remarks. Enough already.
Still, it's a pleasant book and leaves you with a good feeling. How can you go wrong on that?
Isabel's niece, Cat, has found a new man in her life who is quite disturbing to Isabel for many different reasons. Former "enemies" make a plan to relocate to Edinburgh which is disturbing to Isabel but then she discovers a different side to one of their stories. The best part though is the relationship between Isabel, her husband Jamie and their son, Charlie. They have such lovely interactions. They consider if they should change their family's relationship.
The only thing that bothers me about the series is that it must be so exhausting to be Isabel. When someone says, "You have a lovely home", she goes through a whole discussion in her head as what to respond to the compliment. Should she say that she inherited the house? Is the house a reflection on her? On and on. I screamed in my head, just accept the compliment. This goes on and on as she considers the most innocuous remarks. Enough already.
Still, it's a pleasant book and leaves you with a good feeling. How can you go wrong on that?
April 15, 2015
I have been following Isabel Dalhousie from the very start and always look forward to the next in the series. I'm never disappointed.
Now that she is married to Jamie and they have an adorable son, one wonders what is going to happen next to Isabel. can this degree of content be continued? I hope the author doesn't decide to include a calamity! I need the feel-good factor that this series of stories never fails to provide.
Now that she is married to Jamie and they have an adorable son, one wonders what is going to happen next to Isabel. can this degree of content be continued? I hope the author doesn't decide to include a calamity! I need the feel-good factor that this series of stories never fails to provide.
July 23, 2015
I love Isabel Dalhousie, or should I say I love her life. I buy each new book in this series as soon as they are published. Isabel is an independently wealthy philosopher who edits (and now pays to print) an obscure journal that publishes articles by philosophers. She lives with her three-year-old son Charlie, and her gorgeous, younger husband, Jamie, who is a classical musician, in a house in Edinburgh. Lest you get the impression she's a lady of leisure, I will add she works hard on her journal, but even more importantly, in the tradition of McCall Smith, in helping solve the problems of others. She is a generous soul. In this latest novel, she is helping a woman whose seven-year-old son thinks he is reincarnated. But there are some disturbing details to the case which is why Isabel can't say no to the mother's appeal for help. Her niece, Cat, only 10 years younger, is , as usual, in another relationship, always something that concerns Isabel. There are details in this novel I greatly appreciated as I just finished reading How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It. Lots of details in this book were topics that came up in my recent read. Fascinating stuff. These novels are never life changing or earth shattering, but they always delight me. I will be in Edinburgh next week and perhaps I will go looking for Isabel's house.
August 30, 2022
“We might believe that things did not exist because we had no evidence for their existence, but they still existed – in spite of our ignorance”
The Novel Habits of Happiness is the tenth book in the Isabel Dalhousie series by popular British author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by Karlyn Stephen. Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is a busy woman. Her young son, Charlie is now almost four, and a delightful boy developing his own character. Her niece, Cat has started a new relationship, and Isabel is apprehensive about meeting Cat’s latest fling. And the intentions of two visitors from London at the Enlightenment Institute are a source of worry for her. Isabel is asked by a good friend to help a concerned mother whose young son is speaking of a previous life. While sceptical of reincarnation, Isabel cannot ignore an appeal, and, surprisingly, finds she has Jamie’s blessing, and even his assistance.
This tenth instalment of Edinburgh’s favourite philosopher sees Isabel musing on patriotism, aphorisms, a benevolent god, the effects of prayer, meal envy, desk guilt, the titles of paintings, unwelcome thoughts, generalisations, the Loch Ness Monster and the Tooth Fairy. As always, McCall Smith includes plenty of gentle philosophy and an abundance of wisdom: “Scepticism had its place, but we should not lose sight of the possibilities that some beliefs were both necessary and beneficial, a belief in human goodness being a prime example of this…..if one ceased to believe in it then we would lose the comfort of trust”
Isabel continues to appreciate her husband: “And she liked, too, the way he was filled with music; it was there in his mind, and it came out so effortlessly when he sat at the piano or played his bassoon, or when he sang. It was as if there were wells within him, deep wells of music waiting to be drawn upon” and, after some uncharitable thoughts (That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise), learns something surprising about Professor Lettuce from an unexpected source,
The reader is treated to some lovely descriptive passages: “This was the North Sea, cold, blue, lapping at the jagged edge of the country, a reminder of where Scotland lay in the true nature of things; a place that was mostly water and wind and high empty sky; a place where the land itself seemed to be an afterthought, a farewell gesture from Europe” is just one example. Isabel’s reflections often bring a smile to the face, and her banter with Jamie and Charlie provide some laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful read, as always.
