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Isabel Dalhousie #5
The Comfort of Saturdays
In this fabulous fifth installment in the bestselling series, Isabel Dalhousie is asked to help a doctor who has been disgraced by allegations of scientific fraud. Whatever the outcome, Isabel's combination of spirit, smarts, and unabashed nosiness guarantees a delightful adventure.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
216 people are currently reading
2383 people want to read
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
668 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 703 reviews
July 3, 2014
I've finally figured out why I keep reading this series, even though 1) the protagonist isn't a terribly good mystery-solver, and 2) nothing ever happens.
It's because Isabel Dalhousie is the anti-Sherlock.
She's an imperfect--indeed, often befuddled and just plain wrong--reader of people, clues, and situations.
And she cares about people, not puzzles.
She "solves" little, mundane mysteries (see #2 above) quite in spite of herself--not because she notices all the right details, nor because she comes to the right conclusions. Indeed, in most cases, she doesn't solve anything. She just . . . meddles, ever-so-gently, until other people more or less sort themselves out.
And she does it not because of the thrill of the chase or the pleasure of solving the riddle (the hook for most readers of mystery stories) but because she takes seriously her role as moral neighbor. If someone asks for her help, she gives it.
And her help almost always consists of going to see someone, talking to him, listening to him, and entering sympathetically into his story (whether or not she can figure out how true a story it is). She just acts like a neighbor, and sometimes her neighbors are better off for it.
On the other hand, it's *really* weird to encounter real people, philosopher-theologians I've actually met, as characters in fictional stories. "Isabel opened a letter from--" Whoa, wait! That's a *real* person! What's *he* doing there??
It's because Isabel Dalhousie is the anti-Sherlock.
She's an imperfect--indeed, often befuddled and just plain wrong--reader of people, clues, and situations.
And she cares about people, not puzzles.
She "solves" little, mundane mysteries (see #2 above) quite in spite of herself--not because she notices all the right details, nor because she comes to the right conclusions. Indeed, in most cases, she doesn't solve anything. She just . . . meddles, ever-so-gently, until other people more or less sort themselves out.
And she does it not because of the thrill of the chase or the pleasure of solving the riddle (the hook for most readers of mystery stories) but because she takes seriously her role as moral neighbor. If someone asks for her help, she gives it.
And her help almost always consists of going to see someone, talking to him, listening to him, and entering sympathetically into his story (whether or not she can figure out how true a story it is). She just acts like a neighbor, and sometimes her neighbors are better off for it.
On the other hand, it's *really* weird to encounter real people, philosopher-theologians I've actually met, as characters in fictional stories. "Isabel opened a letter from--" Whoa, wait! That's a *real* person! What's *he* doing there??
October 8, 2008
Picked up my copy and planned to dive right in. Well, I got sidetracked by another book (imagine!) but once I did get back to Isabel and Co., I was in for good.
Definitely a great addition to the series, and it's always wonderful to drop in on Isabel Dalhousie, Grace, Brother Fox and the rest the Edinburgh world they live in. Jamie continues to grow as a character; Cat makes her usual confused appearance (but is she learning something?); Eddie's coming along nicely too. But it's always about Isabel and her well-meaning, thoughtful need to interfere in the nicest possible way.
In this tale, she's actually asked to "help" a disgraced and depressed medical researcher. However, that little puzzle isn't the only story here and at times this "mystery" disappears while Isabel turns her attentions elsewhere. There's a bit of unrest in her relationship with Jamie too...and at one point, I had a terrible feeling that this would be one Isabel book with a sad ending. Sigh.
I survived--so does Isabel--but not without shedding a few tears (don't ask me why; I get too involved). And now it's just sad that I'm back to a long wait for the next one!
Three cheers for Alexander McCall Smith and his amazing ability to create such a full and internal life for a unique character. Isabel is a wonderful person to spend time with!
Definitely a great addition to the series, and it's always wonderful to drop in on Isabel Dalhousie, Grace, Brother Fox and the rest the Edinburgh world they live in. Jamie continues to grow as a character; Cat makes her usual confused appearance (but is she learning something?); Eddie's coming along nicely too. But it's always about Isabel and her well-meaning, thoughtful need to interfere in the nicest possible way.
