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| The Careful Use of Compliments (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexander Mccall Smith
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $5.50
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New (44) Used (22) from $5.19
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 11268
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 1400077125
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781400077120
ASIN: 1400077125
Publication Date: August 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
A Message from Author Alexander McCall Smith Three great places to visit in Scotland: The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
This gallery, housed in an extraordinary red sandstone building topped with spikes and twirls, contains a pictorial record of Scots over the ages--the handsome, the deluded, the unfortunate, the inventive--theyre all there. Falkland Palace
A lovely little palace in lush countryside, where the father of Mary Queen of Scots turned his face to the wall and predicted the end of the Stuart dynasty. The Isle of Muck
You reach this charming little island on a tiny boat. There is nothing to do on the island but to contemplate its beauty--and its name. Note to readers:
I would like to thank you for all your support. If it werent for the encouragement this has given me, my long conversation with Mma Ramotswe would have ended far earlier. As it is, I feel that we still have quite a bit to hear from her as we do, too, from Isabel Dalhousie, heroine of my Edinburgh novels, and all the denizens of 44 Scotland Street. Each of these series will have a new novel written this year, and I am also planning to revisit the three German professors of the Portuguese Irregular verbs series. I was in the United States in the spring this year and will return in the Fall. These visits give me the chance to meet many readers of these books, so if we have not yet met, perhaps we shall do so before too long. And if we do, please do not hesitate to give me your views on what should happen to the characters in the future: all (reasonable) suggestions gratefully accepted! --Alexander McCall Smith
Product Description
In the fourth installment of this enchanting, beloved series, Isabel Dalhousie, who is now a mother, returns to investigate an irresistible puzzle in the art world.
Isabel Dalhousie—the nosiest and most sympathetic philosopher you are likely to meet—now has a son, Charlie, whose doting father Jamie has an intriguing idea to pose to Isabel: marriage. But Isabel wonders if Jamie is too young to be serious? And how would Cat respond? On top of these matters, the ambitious Professor Dove has seized Isabel's position as editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. However, nothing it seems can diminish Isabel's innate curiosity. And when she recognizes that two paintings attributed to a deceased artist have simultaneously appeared on the market, she can't help but think that they're forgeries. So Isabel begins an investigation and soon finds herself diverted from her musings about parenthood and onto a path of inquiry into the soul of an artist.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
Deeply felt and enchanting August 7, 2007
72 out of 75 found this review helpful
The moment I finished this book I wanted to share my enjoyment in it. I've never felt inclined to write a review before despite my constant reading. There are many other impassioned readers and I trust that they will write about those books they find deeply moving. Reading this book has been that way for me. I read the earlier Dalhousie books because I trusted the author, and was waiting to see where he would take me. I found them quietly enjoyable, with interesting themes, but the heroine sometimes felt restricted and thin. I now feel rewarded for my patience.
This novel succeeded in bringing to life thoughts and ideas more engagingly and profoundly for me than any of the previous volumes in this series. I've read all of Alexander McCall Smith's other books, and enjoyed them as gentle and sweet tales. I laughed out loud at his German professors and smiled when his African detective came to her elegant understanding of human nature. I've enjoyed all the stories about Scotland, precisely because the author demonstrates such an understanding of human foibles, while showing affection for his characters. This volume is the first one that touched me on a deeper level. I still enjoyed the discussion of philosophy, but finally believe that Isobel is experiencing life, and through her I felt joy.
This latest book of Mr. McCall Smith's, "The Careful Use of Compliments" combines some of my favorite themes from his other series. The machinations of the intellectually insecure professor, the wonderful observations of human nature in all of its glory, and the posing of a mystery to be solved are all done cleverly. But it is the added depth of feeling, between mother and child, between Isobel and Jamie, and the development of Isobel as a more thoughtful, forgiving and appealing character that brings the book to life. Her sweetness shines forth, altering subtly the dry, more scholarly existence she'd previously chosen and I found the process deeply convincing and wonderful. I'm so glad I bought it, and will be giving it to friends and family to read. I don't recommend books lightly, but this one will engage members of my circle from 21 to 78, provoking discussion and hopefully a measure of enlightenment.
 Purchase the Audio CD and hear the Scottish Voice October 17, 2007
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
This is the fourth book in the Isabel Dalhousie series. Large sections of the novels, consist of Isabel's internal dialogue. As readers, we get the opportunity to experience the world as seen through the lens of the moral philosopher. Isabel's inner world is as at the very heart of the novels.