The Novel Habits of Happiness is the tenth book in the Isabel Dalhousie series by popular British author, Alexander McCall Smith. The audio version is narrated by Karlyn Stephen. Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is a busy woman. Her young son, Charlie is now almost four, and a delightful boy developing his own character. Her niece, Cat has started a new relationship, and Isabel is apprehensive about meeting Cat’s latest fling. And the intentions of two visitors from London at the Enlightenment Institute are a source of worry for her. Isabel is asked by a good friend to help a concerned mother whose young son is speaking of a previous life. While sceptical of reincarnation, Isabel cannot ignore an appeal, and, surprisingly, finds she has Jamie’s blessing, and even his assistance.
This tenth instalment of Edinburgh’s favourite philosopher sees Isabel musing on patriotism, aphorisms, a benevolent god, the effects of prayer, meal envy, desk guilt, the titles of paintings, unwelcome thoughts, generalisations, the Loch Ness Monster and the Tooth Fairy. As always, McCall Smith includes plenty of gentle philosophy and an abundance of wisdom: “Scepticism had its place, but we should not lose sight of the possibilities that some beliefs were both necessary and beneficial, a belief in human goodness being a prime example of this…..if one ceased to believe in it then we would lose the comfort of trust”
Isabel continues to appreciate her husband: “And she liked, too, the way he was filled with music; it was there in his mind, and it came out so effortlessly when he sat at the piano or played his bassoon, or when he sang. It was as if there were wells within him, deep wells of music waiting to be drawn upon” and, after some uncharitable thoughts (That, Isabel felt, was one of the great moral challenges: how to think charitably when it was sometimes so entertaining to do otherwise), learns something surprising about Professor Lettuce from an unexpected source,
The reader is treated to some lovely descriptive passages: “This was the North Sea, cold, blue, lapping at the jagged edge of the country, a reminder of where Scotland lay in the true nature of things; a place that was mostly water and wind and high empty sky; a place where the land itself seemed to be an afterthought, a farewell gesture from Europe” is just one example. Isabel’s reflections often bring a smile to the face, and her banter with Jamie and Charlie provide some laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful read, as always.
May 5, 2015
Thought-provoking
All AMS's books give the impression of fairly simple tales, but it is not so. I find the books contemplative, full of wisdom and so much to think about and digest. Well worth the read.
All AMS's books give the impression of fairly simple tales, but it is not so. I find the books contemplative, full of wisdom and so much to think about and digest. Well worth the read.
August 25, 2020
I enjoyed #10 in this series. I enjoy the descriptions of Isabel's family life and how Charlie is growing. I also enjoy Cat's adventures with men. I liked the "mystery" in this book, and the moral dilemmas Isabel faces both with the mystery and whether to try to stop the possible move of an enemy to Edinburgh. I did miss Grace and Eddie, though; they hardly appear this time.
June 8, 2015
Always enjoy stepping into the world of Isabel Dalhousie, unreal though it seems - surely there are no people with quite such a charmed life? Even the clouds of the nasty academic world, which is in any case at arm's length for Isabel, seem easily dispelled, and it does seem so unlikely that anyone would simply use their own money to publish an academic journal at a loss, and count the editing of it as more or less a full time job. I digress! The main puzzle which Isabel is asked to solve is a strange one involving the paranormal, and we are presented with three possible explanations but no definite final answer. Everything else is simply happy, idealised, rather charming, and might make you want to go and live in Edinburgh (but perhaps be prepared to be disappointed!)
October 9, 2020
My Novel habit of reading sometimes meets not so novel novels... joke intended
This book is a good read on philosophy although it has hardly any story or head or tail to keep you engaged. Isabel is an ordinary girl who per se over analyses everything and more than her brilliance it's her politeness which lands her into various new experiences to provide perspective on life.