In this tale, she's actually asked to "help" a disgraced and depressed medical researcher. However, that little puzzle isn't the only story here and at times this "mystery" disappears while Isabel turns her attentions elsewhere. There's a bit of unrest in her relationship with Jamie too...and at one point, I had a terrible feeling that this would be one Isabel book with a sad ending. Sigh.
I survived--so does Isabel--but not without shedding a few tears (don't ask me why; I get too involved). And now it's just sad that I'm back to a long wait for the next one!
Three cheers for Alexander McCall Smith and his amazing ability to create such a full and internal life for a unique character. Isabel is a wonderful person to spend time with!
June 23, 2009
Alexander McCall Smith wrote one of the most entertaining short stories I've ever read in "Heavenly Date and other Flirtations." And I love the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books--they have a charm, innocence, and solid "placiness" that are hard to resist. This series is far less charming, in my view. There is nothing placey about this version of Edinburgh. Locales are named, but no associations are evoked. It could be set anywhere. Isabel Dalhousie admits over and over that she thinks too much, which is true, but less true than that she doesn't think very interestingly. She ponders, literally, everything, but she rarely comes up with anything fresh or surprising, or that the reader hasn't already thought as well. She builds elaborate castles of surmise on observations that turn out to have been wrong. Her possessive worries about the faithfulness of her lover finally become just plain annoying in this latest installment. I'm beginning to think McCall Smith simply writes too much--with Mma Ramotswe, Isabel, and his 44 Scotland Street series each having a new installment at least every year. He needs to consider that every single thing that crosses his mind is not necessarily worth publishing.
June 11, 2018
3.5 stars. This is a series you read if you enjoy the characters, the Scottish setting and the philosophical backdrop. You don't really read this for the storyline as much. The audiobooks are all well done and the series is good, but not great.
I really like this series for when I wake up at 3am and don't fall right back to sleep. They keep you company without keeping you on the edge of your seat. Alexander McCall Smith is always a winner in my book because I know he's not going to be offensive and he'll often have me smiling and that's pretty much what I'm looking for when I pick up a book in this series.
I really like this series for when I wake up at 3am and don't fall right back to sleep. They keep you company without keeping you on the edge of your seat. Alexander McCall Smith is always a winner in my book because I know he's not going to be offensive and he'll often have me smiling and that's pretty much what I'm looking for when I pick up a book in this series.
October 28, 2018
I discovered that I had missed reading this book which is the fifth book in the Isabel Dalhousie’s Philosophy Club Series. I love the meandering of Isabel Dalhousie’s mind. This book has the familiar activities of Isabel. She is helping Cat in the Deli for a week, while Cat is away on holiday. She is sticking her noise in people’s business, per usual. The one item that is different is Isabel is jealous.
The book, of course, is well written. It was published in 2008. Because I did not read it until 2018, one of her philosophical ponderings had more meaning to me now than if I had read the book in 2008. The topic is lying and the value of truth. Considering the current problems with lying today, I found this subject most interesting.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is seven hours and 41 minutes. Davina Porter does an excellent job narrating the book. Porter is one of my favorite narrators. She has a beautiful voice. She also has a delightful mild Scottish accent for this book. Porter has been narrating since the early 1980s and has won many awards for her narration. She won the Voice Arts Award for Best Voice-Over in Fiction as well as many Earphone awards.
The book, of course, is well written. It was published in 2008. Because I did not read it until 2018, one of her philosophical ponderings had more meaning to me now than if I had read the book in 2008. The topic is lying and the value of truth. Considering the current problems with lying today, I found this subject most interesting.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is seven hours and 41 minutes. Davina Porter does an excellent job narrating the book. Porter is one of my favorite narrators. She has a beautiful voice. She also has a delightful mild Scottish accent for this book. Porter has been narrating since the early 1980s and has won many awards for her narration. She won the Voice Arts Award for Best Voice-Over in Fiction as well as many Earphone awards.
March 28, 2009
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
By Alexander McCall Smith
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I picked it up because I had read a positive review of it recently. In this story, Isabel Dalhousie, the owner and editor of a literary journal, who lives in Edinburgh, is asked to help clear the name of a doctor whose reputation has been ruined due to a scandal involving a drug trial.
We also meet Isabel’s lover Jamie, who is also the father of her young son, and who is considerably younger than Isabel. This causes her no end of worry, though he seems devoted to both of them. There is also Isabel’s niece, Cat, who owns a local deli, and used to be romantically involved with Jamie.
