Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The remarkable Alexander McCall-Smith

From a detective agency in Africa, to Edinburgh Scotland and some academic Germany in between you can follow Alexander McCall-Smith’s characters. His No. 1 Ladies' detective agency series is a success. I even heard that they are making it into a movie, which I think will please many. But that is not the end, McCall-Smith also ventures in to the philosophy of living in Edinburgh and the life of a German professor who seems to be a bit out of the ordinary and now the latest addition, they story that started as a series in a newspaper about the house on 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh.

McCall-Smith has a humour and a way of writing that fits the most. I haven’t met anyone yet who has not liked him, if you don’t like one of the series, they are different enough for you to try another. I wasn’t too impressed with the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but I love the Sunday Philosophy Club and the new series 44 Scotland Street.
What I like the most about McCall-Smith is his style of writing, like he is sitting in a pub telling us a story. It seems like the story poured on to the paper. His characters aren’t described in to their smallest details and there are plenty of room for my own imagination. Take the example of Doktor von Igelfeldt. He is just like you would picture a German professor who has spent way too much time in the academic world. His arrogance makes me sometimes laugh and sometimes shake my head in disbelief. His description of Isabel Dalhousie’s life and the life at 44 Scotland Street makes me want to visit Edinburgh right now.
I can only wish for what comes next from the genius McCall-Smith.
Josefine

My recommendations: Portuguese Irregular Verb by Alexander McCall-Smith

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