This book is a good read on philosophy although it has hardly any story or head or tail to keep you engaged. Isabel is an ordinary girl who per se over analyses everything and more than her brilliance it's her politeness which lands her into various new experiences to provide perspective on life.
February 22, 2017
I read this books years ago and enjoyed it. This time around I find it pretentious and far too drawn out.
February 28, 2025
A close friend (who loves the Isabel Dalhousie books even more than I do) recently shared two of the middle books in the series with me. This was my first Isabel Dalhousie book in quite a few years, but it was easy to pick up right where I left off because few of the essential elements had changed. There is Isabel, the philosopher with a sideline in “helping people;” there is her lovely old house in the “leafy” neighbourhood of Mertchison, Edinburgh and also her opinionated, somewhat bossy housekeeper Grace, both of them inherited from Isabel’s late father; there is a fox in the garden; there is Cat, her selfish and maddening niece who owns a deli; there is Jamie, her musician husband (14 years younger, and very good looking, but also very good); and there is her young son Charlie. At the beginning of the series there is no Jamie or Charlie, but they are part of the pattern that surrounds Isabel. The thing about Isabel is that she is very, very fortunate, but she is not smug, selfish or self-satisfied. Her intellect and mental training is always focused on the goal of how to be a better person in this world. It’s a way of living in the world that I find very appealing, and so do many others - I’m sure.
Even though I took several philosophy courses in university, I didn’t have a natural mind for it. I found it very dull and challenging reading. I am a reflective person, though, and I have a keen interest in ethics and morality (even though I’m not entirely sure about the difference between the two). I realised, reading this book, that what I really appreciate about this series is the gentle and sometimes playful philosophy in it. The “problems” to be solved in the plots are rarely very dramatic and they are usually quite forgettable. These books inhabit a world that I would describe as the “refined ordinary.” And that’s what is so comforting about them. People are human, with failings, but not egregious ones. This is still a gentle, cultured world made up of a solid structure.
One of the ongoing plot points of the book is Isabel’s job as editor of a small academic journal called The Review of Applied Ethics. In this novel, one of Isabel’s regular contributors wants to submit an article titled “The Ethical World of My Mother,” explaining how his mother has lived in a world of “maternal certainty” that has guided all of her actions and interactions. At first Isabel wants to reject this article outright, but her sense of kindness and fairness persuades her to let him submit it, despite her academic misgivings. The book actually ends with his mother’s philosophy, and of course it links into the larger plot, because the author is clever that way. I want to include an excerpt of it, as a reminder for myself, really, and because it gives such a good sense of the content of these books.
Even though I took several philosophy courses in university, I didn’t have a natural mind for it. I found it very dull and challenging reading. I am a reflective person, though, and I have a keen interest in ethics and morality (even though I’m not entirely sure about the difference between the two). I realised, reading this book, that what I really appreciate about this series is the gentle and sometimes playful philosophy in it. The “problems” to be solved in the plots are rarely very dramatic and they are usually quite forgettable. These books inhabit a world that I would describe as the “refined ordinary.” And that’s what is so comforting about them. People are human, with failings, but not egregious ones. This is still a gentle, cultured world made up of a solid structure.
One of the ongoing plot points of the book is Isabel’s job as editor of a small academic journal called The Review of Applied Ethics. In this novel, one of Isabel’s regular contributors wants to submit an article titled “The Ethical World of My Mother,” explaining how his mother has lived in a world of “maternal certainty” that has guided all of her actions and interactions. At first Isabel wants to reject this article outright, but her sense of kindness and fairness persuades her to let him submit it, despite her academic misgivings. The book actually ends with his mother’s philosophy, and of course it links into the larger plot, because the author is clever that way. I want to include an excerpt of it, as a reminder for myself, really, and because it gives such a good sense of the content of these books.
”Her ethical world was laid out for the reader. It was founded, her son said, on intuition. She knew what was right because she felt it. He asked her about this and she explained that she thought her intuition had something to do with pain. She intuitively understood whether an act would cause pain to another. If it did, then she avoided it. He had asked her why one should avoid causing pain in others, and she said that was because of love. We loved them and did not want to cause them pain. She asked what could be simpler than that.”