I wanted to like this book, but as far as I’m concerned, it just never took off. None of the characters were particularly appealing to me, and there didn’t seem to be much of a plot. Though I enjoyed the descriptions of Edinburgh, there was nothing else that really grabbed my attention. By the end of the book, I was trying to figure out how this was supposed to be suspenseful, and wondering what the point of the book was in the first place. I guess if it is supposed to be a narrative of a slice of time in the characters’ lives, it does the job. But my first thought when I finished reading the last page was, “Why was this book written?” I had kept going, thinking that there would be a point where things all started to fall into place, but if they did, I missed it.
It also really annoyed me that Isabel spent so much time worrying about whether or not Jamie really loved her, was going to stay with her, found her interesting and attractive, etc. Once again, we have a supposedly independent, educated woman, who seems to worry primarily about a man. I got really sick of that whole thing by about the third chapter.
This was a quick read, so at least I didn’t spend a whole lot of my time reading it.
By Alexander McCall Smith
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I picked it up because I had read a positive review of it recently. In this story, Isabel Dalhousie, the owner and editor of a literary journal, who lives in Edinburgh, is asked to help clear the name of a doctor whose reputation has been ruined due to a scandal involving a drug trial.
We also meet Isabel’s lover Jamie, who is also the father of her young son, and who is considerably younger than Isabel. This causes her no end of worry, though he seems devoted to both of them. There is also Isabel’s niece, Cat, who owns a local deli, and used to be romantically involved with Jamie.
I wanted to like this book, but as far as I’m concerned, it just never took off. None of the characters were particularly appealing to me, and there didn’t seem to be much of a plot. Though I enjoyed the descriptions of Edinburgh, there was nothing else that really grabbed my attention. By the end of the book, I was trying to figure out how this was supposed to be suspenseful, and wondering what the point of the book was in the first place. I guess if it is supposed to be a narrative of a slice of time in the characters’ lives, it does the job. But my first thought when I finished reading the last page was, “Why was this book written?” I had kept going, thinking that there would be a point where things all started to fall into place, but if they did, I missed it.
It also really annoyed me that Isabel spent so much time worrying about whether or not Jamie really loved her, was going to stay with her, found her interesting and attractive, etc. Once again, we have a supposedly independent, educated woman, who seems to worry primarily about a man. I got really sick of that whole thing by about the third chapter.
This was a quick read, so at least I didn’t spend a whole lot of my time reading it.
September 12, 2017
Finishing these books are as easy as sipping a cup of tea.
December 26, 2020
I’ve been trying to figure out the appeal of this series. It’s a narrative of quotidian proportions, but it is one I turn to when I need something easy and diverting. In this case, just following a hospital stay. All my energy gone. So there was Isabel Dalhousie, civilized, courteous, and undertaking small mysteries beyond her ken – and so available to keep me company for a little while.
Really the appeal is Isabel and her charmed Edinburgh circle, not the mysteries. The handsome Jamie, who used to be a cardboard character, is taking shape. Cat persists in her bad decisions about relationships. Shy and diffident Eddie occasionally breaks out of his shell. And my favorite is the redoubtable housekeeper Grace (Yes, Isabel has enough money for a full-time housekeeper.).
The mystery in this Dalhousie episode strained credulity more than a little. She is asked to look into the censure and disgrace of a physician, whose wife feels he was surely unfairly blamed for mistakes that led to a death from medication. The intrusion of Isabel--ethicist, new mother, and genteel busybody--into a question of medical malpractice, is an exercise in fantasy, so I just suspended for a bit any insistence on rationality. Suffice it to say that the premise is weaker than in other Dalhousie books. But truthfully, after reading five books in the series, I can barely remember the “mysteries” anyway.
Besides the characters, one other thing I find delightful and eccentric is the titles in the series. I’m surmising that Alexander McCall Smith wants to confirm the everyday joys that he celebrates generally. I cannot find a single reference to a “muddy Saturday” anywhere in the book. But the image is a reminder to take pleasure in an ordinary, imperfect day.
Really the appeal is Isabel and her charmed Edinburgh circle, not the mysteries. The handsome Jamie, who used to be a cardboard character, is taking shape. Cat persists in her bad decisions about relationships. Shy and diffident Eddie occasionally breaks out of his shell. And my favorite is the redoubtable housekeeper Grace (Yes, Isabel has enough money for a full-time housekeeper.).
