Tag: Isabel Dalhousie

The Conditions of Unconditional Love by Alexander McCall Smith (Literary Fiction)

I’m a long time fan of McCall Smith, but the Isabel Dalhousie series (this is #15) is the only one I’m still reading. Isabel is a philosopher with an independent income, two small children, and is the editor (and owner) of the Philosophical Review. She lives in Edinburgh and has a habit of “fixing things” both large and small, sometimes fully aware that the problem is none of her business.

I love this series because there is never a shortage of interesting things for Isabel to muse about, and I love the way McCall Smith gets to the essence of every topic. Whether she is talking to herself, to a casual acquaintance, or to her husband, these are the kind of conversations I like to have, and I’m perfectly happy to have them with an intellectual, though fictional, sparring partner!

The “problems” she solves in this book are every day irritations that I can completely relate to and that — while not actually important in the larger scheme of things — is very trying and important in our every day lives. A book group that has become downright antagonistic towards each other; a couple who doesn’t know the truth about each other and really should; a conference organizer potentially defrauding a funding organization; an uncomfortable situation with a long-term (but not well known) house guest.
I like that McCall Smith takes on issues of the day and introduces (often new to me) ethical conundrums. He refers to the Circle of Moral Recognition — the boundary drawn around those entities in the world deemed worthy of moral consideration. What is our own personal moral responsibility in specific situations in the current moral climate? He introduces “defensible pride” vs “hubristic pride” and why one attracts us while we find the other quite off putting. Another concept I hadn’t heard of — but love — is the Hawking index which is the percentage of a book read before the average reader gives up. Named after Hawking’s best selling A brief History of Time which received a whopping 6.6% on the index and still wasn’t the smallest index (that honor goes to Capital in the Twenty-First century by Thomas Piketty). Who knew? Lastly I had to laugh out loud when she suggested the need for “emotional continence” when others went on and on about TMI topics ad nauseam.

I don’t agree with all of Isabel’s thoughts and opinions, but I like the way they are laid out cleanly with a clear understanding of the basic principles and thought process used to come to her conclusions. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all engage on “hot topics” in this way?

Thank you to Pantheon and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 16th, 2024.

The Sweet Remnants of Summer by Alexander McCall Smith (Literary Fiction)

Number 14 in my favorite McCall Smith series featuring Isabel Dalhousie, moral philosopher extraordinaire. While the narrative in these novels feature every day troubles such as family disagreements, child rearing, and interpersonal … irritations, the real story is the deep and well-expressed thoughts they trigger in our editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. The musings of her “tangential mental life” are endlessly intriguing, insightful, and thought provoking. Her brand of philosophy is never dry — it is philosophy as applied to actual human lives.

I love McCall Smith’s writing — it consistently reminds me of the beauty of the English language and embeds new (to me) or rarely used words that I find absolutely stimulating. Well, I never said I wasn’t a weirdo! Two of my favorites from this volume: adumbration and purlieus (if you like words, look them up!)

He always tackles topics of current concern, and no topic is left un-thoroughly discussed. No slogans, no strict identification with any party line. Characters get to examine and evolve their own thoughts and principles (sometimes with a little gentle help) into something that better adapts to their current situation.

I always feel calmer after reading one of these books.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Pantheon and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 19th, 2022.

The Geometry of Holding Hands by Alexander McCall Smith (Literary Fiction)

An Isabel Dalhousie book. For those unfamiliar with McCall Smith’s less well-known protagonist (Mma Ramotswe of Number One Ladies Detective Agency is far more popular), Isabel is a philosopher of independent means. She serves as the publisher and editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. What an unusual character on which to base a series! These books center around questions of morality, and amidst the light plots that loosely guide each episode, we are treated to a constant stream of philosophical musings and epiphanies. I love the fact that rather than read the (probably) dry research papers that populate Isabel’s Review, we instead get to hear the intriguing summaries.

In this installment, Isabel is asked to serve as executor of a dying man’s trust while simultaneously coming to terms with her niece’s engagement to an (to Isabel) unsuitable man. These situations give rise to musings about the accidents of love, moral obligations, moral strangers, the sphere of moral proximity, and what it means to act graciously. Populated by the educational elite of Edinburgh, this series also gives rise to discussions on a wide variety of topics — this time including Himalayan languages and Scottish Country dancing.

I have a very good vocabulary and have read most of McCall Smith’s books and yet he *still* surprises me with new words. This time: Gluckschmerz and commensality. Gluckschmerz is feeling pain in the face of another’s success — the opposite of Schadenfreude. Commensality refers to the positive social interactions that are associated with people eating together.

My favorite phrase in the book: “the suppurating corruption of greed.”

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 28th, 2020.