The Careful Use of Compliments (Sunday Philosophy Club)

I very much enjoyed the latest adventures of Isabel Dalhousie, a very modern woman indeed, philosopher, friend, lover and now mother too. It is refreshing to read fiction where a female is, for the most part, in control of her own life and makes decisions for herself. Perfect for a relaxing read. Looking forward to the next instalment.

An actual plot! (4/4 people found this helpful)

By now you know what to expect of this series, light entertainment and a little bit of Philosophy thrown in along the way. In its way it's as predictable as Enid Blyton and probably no worse for that.

This is very competently executed, if a little safe and this time something like a crime has been committed (at least). It potters along quite well, although the Isabel Dalhousie character still reads more like a cypher than a real character. The least convincing part of the book is the depiction of life with a baby - a small child turns your life upside down and it's well seen that AMS has never looked after children!

If you're a fan of the previous books in this series, you'll like this, but it's probably only for the real fans.

The series gets back on track (8/8 people found this helpful)

"The Careful Use of Compliments" is the fourth and latest book in the Sunday Philosophy Club series. It picks up a year after "The Right Attitude to Rain". Isabel and Jamie now have a 3 month old son, Charlie - although they are still living in separate residences and are not necessarily committed to one another. Isabel's relationship with her niece Cat has been strained by the double whammy of the hook up with Jamie and arrival of Charlie.

Like the other books in the series, there is a mystery afoot. Isabel becomes intrigued by a painting which may or may not be a forgery. The artist died in an apparent suicide several years previously and she starts to wonder if his death was as straightforward as it seems. However this mystery only really takes over in the latter half of the book. The first part is very much about Isabel's relationships with Jamie, Charlie and Cat, as well as her scheming to retain her position as editor of the Review of Applied Ethics.

The thing I particularly like about the Isabel Dalhousie books is Isabel's lovely observations about life, and this book is rich in that regard. I love the way she gets me to think about everyday things in a way that I never have before: what is meant by everyday expressions, or how dentists are unappreciated by society, or the significance of the stamps that we use on our correspondence.

I felt that the series lost its way with the third book, but "The Careful Use of Compliments" brings it back on track. If you haven't read the others in the series, this is probably not a good place to start as it relies on knowing what has gone before. But if you are a fan of the series - as I am - you will find this is a very pleasing addition.

Motherhood, Fatherhood, Editorship, and Art Collecting (13/14 people found this helpful)

The Careful Use of Compliments shows us Isabel Dalhousie, the practical philosopher of Edinburgh, as she grapples with becoming the unmarried mother of Charlie, keeping Charlie's father Jamie in her life, re-establishing her relationship with her niece Cat (who is miffed that her aunt has borne a child by Cat's ex-boyfriend), fending off a hostile takeover of her editorship of the Review of Applied Ethics, and checking out the authenticity of some paintings that attract her attention. In the course of these joys and trials, Isabel steers close to her notion that people who mean well should act ethically . . . even when it is to their disadvantage to do so. In the process, she learns that a careful use of compliments can open up doors to valuable information and perspectives.

Although Isabel and Jamie, her young lover, share parenthood of the adorable Charlie, they don't share as many other things as they should . . . including trust in one another. Jamie proposes marriage, but Isabel doesn't trust him to mean it. Jamie wants to know how much money Isabel has after she contemplates spending 25,000 pounds on a painting . . . and is chagrined to learn how wealthy she is. Jamie doesn't like Isabel's meddling so she keeps some of it to herself.

Isabel is also on a voyage of self discovery. When a ladder-climbing academic engineers her downfall as editor of her beloved Review, Isabel is shocked by her competitive reaction and what she does based on it. Isabel becomes jealous of Grace (her housekeeper) and her attempts to take good care of Charlie. Isabel is downright annoyed when Cat looks longingly at the covetous academic who is her enemy.

Ultimately, her meddling uncovers a secret she isn't supposed to know . . . and reveals a wrong that needs to be righted. Naturally, Isabel digs in to do the right thing.

The book moves smoothly and covers more interesting ground than many of the earlier books did. Isabel is a little more human and not quite so reluctant to stake her claim on the beloved Jamie.

I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read that left me wanting to see if Isabel and Jamie can build more common ground . . . at least for Charlie's sake.

The Careful Use of Compliments (Sunday Philosophy Club)

Alexander McCall Smith

Reader Reviews:

More please! (0/0 people found this helpful)

An actual plot! (4/4 people found this helpful)

The series gets back on track (8/8 people found this helpful)

Motherhood, Fatherhood, Editorship, and Art Collecting (13/14 people found this helpful)

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