The mystery in this Dalhousie episode strained credulity more than a little. She is asked to look into the censure and disgrace of a physician, whose wife feels he was surely unfairly blamed for mistakes that led to a death from medication. The intrusion of Isabel--ethicist, new mother, and genteel busybody--into a question of medical malpractice, is an exercise in fantasy, so I just suspended for a bit any insistence on rationality. Suffice it to say that the premise is weaker than in other Dalhousie books. But truthfully, after reading five books in the series, I can barely remember the “mysteries” anyway.
Besides the characters, one other thing I find delightful and eccentric is the titles in the series. I’m surmising that Alexander McCall Smith wants to confirm the everyday joys that he celebrates generally. I cannot find a single reference to a “muddy Saturday” anywhere in the book. But the image is a reminder to take pleasure in an ordinary, imperfect day.
November 25, 2008
I'm afraid I've gone off this series and I feel a little sad about it, as I might feel after discovering my life has diverged from that of a once close friend. Smith's protagonist is a thoughtful, kind, and well-meaning woman and I have nothing bad to say about her, but with her seemingly unlimited wealth, her lovely home in historic Edinburgh, her gorgeous young boyfriend, and now her adorable baby, we really don't have anything in common. If I read another book about her charmed life I fear I shall begin to resent her. In fact, even while reading this book I longed for Smith to strike her with some pestilence--perhaps her boyfriend could turn out to be a bisexual or all her cherished Peploes could succumb to a rare fungus, or anything, really, to add a little flavor to her milquetoast existence.
September 16, 2022
This series continues to annoy me in several ways, but I doubt I’ll stop reading it, because I’m a sucker for books where essentially nothing happens in the protagonists’ lives, where they live in a cocoon that is far away from any real life problems and their waking days are consumed by thoughts and conversations on philosophy, poetry, classical music, and all the other niceties that accompany such lifestyles.
The baby Charlie sounds nothing like any baby I have ever seen in my life. He only sleeps and stares at things and you can take him out for long walks and drives that last half the day without worrying about anything else. Isabel’s younger boyfriend Jamie is handsome, a musician and completely in love with her. Isabel has all the inherited money in the world and is free to do a little bit of editing work as she goes around sampling cafes all over Edinburgh. What’s not to like?
The baby Charlie sounds nothing like any baby I have ever seen in my life. He only sleeps and stares at things and you can take him out for long walks and drives that last half the day without worrying about anything else. Isabel’s younger boyfriend Jamie is handsome, a musician and completely in love with her. Isabel has all the inherited money in the world and is free to do a little bit of editing work as she goes around sampling cafes all over Edinburgh. What’s not to like?
June 13, 2022
It has been way too long since I read any books in this series. I just love the sly humor and the realistic musings inside Isabel's mind! She may be a philosopher, but that doesn't mean she isn't just as vulnerable to pitfalls in her interpersonal relationships! And she is such a kindhearted well-meaning soul! This is such a low-key and enjoyable series!
August 1, 2010
Isabel is a well-heeled, genteel Scots woman living in Edinborough, enjoying the upper levels of society and editing a scholarly journal on matters to do with ethics. She's a philosopher by training and so much of the story line deals with philosophical questions concerning such issues as the role guilt plays in behavior, or whether or not thoughts can be considered equal to actions (since they may not be acted upon) in terms of moral behavior and culpability. I enjoy her ruminations and find myself spinning off from her train of thought in to my own line of reasoning.
When I think about Isabel, she is the "anti cliche" if there is such a thing. If there is a any danger of thinking this 40-something woman as only a well-heeled, genteel blue stocking, then it's immediately put to bed knowing that she has a lover, Jamie, who is at least a decade younger, and has a child by Jamie - Charlie. The label "Cougar" comes to mind, yet she's anything but comfortable with the age gap and the "illegitimacy" of her son (even though in a previous book she flatly turns down Jamie's offer of marriage).
Isabel is often accused of meddling in other people's affairs, and this meddling usually comes about as a result of something being "not quite right." In this instance, a doctor is accused of falsifying the results of a trial of a new medicine that shows promise to cure a fatal illness. His wife asks Isabel to get involved, which she does with some misgivings, however she soon comes to some conclusions that result in an interesting twist of plot - not to be revealed here! The issue of "meddling in others affairs" becomes an internal debate which is put to the test through several other secondary story lines.
