Alexander McCall Smith: Isabel Dalhousie

[Piglet89]

Does anyone else just find her incredibly smug?

I read the first novel, and one of his Scotland Street ones and I wasn't in a hurry to read any others: the characters might be amusingly drawn (sometimes) but the plot never goes anywhere.

That is quite true.

They are a good read when you want some dependable distraction, and don't actually want the plot to go anywhere.

I enjoyed Scotland Street up until he decided poor old Bertie wasn't going to get past 7 years old, and the Isabel Dalhousie ones until I couldn't suspend my disbelief after the baby arrived. Novels rarely portray the impact of babies realistically, but this was a bit too far. I think she is smug because she lives in the smug area of Edinburgh - a bit of a cliche/stereotype.

I enjoy Scotland Street anx the series about the pompous professors, but, yes, Isabel Dalhousie is insufferable ! Everything so flippin’ perfect. I read two books and that was quite enough!

I love Alexander McCall Smith books but Isabel Dalhousie is my least favourite series - still read them though!

I want something to happen to Isabel to shake up her perfect life! Jamie and Grace could have an affair!!

So many Alexander McCall Smith characters are of “independent means” which becomes rather annoying. I suppose it enables them to drift around Edinburgh drinking coffee in Big Lou’s and buying sundries in Valvona and wotsit . I enjoy the gentle philosophising but a lot of the characters really need puncturing. The only person with a proper job is Bertie’s dad and ironically he is the one that things always seem to go wrong for.

Oh good, me too! I really enjoyed Scotland Street for a light-hearted laugh, I’m very fond of Precious Ramotswe, and the 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom makes me glad to be alive, but I have no idea why Isabel is so dire considering all the great characters he has written.

I once went to a talk by Alexander McCall Smith. He said that he's sometimes asked why his novels don't reflect real life - he said there's more than enough real life in real life without putting it in novels as well! Hence characters with very undemanding jobs that allow them to spend lots of time drinking coffee and going to art galleries.

The ID books aren't my favourites but still enjoy them. There is rather a lot of Isabel musing on her latest philosophical aside while handsome Jamie cooks a delicious Ottolenghi meal after her children have obediently gone to bed and the house is immaculate thanks to Grace.

I wanted to go to Valvona & Crolla when visiting Edinburgh after reading the books, but just remember standing around for ages to get served and giving up.

Hahaha @CharismaticMegafauna your wait in V&C is the real life AMS seems keen to eshew…

Ultimately, Isabel’s life would be a shitshow without Grace and her bloody trust fund from her sainted American mother. And if I were Cat the niece, I’d be fucking raging she stole my fella.

Did he write the No1 Ladies Detective Agency books? I quite enjoyed them for an easy read when the kids were young

I read them partly because I can't work out whether McCS himself has fallen in love with her and doesn't see how unbearable she can be OR whether he has successfully created a character who is both smug and admirable.

I mean, this is a woman who can't cross the road without ruminating for weeks, so are we supposed to believe that she unthinkingly drifted into a relationship with her niece's recent ex, has no thoughts on the morality of that, then OOPS, tripped and fell pregnant totally accidentally. Or are we meant to understand that she did all that fully on purpose but chooses to ruminate on the morality of gourmet cheese instead of her own actions?

And the fact that she is so busy doing barely anything that she needs a full time housekeeper and nanny. Are we meant to feel that she is genuinely busy? Or that she lacks insight into the fact that she has seemingly never had or needed an actual job? I haven't worked it out yet.

And her son liking olives in one of the novels so Jamie composes a song about it. JESUS WEPT.

Does she sit there listening to it and thinking how beautiful Jamie is?

I sometimes wonder what is really going on with Jamie. That gout storyline?!

In real life the relationship would be a bit transactional: rich older woman with very handsome but of limited means much younger man. I did read the last book and her smuggery was off the scale. Oh, if only Jamie would go off with a bit of rough…

I can see @TheYearOfSmallThings ‘s point that this is maybe the author’s ideal woman…