However, in this fourth novel, Isabel's world has radically changed. She now has a son and a new lover. She is no longer the middle aged philosopher who lives alone in a large house. Yet, the novel continues to be centered on Isabel's internal life. There are now two new people who are integral to her daily life. Yet, there is only the slightest interaction between Isabel, Charlie and Jamie. They are almost completely absent from her internal life. This lack of day to day emotional and physical interaction, makes this story less believable to me.
Finally, I would recommend the Audio CD to anyone with an interest in this book. As an American, we rarely get the chance to hear the full range of Scottish accents. When I think of Scottish accents, the stereotypical Scottie from Star Trek immediately pops into mind. Davina Porter is such a talented narrator that she is able to recreate the many different dialects that one finds in Scotland. The rich differences between county and city and educated and working class accents are a real pleasure to hear. Davina Porter's fine narration alone, adds another star to the book.
A good book, but... August 13, 2007
18 out of 25 found this review helpful
I think that this particular series of books by McCall Smith has gotten better with each new release. I enjoyed the story and in general like the characters.
However, I feel a bit cheated here. When this book starts, Isabel's son Charlie is already three months old. The last book ended with Isabel finding out she was pregnant. It seems as if we are missing a book here. I would have loved to have had Isabel "philosophizing" about pregnancy and how it changes a woman. To have our all too literal heroine reflecting on the emotional and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy would have been interesting to read.
I'll give it four stars, but can't help feeling that something is missing.
Isabel Dalhousie becoming more intriguing as she ages... August 18, 2007
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
Well, well, well. Perhaps I've learned the secret to enjoying the Isabel Dalhousie mystery series.
Skip a few.
I, like many other Alexander Mccall Smith fans, thoroughly enjoyed (and still enjoy) The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. So when The Sunday Philosophy Club was published, the first of the Isabel Dalhousie sagas, I consumed it eagerly.
Underwhelming came to mind.
Then, like a moth to a candle, Friends, Lovers, Chocolate came out. I couldn't help myself. I gave it a 3-star review, and thought I was saying goodbye to Isabel, friend Jamie, Cat (that pesky niece of Isabel), and the Review of Applied Ethics, which Isabel edited.
The next book, The Right Attitude to Rain, didn't get a glance at the bookstore.
And then, I noticed the newest edition: The Careful Use of Compliments. Isabel has a baby? The father is Jamie, Cat's ex-boyfriend? WHAT? That volume of The Right Attitude to Rain must have picked things up a bit.
In The Careful Use of Compliments, Isabel is a new mother of a bottle-fed three month old, Jamie is still infatuated with older women and is over Cat, Cat is not forgiving her aunt for having a baby with (gasp) HER old boyfriend. The Review of Applied Ethics picks up to new levels of intrigue with a change in personnel and, in between all this, Isabel is involved in a mysterious case involving a deceased Scottish painter and some rather newer paintings... perhaps too new.
What I can't tell you is whether this would make any sense without the benefit of catching at least one of the earlier novels. Nevertheless, I enjoyed The Careful Use of Compliments more than any other Isabel Dalhousie novel. That means I will certainly pick up the next one and give it a look.
And if it doesn't catch my interest? I'll try out the "every other volume" strategy. It worked this time.
 Engaging and charming entry in Isabel Dalhousie series August 21, 2007
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander Mccall Smith is the most recent entry in the Isabel Dalhousie mystery series. Isabel's son, Charlie, by her friend/lover Jamie has been born and has brought about many changes to her household. Cat, Isabel's niece and Jamie's former girlfriend, has given the new family the cold shoulder, especially Charlie. Jamie and Isabel take a weekend trip to northern Scotland, and Isabel discovers a mystery in two paintings recently come to auction by a deceased artist. She also loses her job as editor of a small philosophy journal, and with all of these changes in her life finds herself on shifting ground. Smith seems to be regarding the transiency of life in this delightful novel. Isabel is lost in love with her new son and finds herself contemplating how quickly life passes. As always, she debates moral arguments of all sorts in her mind and tries to practice being the best person she can. She brings up interesting questions about the responsibility of those with great wealth and how they should be taxed. I really love reading Smith's works. They engage the mind and soul with realistic characters facing everyday problems and struggling to make their little corner of the world a better place. Isabel could easily be accused of being a nosy busybody, but her every act is taken with great thought and in love.
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