McCall Smith is a writer who is attentive to detail and nuance. Some books encourage the reader to zip through them, arriving breathless with excitement at the conclusion. This book invites the reader to brew a pot of tea, find a comfortable nook and savor each page and each line of thinking as if he is inviting you into the story by saying, "So what do you think about this?" It's a leisurely stroll in the park, a day's picnic by the lake, or a hike into Isabel's beloved hills that surround the city of Edinborough. I am looking forward to the next conversation with Isabel Dalhousie!
When I think about Isabel, she is the "anti cliche" if there is such a thing. If there is a any danger of thinking this 40-something woman as only a well-heeled, genteel blue stocking, then it's immediately put to bed knowing that she has a lover, Jamie, who is at least a decade younger, and has a child by Jamie - Charlie. The label "Cougar" comes to mind, yet she's anything but comfortable with the age gap and the "illegitimacy" of her son (even though in a previous book she flatly turns down Jamie's offer of marriage).
Isabel is often accused of meddling in other people's affairs, and this meddling usually comes about as a result of something being "not quite right." In this instance, a doctor is accused of falsifying the results of a trial of a new medicine that shows promise to cure a fatal illness. His wife asks Isabel to get involved, which she does with some misgivings, however she soon comes to some conclusions that result in an interesting twist of plot - not to be revealed here! The issue of "meddling in others affairs" becomes an internal debate which is put to the test through several other secondary story lines.
McCall Smith is a writer who is attentive to detail and nuance. Some books encourage the reader to zip through them, arriving breathless with excitement at the conclusion. This book invites the reader to brew a pot of tea, find a comfortable nook and savor each page and each line of thinking as if he is inviting you into the story by saying, "So what do you think about this?" It's a leisurely stroll in the park, a day's picnic by the lake, or a hike into Isabel's beloved hills that surround the city of Edinborough. I am looking forward to the next conversation with Isabel Dalhousie!
November 3, 2009
Chance and a back-yard denizen, brother fox, are the leitmotifs of a muddy Saturday. McCall's charming nosy parker, sleuth, and all-around moral philosopher Isabel Dalhousie, editor and now owner of the Review of Applied Ethics, takes us on a charming and thought-provoking turn around the ethical life, set in Edinburgh but lived on any muddy day anywhere. This time Isabel takes up the aid of a depressed doctor who has lost his job and reputation because of the harm he caused in prescribing a new medicine. She offers aid to her niece's troubled employee Eddie, and to her niece as well, unfulfilled in love because always in search of her distant father. And, through additional turns as well, Isabel's engagement with these causes - none of which does she resolve as she expects - brings her balm for her own insecurities as an older woman partnered with a younger man with whom she has a wee child. In the end, the doctor confesses to hubris and wrong-doing to which confession Isabel offers the absolving question, "So what will you do?" Her aid to Eddie is repaid with unexpected honesty. She plants in her niece with a quiet observation the germ of self-understanding. And brother fox offers her allowance for and acceptance of unsought comfort of her own.
August 17, 2009
Alexander McCall Smith is one of those authors whose books people either love or really don't like. Although I understand why he is not to everyone's taste (really, so little happens in the books), I love his books. This is a gentle book full of understanding of the human condition and insecurities that arise. My only complaint about this book is that the relationship between Isabel and Charlie, her nine-month-old son, seems to be such an unrealistically distant one, given who the character of Isabel is. None of the babies I have known have dropped off to sleep so willingly and on such a predictable schedule and been calmed so easily. But this is not a book about breast feeding or sleepless nights or childhood fevers, so I liked the book, anyway.
December 13, 2018
Continuing on listening to this series and enjoying everyone of them. Isabel's mind goes here and there with her philosophical musings. She tries to solve a medical mystery, gets it all wrong but it works out in the end, of course. She has a spasm of jealousy and continuing insecurity over Jamie but that, too, works out, of course. Charlie is a toddler now and a growing delight in the series.
