Customer Reviews

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and editor of Edinburgh's highly esteemed Review of Applied Ethics, is a single woman in her early forties (of independent means), whose sense of duty and moral obligation to her fellow man keeps her busy pondering what the right thing to do is in almost every aspect of life. These musings cause her to get involved in the lives of others, sometimes finding it necessary later to apologize to one person or another for real or imagined missteps on her part. (One of the more pleasurable aspects in the Sunday Philosophy Club series is the relationship between Isabel and her housekeeper, Grace, with whom she often discusses this or that moral or social issue. In FLC, Grace finally gets Isabel to attend a séance. Quite an accomplishment on her part.)

In this book, Isabel meets Ian (it frustrates Isabel that people often only offer their first names) who has recently had a heart transplant. Ian is having some strange and unnerving experiences, which he attributes to his new heart; and the subject of cellular memory arises. He asks for Isabel's help, and, once again, she's off and running to find the answers to Ian's concerns. In the meantime, an attractive Italian arrives in Edinburgh to pursue Isabel's niece, Cat (she met him at a wedding in Italy). Cat is not interested and tries to get Tomasso and her aunt together.

In addition to her usual escapades, Isabel continues her friendship with handsome young musician, Jamie. Jamie and Cat were once an item. He still loves her, but she has moved on. Isabel battles with her own feelings toward Jamie...feelings that border on love. She finds herself jealous of people or situations that she fears will "take him away" from her.

I greatly admire Alexander McCall Smith's writing talent and what must be a vast store of personal knowledge (he must also do some research in order to impart so many snippets of knowledge along the way). I found myself a little disappointed at the outcome of a couple plotlines in this book, but I also realize that the main thrust of these Sunday Philosopher's Club stories is what goes on in Isabel Dalhousie's mind, the actions she takes as a result, and how her thoughts and actions match up with typical human behavior.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

McCall Smith has outdone himself in this latest tale of the "Sunday Philosophy Club." Very precisely, Ms. Dalhousie applies her ethical background to the real life of people in Edinburgh. Not surprisingly, her theoretical ethics comes up against real world situations where ethics have to be modified to suit the situation. In the book, such things as older women marrying younger men is covered, along with a host of other ethical issues; which in isolation seem relatively easy to work out, but in combination with real life events, need a bit of adjusting.

Additionally interesting in this story is that his detective makes a huge error. She in fact finds herself chasing her own ethical tail, as she goes off on a hunt for the completely wrong person. The book makes it clear to readers, that things can go wrong; people can make false assumptions; assumptions that lead one to actions that are totally unjustified.

With wonderful command of the scene and setting, this book is one of McCall Smith's greatest creations. It allows the reader to apply his/her own set of ethics to the various situations. It allows the reader to attempt to figure out which ethical positions work for them, and what they would do in the same situation.

The book is highly recommended for all readers of McCall Smith. It should not be passed up, as it is one of the most transitional and interesting books in his recent publications.

This is #2 in a new series. The pace and tone of these books is different from the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books - so those looking for the lighthearted humor of those books won't really find it here. However, what you will find is a nicely crafted series. Book #2 builds nicely on the main character. I really enjoyed this, and am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

Though it is, in my opinion, the weakest of all Smith's series, his Isabel Dalhousie books are still fantastic. Remarkably, you are once again sucked right into the world of the characters, and you find yourself invested in them.
Most amazing, however, is the way Smith keeps you thinking. Not only is this a book about the various adventures of a woman whose life's work revolves around ethics and philosophy, but it is a book of philosophy, as well!
There are many times I've had to stop reading to ponder a particular point or philosophical question the author brings to light in these novels.
I think any of Alexander Mccall Smith's fans would enjoy this series; the second novel more so than the first.

Isabel Dalhousie loves nothing more than discovering why the people in her life, and often those who only cross her path, do what they do. As the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics she examines human foibles with the same intensity of a pathologist peering through a microscope, in search of the motivations that affect or infect their relationships and behaviors.

She freely admits that some would call her nosey, but she asserts that she's only curious. It is harder for her to admit that she often jumps to conclusions that turn out to be woefully and comically wrong. Undaunted, she soldiers on, unraveling small mysteries and knitting up solutions for the people of Edinburgh.

Isabel's niece, Cat, is off to Italy on holiday and leaves her deli in Isabel's hands. Ian, a retired psychologist who knows Isabel by reputation, becomes a regular for coffee and scones. He confides that he recently has been the recipient of a heart transplant and is feeling strange emotions, memories of events he never experienced, and seeing the face of a man he's never met. He wonders at the possibility that somehow genetic memory from the donor's heart is influencing him, leaving him frightened, depressed and apprehensive. This is right up Isabel's philosophical alley, and against his wishes, she decides to search out the donor, whom she suspects may have been murdered.