June 5, 2023
The mystery in this one was worthwhile for the first time after possibly seven books of complete flimsiness of plot. I still can’t stop marvelling at how McCall Smith has a brain that produces such exquisite detail of day to day life, and Scottish life in particular, but is utterly incapable of grasping the logical inconsistencies of his main character. It’s not done so as to create a complex character, he is just simply oblivious to the impact of Isabel Dalhousie on her reader. I am absolutely certain he didn’t set out to create a prissy snob whose charmed existence is annoying to a whole lot of readers (as seen in reviews here on Goodreads). If she were an actually complex character this series would have been a literary masterpiece.
Also, nobody talks about this, but the mystery of Isabel’s age and fertility are more intriguing to me than the purported mysteries of the plot. When the series started out Isabel was meant to be in her early forties; now that we are ten books down she is still in her early forties, although Charlie is 4, and not even a fleeting thought about whether she can even have another child crosses her mind before she makes goo goo eyes at Jamie over the possibility of having another one. Matlab…the level of unrealistic…this woman has no fears, no anxieties, no self doubt, no real worries…khuda ke liye…but I’m, of course, going to start the next instalment right away…sigh.
Also, nobody talks about this, but the mystery of Isabel’s age and fertility are more intriguing to me than the purported mysteries of the plot. When the series started out Isabel was meant to be in her early forties; now that we are ten books down she is still in her early forties, although Charlie is 4, and not even a fleeting thought about whether she can even have another child crosses her mind before she makes goo goo eyes at Jamie over the possibility of having another one. Matlab…the level of unrealistic…this woman has no fears, no anxieties, no self doubt, no real worries…khuda ke liye…but I’m, of course, going to start the next instalment right away…sigh.
April 21, 2015
I feel a bit disloyal giving this book three stars, hence I've given it four, although that's a stretch. I have read all nine books in the series and somewhere along the way I moved from loving them to just kind of liking them. Having said that, this is one of the best in some time, even if it does take until Chapter 5 before anything of consequence happens.
Isabel Dalhousie is the editor of a philosophical magazine who lives in Edinburgh with her handsome husband Jamie (that's only mentioned about, oh! 100 times) and their three year old son Charlie. She has an active mind and she is always musing about topics as varied as the failings of lions, whether one can be pure of heart without being boring and the reliability of the Swiss railway system.
There are two main storylines in this book. The first concerns Isabel being asked to investigate a child who is convinced that they have had a previous life. His descriptions of where he lived are so vivid that his mother asks Isabel to find out whether it is possible that such a place exists. The second storyline concerns her old nemeses Professors Lettuce and Dove, who turn up unexpectedly in Edinburgh. While both storylines take some time to develop, they are well developed and largely resolved, which is something that hasn't always happened with this series in the past.
The main point of this book seems to me to make you think about kindness. Again and again different characters remind us of the need to be kind to others, to open oneself to goodness "as one opens a door to allow a friend to come in". And ultimately, because you can't read a book in this series without thinking about being a better person, I rate it four stars.
Isabel Dalhousie is the editor of a philosophical magazine who lives in Edinburgh with her handsome husband Jamie (that's only mentioned about, oh! 100 times) and their three year old son Charlie. She has an active mind and she is always musing about topics as varied as the failings of lions, whether one can be pure of heart without being boring and the reliability of the Swiss railway system.
There are two main storylines in this book. The first concerns Isabel being asked to investigate a child who is convinced that they have had a previous life. His descriptions of where he lived are so vivid that his mother asks Isabel to find out whether it is possible that such a place exists. The second storyline concerns her old nemeses Professors Lettuce and Dove, who turn up unexpectedly in Edinburgh. While both storylines take some time to develop, they are well developed and largely resolved, which is something that hasn't always happened with this series in the past.
The main point of this book seems to me to make you think about kindness. Again and again different characters remind us of the need to be kind to others, to open oneself to goodness "as one opens a door to allow a friend to come in". And ultimately, because you can't read a book in this series without thinking about being a better person, I rate it four stars.
