The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds

I love all of Alexander McCall’s books! He creates neighborhoods and populated them with characters that I care about and want to know better. Isabel Dalhousie is one of my favorites because she’s introspective and reflective, she’s grateful and contented with her life and she’s very generous with her time in helping others. She could be my ideal best friend! Clouds are always overhead us and we don’t always notice them. Once in a while, it behooves us to glance upward and see the “ uncommon appeal of clouds” – beautiful everyday things that are right there in front of ( or above ) us, just waiting to be appreciated! That’s the beauty of them and of this book!!

I have to confess that I\’ll give any book written by Alexander McCall Smith a try. He is one of my favorite authors. At his best, he combines interesting characters and riveting plots with a gentle humor and sharp insight into human character. His books are often enchanting. He also has a knack for weaving small side stories in among the main plot. So I was very eager to read The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds. And the basic story seemed promising: Isabel Dalhousie, a familiar character from some of McCall Smith\’s other books, is enlisted to unearth a thief – or thieves – who stole a valuable painting from Duncan Monrowe. The painting was to be given to Scotland\’s National Gallery. But it is taken from Munrowe House during an annual tour. Although Isabel is at first reluctant to become involved, when she meets Duncan her reservations disappear. With her usual sharp perception, Isabel is able to see beyond Duncan\’s seemingly formal and stiff exterior to sense how deeply he cares about the stolen picture. With such a promising start, I hoped this would be an engaging mystery, one written with the riveting style of McCall Smith\’s best works. But this novel never quite got off the ground for me. Because I\’m so fond of the author, I stuck with this book but by the time I\’d reached the halfway point I was beginning to lose interest. What kept me going were the gems of wisdom about human character and life that reside in McCall Smith\’s books. Even in his less notable novels, those qualities always give me pause and cause me to ponder human nature. It is often the side characters, the ones who may seem trivial, which become the focus of some of the author\’s sharpest perceptions. An example from this book: Isabel\’s friend Eddie, who works at Cat\’s delicatessen is infatuated with a particular woman. When he asks Isabel for advice, she shares her views on love and what makes for lasting relationships. When it comes to Duncan Munrowe, Isabel is compelled to think about loyalty, art, passion and more. All of this is interesting – but the plot itself falters, sputters, and never really gets going. At the end of each chapter, I didn\’t feel curious about what would happen next or even really care who had taken the painting. But I plodded along – only to feel disappointed by the ending. I\’d write more about that but I don\’t want to give away any details that might spoil it for other faithful – or new – readers of McCall Smith. If this is the first book of his you\’ve read, I urge you to try others. He is a very fine writer. This is just not the best example of his work.

This latest installment in the Isabel Dalhousie series continues the low key but charming adventures of Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher, wife, mother, and Scotswoman. I love these books because the author permeates them with the aroma and beauty of Scotland. I feel that I know my way around Edinburgh and the countryside, including the many islands of the Hebrides. There is always a mystery, or, rather, a puzzle for Isabel to work out. I find the meanderings of her philosopical musings entertaining and illuminating. Any simple act, like mailing a letter, will set her off on a tangent involving thoughts and ideas dealing with the ethical and moral principles of this very intelligent yet lovable woman. The clouds in the sky are always with us, sometimes we notice them, other times we don\’t. Isabel finds her inspiration on how to solve the particular puzzle in this book after a rumination on a blue sky and it\’s passing clouds. The last sentence in the book is particularly appealing, but I won\’t reveal it so you, the reader, can be equally charmed.

A lot of Mr. McCall Smith\’s book remind me of \”Seinfeld\” in that Seinfeld was really a story about nothing. Mr. McCall Smith\’s books, when you really think about it, are similarly about nothing. But just as Seinfeld was very engaging, so are these books. Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who gets involved in all sorts of uncommon problems because she has a reputation for helping people. So when something goes wrong, people tend to turn to her. In this case, it\’s the theft of a piece of art. The owner of the stolen piece of art turns to Isabel to help him retrieve his painting. In unfolding the story, McCall Smith ponders about every aspect of life and that is what makes these books so enjoyable to read. He poses all sorts of interesting questions and gets you thinking. He is masterful with the written word. A few succinct words and you have the perfectly framed question about life, love, morality and so many other things, while at the same time he is telling a very enjoyable and interesting story. This entire series is an absolute joy to read and this latest installment certainly does not disappoint. I love this author.

After a break of two or three years from reading McCall Smith, I was tempted by this, the latest instalment of the Isabel Dalhousie series on Edinburgh, philosophy and careful living. Isabel continues to find philosophical inspiration and moral dilemmas in the most mundane aspects of life, and, as it drifted slowly onwards, similar in so many ways to the last one I read, I began to think that this McCall Smith might be my last. Then, imperceptibly, the book began to grow on me, and as it turned into one of those gentle whodunits so similar to Mma Ramotswe\’s in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, it finally seized my interest in where it was going. It was most satisfying to guess who did in fact do it, although, with the way of these books, nothing is ever quite certain. Entertaining and a great reminder of Edinburgh though it is, I do wonder whether I\’m supposed to be more gripped by Ms Dalhousie\’s moral dilemmas and philosophical musings. I mull over buying a copy for my daughter, who has just gone to university to study philosophy, and see what she makes if it. For all I know there\’s enough philosophy on here for a good degree! Sometimes I feel like shouting \”just get on with it\” at the lead character, and wonder whether her approach would work in the \”real world\”. Professor McCall Smith, I imagine, believes that the real world would be a better place if everyone treated each other, and each decision he or she makes, with the same care and attention as Isabel Dalhousie.

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