Meanwhile, Cat returns from Italy with yet another inappropriate older man in tow, complete with charm, a Bugatti and a crush on the wrong person. Cat has abandoned Jamie, a musician who pines after her in sorrowful Scots gloom. Jamie relies on Isabel to bolster his spirits with dinners, concerts and heartfelt conversation. If only she were fifteen years younger, Isabel opines, but alas, love triangles were meant for playing.

In Alexander McCall Smith's gentle manner, the mystery embarks on the cozy path to resolution. Isabel stumbles across information that uncovers the true identity of the heart donor, meanwhile mending some broken hearts and putting a family feud to rights.

In her way, Isabel Dalhousie is as wise, charmingly offbeat and original as Mma Ramotswe of the bestselling "First Ladies' Detective Agency" series. As Scottish as a single malt whiskey, FRIENDS, LOVERS, CHOCOLATE bespeaks misty Edinburgh streets and chilly moors. McCall Smith's love of Scotland is as poignant as is his love of Botswana in his African series.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

If you like knowing what characters are thinking, this is the book for you. The protagonist is editor of a philosophy journal and has constant internal debates on the applications of ethics to her situations. She could use a dose of the American "Just Do It" once in a while, but comes across as a very caring person. She leads a quiet life, and so do most of her friends and acquaintances. She does get involved with things that most of us would consider none of our business (like finding out who donated a transplanted organ.) If you like excitement, look somewhere else. I found this a pleasant read.

I enjoy this Isabel Dalhousie series nearly as much as I love the No. 1 Detective Agency series and Mma Ramotswe. The Botswana books are a lighter read, good for a day at the beach, while Isabel's hyperactive mind requires a bit more attention. I find her musings to be charming. It's a pleasure to encounter a bright, intelligent, female character. I look forward to seeing more of Edinburgh, through the thoughtful eyes of Isabel Dalhousie.

Like his other series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, these books seem to be of the "light mystery" variety with intriguing and believable characters. Isabel Dalhousie, the heroine of the series, is a fallible protagonist--a refreshing change from so many heroines. McCall Smith successfully narrates a woman's perspective by treating it more as a generalized "human" perspective.
While the story follows a mystery surrounding a heart-transplant recipient, it explores more universal themes such as the pursuit of love and the assumptions we make about each other, as well as the bonds of friendship. The book is sweet without being saccharine. A worthy read.

First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is so descriptive one can almost feel the highland mist of Edinburgh on your face. The fact that the central character, Isabel, is an "older woman" who is a part time editor for a publication called "Review of Applied Ethics" but is human enough to have a "mini-crush" on a younger man is another aspect of the tale I found charming. While filling in for her vacationing niece Cat, owner of a local delicatessen, Isabel meets Ian. a customer with a particularly unusual problem. He has recently had a heart transplant and is experiencing memories that are not his own. His story not only arouses her intellectual curiosity but also leaves the reader to ponder several philosopical and ethical questions. This is definitely not your run of the mill mystery.

I finished all of McCall-Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" novels and they were so entrancing that I had to try his "Dalhousie Mysteries." At first I was put off, since they are so different in tone than the African novels, but by the end of the first chapter I was hooked in a completely different way than I was with Precious Ramotswe. The plot of the story has been divulged in other reviews, so I will not belabor it. The real depth, I believe, comes from the "mmhmm" moments. As a woman entering middle age I found myself nodding when Isabel mused about the way youth defines a woman's desirability and she can do little more than watch it ebb away as she ages, even if she remains attractive. Isabel's chronic self-reproachment as she considers her words and actions against ideals she cannot live up to was too close to comfort for me. I realized that I think many of the same things she does as she goes through her day -- "was I too bold?" "Should I have held my tongue?" "Does anyone even know I'm here?" Her affection and feelings of longing for a man about 15 years her junior is conveyed in a very stoic, tight-upper-lip sort of way, and it makes Isabel even more sympathetic to the reader. Isabel does not do so much navel gazing that it irritates, however. She is a philosopher, after all, so she has the tendency to practice more mindfulness than the rest of us, but she also throws off the rational philosophy and follows her heart at times, shaking things up a bit. All the characters in the novel are believeable and interesting. I would recommend this novel, a hot cup of chai, and a cozy couch to anyone.