Being philosophical ain't easy...
For a book with this particular title I noticed a lack of, well, philosophy, let alone a club devoted to the subject. I don't even believe that McCall Smith referenced Sundays at all- or even sundaes (yum!). That said, however, this novel was an absolute pleasure to read and kept me entertained the whole time.
Though the setting was modern-day Edinburgh, Scotland, it seemed the story could take place anywhere- it was easy to follow, despite the fact that it is a place I've never been (hint, hint, Kyle).
The main character, a middle-aged single woman named Isabel, is surprisingly relatable (although I'm neither of those things). A very curious woman by nature, she sets out to investigate the falling death of a handsome young man, with whom she felt a “connection” with as he dropped from the highest balcony at the symphony. Since Isabel was the last person he saw in life, she felt a moral obligation to find out the truth about his accident, suicide, or murder.
The real draw of this novel, however, is McCall Smith's ability to develop the relationships between his characters. They're just so... real.
I would definitely give this book an A (wait, is that the scale I'm using? I better go back to some earlier posts. Okay- good enough. A.).
Has anyone else read this or is planning to? I'd love to hear your opinions!
The next book I'll be reading is Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, so if you'd like to join me in reading it please do so. If you've read it in the past and want to discuss it at all, then just know that I'll finish... eventually. Be patient- it takes effort to carve out some time to read amid mommy-ing and committing to the new fall television schedule.