May 28, 2016
Three and a half stars. My first Isabel Dalhousie. This was on my radar because some of my Bookstagram friends had recommended this series. Seeing it on the new books' shelf at the library, I jumped in at number 10, disregarding my friends' admonitions to start at the beginning. The plot, centered on a young boy with what seemed like memories of a past life, sounded intriguing. Understandably, the characters' relationships build through the series, so there was subtext I'm sure I wasn't aware of, but the story stood well enough on its own. I enjoyed listening in on Isabel's thoughtful ruminations. A philosopher is bound to have interesting thought processes, right, even if one has not read any philosophy or those German texts she refers to? She is also kind and generous and aware that others do not have such a wonderful life as she does. It did bother me a bit that she was so dismissive of reincarnation and anything that seemed remotely a religious/metaphysical/spiritual belief not validated by science. The book is definitely not plot driven, as others have commented about the series, but it is a comforting and pleasant way to spend some idle hours.
April 23, 2023
This was my first I. Dalhousie book. i loved it at first. Lots of the sweet turn of phrase we all love in McCall Smith’s writings:
“...he was gentle in all his dealings with people, as effortlessly strong men so often are.”
Purgatory described as “... a constant cocktail party with nowhere to sit.”
(She was only half american) “but that was enough to make her blush with shame for the mere fact that Las Vegas existed.”....
"if people were free then some of them, at least, would be free of the constraints of good taste.”
But as the story went on it seemed there were more and more parts that didn’t (to me) seem to fit. Ectopic sections; long sections of non-sequitorial writing. As this is my first book in this series, these bits and people may have meaning in a bigger picture that i do not yet see, but as a stand alone book, it quite frustrated me as these, quite long, riffs seem unrelated to what was and what came.
i did like the idea of Stilton in soup. Will definitely try that.
“...he was gentle in all his dealings with people, as effortlessly strong men so often are.”
Purgatory described as “... a constant cocktail party with nowhere to sit.”
(She was only half american) “but that was enough to make her blush with shame for the mere fact that Las Vegas existed.”....
"if people were free then some of them, at least, would be free of the constraints of good taste.”
But as the story went on it seemed there were more and more parts that didn’t (to me) seem to fit. Ectopic sections; long sections of non-sequitorial writing. As this is my first book in this series, these bits and people may have meaning in a bigger picture that i do not yet see, but as a stand alone book, it quite frustrated me as these, quite long, riffs seem unrelated to what was and what came.
i did like the idea of Stilton in soup. Will definitely try that.
August 22, 2015
A gently meandering book with the main character quite comfortably situated. No real drama, no character development here. Life is all rather perfect for Isabel with her beautiful husband and her nightly bathed child who goes to sleep so easily. Even when Lettuce AND Dove show up little develops. And the "mystery" is more dramatic in the overleaf than in the book itself.
But that is what these books are about really, some ruminations under the guise of philosophy, some minor internal exploration, and a non-mystery. This time Eddie is barely glimpsed and Cat makes a brief appearance, as does Grace.
A little more effort on the part of the author would be an entirely different book and series. Pleasant, mild and does not take much of a time commitment, which is just as well as it was just a wee bit boring this time around. Perhaps that conversation about purity of heart vs. guilelessness, and dullness fits the book better than it knew.
But that is what these books are about really, some ruminations under the guise of philosophy, some minor internal exploration, and a non-mystery. This time Eddie is barely glimpsed and Cat makes a brief appearance, as does Grace.
A little more effort on the part of the author would be an entirely different book and series. Pleasant, mild and does not take much of a time commitment, which is just as well as it was just a wee bit boring this time around. Perhaps that conversation about purity of heart vs. guilelessness, and dullness fits the book better than it knew.
June 1, 2016
I keep thinking that I am done with this series and then I suffer through another installment. I used to love these books. While they were never high art, they were charming and I really cared about the characters. These books have become absolutely plotless and pointless. Isabel can't possibly function with all the wandering her mind does. Only about 5 of the 200 pages or so in this book were actually dedicated to the "mystery".
April 19, 2015
Pure pleasure! Each time I read a book from this series I feel like I am wandering around in Edinburgh. On my next visit I'll have to track down the patisserie that is mentioned in this book. A Google search reveals that several recurring characters are real people, obviously friends of the author. Oh how I wish that Isabel herself were real and could join me for a coffee at Cat's deli!
April 12, 2023
I just love Isabel.