July 27, 2021
Обичам книгите на Алекзандър Маккол Смит, неговата ерудираност, любовта към изкуството, умелия начин по който описва героините си и начинът им на мислене. Поредицата за Изабел от Далхаузи ми е сред най-любимите. Уви, този път бях леко разочаровата от тази пета поред книга за знаменитата редактора на "Прелед на приложната етика". Тук Смит е залитнал във вътрешния монолог на героинята, пренебрегвайки приятния крими елемент в предходните романи. Докато четвъртият роман "За благодарността като изгубено умение" беше динамичен и балансиран откъм лична история и детективски сюжет, този път повествованието вървеше мудно, без особен обрат или запомняща се случка. Въпреки това отново се насладих на прекрасния стил на Смит и се пренесох в Единбург, размечтавайки се да пия кафе в магазина за деликатеси на Кат.
January 17, 2018
As with all of the books that I've read which were written by Alexander McCall Smith, I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderfully philosophical and thought-provking story. The author has a simple and subtle way of weaving deeply philosophical observations about the moral and ethical decisions one makes in every day life into a fun and interesting tale. The character development is generally well done, although in this particular book the reader is left somewhat curious about some figures who are introduced in the story, but then just disappear and are never heard of again, presumably since they have served their purpose of an example of some moral or ethical dilemma. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this Isabel Dalhousie series.
January 2, 2025
A little trite, but I liked the writing style and wandering consciousness weaved throughout it. A good, quick vacation read.
August 26, 2024
Not sure why it is being rated 4 or 5 stars. I didnot like it. The writing was meh. And the story was all over the place. The story goes on and on about everything but the mystery case.
July 15, 2012
Seriously? Alexander McCall Smith writes books like this and they sell? I say this as a sucker who bought a copy, albeit second-hand. I enjoyed the subtle and humorous prose of a couple books in the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series which were striking in its setting and its main character.
In "Saturdays", Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who (for unexplained reasons) is wealthy and independent editor of an ethics journals. Dalhousie is asked to look into the affair of a well-known doctor whose reputation has been ruined as a result of a pharmaceutical scandal.
To an academic reader, all of the above sounds thoroughly interesting. You'd think I'd like the character at least. But no, Dalhousie is not marked by any particular wit or charm, and the characters around her are equally bland. There is a sense of friction with a peripheral character named Nick Smart but what is at first intriguing dissolves into nothing. There is no real discussion of the ethics of impartiality nor does the story devolve into a clash of personalities and tensions between truth and lies. It's slow and it's plodding and we meet each character once or twice once so there's little room for character development.
This novel is not a novel at all but a very mundane journal of someone whose life consists entirely of the uneventful. I can handle very well books in which nothing happen (cf. How Late It Was How Late) but not ones where nothing happens and where there is no compelling voice or character.
No more for me thanks, Mr Smith.
In "Saturdays", Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who (for unexplained reasons) is wealthy and independent editor of an ethics journals. Dalhousie is asked to look into the affair of a well-known doctor whose reputation has been ruined as a result of a pharmaceutical scandal.
To an academic reader, all of the above sounds thoroughly interesting. You'd think I'd like the character at least. But no, Dalhousie is not marked by any particular wit or charm, and the characters around her are equally bland. There is a sense of friction with a peripheral character named Nick Smart but what is at first intriguing dissolves into nothing. There is no real discussion of the ethics of impartiality nor does the story devolve into a clash of personalities and tensions between truth and lies. It's slow and it's plodding and we meet each character once or twice once so there's little room for character development.
This novel is not a novel at all but a very mundane journal of someone whose life consists entirely of the uneventful. I can handle very well books in which nothing happen (cf. How Late It Was How Late) but not ones where nothing happens and where there is no compelling voice or character.
No more for me thanks, Mr Smith.
July 20, 2017
I enjoyed earlier books in this series so, when I saw the audio book of The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday at a library sale, I bought it to listen to in the car. Huge mistake. The whole books is "I love Jamie SOOOOO MUCH. I want to tell Jamie that I love him but what if he doesn't love me a much as I love him? Jame is SOOOOO handsome. I wonder if Jamie loves me as much as I love him. I wonder if Jamie is attracted to other women. I love Jamie SOOOOO MUCH. I wonder if Jamie is attracted to other men. I love Jamie SOOOOO MUCH." I might have been better off bringing a cheap romance with a number on the cover.