March 15, 2021
Charming instalment in the Isabel Dalhousie series, where Isabel helps a woman whose young son insists he had a previous life with a family on an island near a lighthouse. Meanwhile her old adversaries Lettuce and Dove appear in Edinburgh on some mysterious business.
I enjoyed this much more than some of the more recent books in this series. The question of the young boy’s possible reincarnation is handled with sensitivity and honesty, and creates more of a genuine sense of mystery than we have seen for some time. Isabel’s musings are relevant and well balanced between the light hearted and the serious. And of course we spend some time with Jamie and Cat, whose human imperfections provide a welcome counterpoint to Isabel’s superiority.
Delighted to read about a different part of Scotland - it allows Alexander McCall Smith to show his affection for his country, its landscape and its people - and to enjoy a heartwarming reminder of the value of kindness in difficult times.
I enjoyed this much more than some of the more recent books in this series. The question of the young boy’s possible reincarnation is handled with sensitivity and honesty, and creates more of a genuine sense of mystery than we have seen for some time. Isabel’s musings are relevant and well balanced between the light hearted and the serious. And of course we spend some time with Jamie and Cat, whose human imperfections provide a welcome counterpoint to Isabel’s superiority.
Delighted to read about a different part of Scotland - it allows Alexander McCall Smith to show his affection for his country, its landscape and its people - and to enjoy a heartwarming reminder of the value of kindness in difficult times.
July 10, 2024
Beautiful, intricate writing. I loved the way you get inside the characters brain. A meandering sort of story. Peaceful
August 22, 2017
If you enjoyed "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series, then perhaps you'll enjoy wandering through the ponderings of a philosopher's thoughts provoked by everyday events. Personally, I did not enjoy the book for 2 reasons: 1) I didn't feel any connection to the characters, and 2) there were so many things that were inconsistent/unrealistic. For example, their child takes a nap in the late afternoon and then is in bed for the night at 7pm while the parents enjoy a late, leisurely dinner. The parents are never woken early in the morning. The husband plays professionally in an orchestra, but never works nights or weekends. The child is said to be a light sleeper, but when the niece rings the doorbell with the finesse of a freight train, the child sleeps soundly. The narrator decides not the follow the main line of inquiry even though there are further leads. A child that was speaking of suicide is assumed to be fine because he's stopped speaking of it. Well, you get the idea.
I believe the author deserves recognition for introducing the characters so that it doesn't matter if this is the first book in the series that you're reading, even though this is book #10. Very few authors do this well. I also enjoyed some of the esoteric facts. Ironically, one such fact was of a Scottish nobleman named Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas.
I believe the author deserves recognition for introducing the characters so that it doesn't matter if this is the first book in the series that you're reading, even though this is book #10. Very few authors do this well. I also enjoyed some of the esoteric facts. Ironically, one such fact was of a Scottish nobleman named Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas.
November 11, 2015
The Novel Habits of Happiness is another beautiful book by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith. As it's the 10th books in the series, habitual readers already know the characters: Isabel, always "interfering" and helping others, Jamie her husband, Cat her niece, Grace the housekeeper and little Charlie, her son.
What I loved about this book starts with the title: Happiness. How do we attain it, how wt struggle to be happy, what happens if we aren't?
As Isabel tries to help, once again, someone in distress, she philosophically wanders between trying to do too much or too little for others. At what point should she stop meddling? When is it correct to pry into other peoples' lives?
As a friend tells her: "The whole world is not your problem. We think that is -I know that plenty of people feel they have to shoulder the burdens of the whole planet, but we can't, can we?"
And that is what makes Isabel such an appealing character, her weaknesses, her intelligence, her kindness.
It also is the type of book that makes me sad to finish. I'm already on the waiting list for the next one in the series
What I loved about this book starts with the title: Happiness. How do we attain it, how wt struggle to be happy, what happens if we aren't?
As Isabel tries to help, once again, someone in distress, she philosophically wanders between trying to do too much or too little for others. At what point should she stop meddling? When is it correct to pry into other peoples' lives?
As a friend tells her: "The whole world is not your problem. We think that is -I know that plenty of people feel they have to shoulder the burdens of the whole planet, but we can't, can we?"
And that is what makes Isabel such an appealing character, her weaknesses, her intelligence, her kindness.
It also is the type of book that makes me sad to finish. I'm already on the waiting list for the next one in the series
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