What's even worse is that, based on A. McC Smith's earlier books in the series, I told my husband that Alexander McCall Smith was a good writer and that, even though my husband reads very few mysteries, he might enjoy this one. Which is why I brought it in the car on a trip. He listened patiently and after the first CD he asked what kind of a book this was supposed to be. A mystery. After the second CD he asked when was something going to happen. Uh, soon, I hope. After the third CD he was asking how many more CDs there were in the box and we stopped at McDonalds so he could get some caffeine. There were 4 more CDs!
At one point in the book Isabel asks Jamie a question and then the story goes into Isabel's head while she goes off on a mental tangent. We drove along for miles and while her inner monologue went on and on and on. Eventually my husband said "Do you remember the question?"
I'm embarrassed that I told my husband it would be a good book. There is barely enough plot for a short story. Another reviewer called the book "soothing" but I call it sophomoric and soporific.
What's even worse is that, based on A. McC Smith's earlier books in the series, I told my husband that Alexander McCall Smith was a good writer and that, even though my husband reads very few mysteries, he might enjoy this one. Which is why I brought it in the car on a trip. He listened patiently and after the first CD he asked what kind of a book this was supposed to be. A mystery. After the second CD he asked when was something going to happen. Uh, soon, I hope. After the third CD he was asking how many more CDs there were in the box and we stopped at McDonalds so he could get some caffeine. There were 4 more CDs!
At one point in the book Isabel asks Jamie a question and then the story goes into Isabel's head while she goes off on a mental tangent. We drove along for miles and while her inner monologue went on and on and on. Eventually my husband said "Do you remember the question?"
I'm embarrassed that I told my husband it would be a good book. There is barely enough plot for a short story. Another reviewer called the book "soothing" but I call it sophomoric and soporific.
March 22, 2009
In the beginning of the series, I liked Isabel Dalhousie. She was a strong, take charge woman. For that reason, I am disappointed in this book where her character has developed into an insecure person who is seemingly obsessed about the age difference between herself and Jamie. Her infatuation with Jamie seems to be purely physical with little attention given to his feelings, talent or wit.
This time around there is a lack of plot. Unfortunately this audiobook was rather dull. As I'm seldom tempted to do with audiobooks, several times I was on the verge of taking the CD out of the player. Hopefully, the character of Isabel will be given back her strong will in the next book of this series.
This time around there is a lack of plot. Unfortunately this audiobook was rather dull. As I'm seldom tempted to do with audiobooks, several times I was on the verge of taking the CD out of the player. Hopefully, the character of Isabel will be given back her strong will in the next book of this series.
August 25, 2015
Isabel, having fallen in love with Jamie and had a child with him continues to be anxious about whether he truly loves her. Things conspire to rouse her jealousy and suspicions. Has Jamie been lying to her? Then she finds herself faced by some other relationships damaged by lying. How do we distinguish between truth and lies, and how an we repair relationships damaged by lies? Not rocket science perhaps but gentle and ....yes a comforting read. Sometimes we need a little comforting in our lives to help us come to a place of peace.
May 22, 2016
I don't mind books where nothing happens, and really, nothing happens in this novel. But there was nothing of interest either. This was the fifth book In the series, perhaps a poor place to start. I often enjoy authors dropping literary or musical references - it can lead me to follow up with something new. I was just annoyed by this author's constant references to other works - I definitely had the feel that he was just showing off, rather than deepening the story. The story? Insecure woman doubts young lover -- for a couple hundred pages. Blah.
February 14, 2021
The comforts of a gentle paced, well constructed book are not inconsiderable. I enjoyed this entree into the thoughtful world of a Scottish philosopher and her neighbours. The characters are well formed, believable and engaging and we have an interest and sympathy for each of them.
I appreciate Alexander McCall Smith's Scottish tales over the charming yet simplistic Ladies' Detective Series.
A delightfully undemanding read, this might be considered a romantic fiction for Valentine's Day.
I appreciate Alexander McCall Smith's Scottish tales over the charming yet simplistic Ladies' Detective Series.
A delightfully undemanding read, this might be considered a romantic fiction for Valentine's Day.
September 18, 2022
The Sunday Philosophy Club novels are a treasure. They explore, in a subtle and wonderful way, the reasons we do things...all sides of an issue... the moral implications. I can't get enough. So far I have have seven (I started with the last two...then came back to novel #1!) and I will continue. I always have a notebook handy for as I highlight on my Kindle, I also record by hand the gems of thought that "hit me" so beautifully in my soul. And Oh Yes! They all take place in Edinburgh, Scotland...and the surrounds - What a PLUS!
September 13, 2011
A 'character-driven' 'detective story' about dull people who prefer their days jobs. And think too much, but not too well.
August 28, 2017
When life is a mundane affair, solving a small mystery is like solving a crossword in a morning paper. It's up to the living to find meaning and happiness. Sounds trite? But it is true.
April 28, 2018
This is a quiet, contemplative read, rather like reading Virginia Woolf. There is little action in the story of Isabel Dalhousie (#5 of a series,) a well-heeled 40-something woman who lives in Edinburgh with her small son and (sometimes) her younger lover. Isabel is a philosopher/ethicist who, thanks to a fortune willed to her by her mother, is editor-in-chief of a philosophy journal. She is also active in the upper middle class social life of Edinburgh--dinner parties, concerts--and through that encounters people who ask for her help solving minor problems. I have very much enjoyed her descriptions, in this and previous books, of ordinary ambling life in Edinburgh.
The problem posed to Isabel in this book is that it appears that a doctor was derelict in verifying the facts of a drug trial, leading to a man's death. His wife approaches her asking her to look into the event and exonerate the doctor. Why Isabel? Well, that is always a bit muddy. People just seem to "hear" that she is something of an amateur sleuth who "looks into puzzling things" and often brings a resolution/answer to the puzzle.
Still the problem is never the main theme in a Dalhousie book. The main theme is Isabel's internal dialogue on the ups and downs of life, those questions that can occur to us as we speak with people, fall in love and become vulnerable, even as we people watch and idly wonder where that stranger may be going, what he might be thinking. I can't say I "like" Isabel but she would certainly make an interesting acquaintance.
The Dalhousie series are books that are internal conversations. Sometimes it gets boring and I skim through pages (which is why I often can't remember a lot of what the book was about) and sometimes I say "ah, yes, I have wondered that myself...." If you like thrilling action or fun mysteries, no, not the series for you. If you enjoy good use of the English language and intriguing philosophical questions, you might enjoy the series. I personally don't race to the booksellers for the latest book in the series but I always count on it to be an enjoyable, leisurely read.
The problem posed to Isabel in this book is that it appears that a doctor was derelict in verifying the facts of a drug trial, leading to a man's death. His wife approaches her asking her to look into the event and exonerate the doctor. Why Isabel? Well, that is always a bit muddy. People just seem to "hear" that she is something of an amateur sleuth who "looks into puzzling things" and often brings a resolution/answer to the puzzle.
Still the problem is never the main theme in a Dalhousie book. The main theme is Isabel's internal dialogue on the ups and downs of life, those questions that can occur to us as we speak with people, fall in love and become vulnerable, even as we people watch and idly wonder where that stranger may be going, what he might be thinking. I can't say I "like" Isabel but she would certainly make an interesting acquaintance.
The Dalhousie series are books that are internal conversations. Sometimes it gets boring and I skim through pages (which is why I often can't remember a lot of what the book was about) and sometimes I say "ah, yes, I have wondered that myself...." If you like thrilling action or fun mysteries, no, not the series for you. If you enjoy good use of the English language and intriguing philosophical questions, you might enjoy the series. I personally don't race to the booksellers for the latest book in the series but I always count on it to be an enjoyable, leisurely read.
June 8, 2020
В тази част Изабел продължава да помага на хората със своята доброта на принципа на моралната отговорност към засегнатите. Тя не може да откаже помощ, когато някой я поиска от нея.
От друга страна с Джейми все още се опитват да се нагодят към ситуацията. Изабел разсъждава твърде много, но по-важни са чувствата и откритите разговори. Тяхното наподобява дебнене кой какво ще направи и каже.
Тази част завърши много загадъчно, но ще си направя малко почивка от героите. Атмосферата и философските разсъждения на Изабел са много вълнуващи и ме карат да чета с интерес.
От друга страна с Джейми все още се опитват да се нагодят към ситуацията. Изабел разсъждава твърде много, но по-важни са чувствата и откритите разговори. Тяхното наподобява дебнене кой какво ще направи и каже.
Тази част завърши много загадъчно, но ще си направя малко почивка от героите. Атмосферата и философските разсъждения на Изабел са много вълнуващи и ме карат да чета с интерес.
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