Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
5th out of 5 books
—
8 voters
The Right Attitude to Rain (Sunday Philosophy Club #3)
by
Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)
ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 3
Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective. Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers...more
Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective. Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers...more
Hardcover, 276 pages
Published
September 19th 2006
by Pantheon
(first published 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This might be a silly question, but when does the mystery start? Around page 100, I checked the categories on the copyright page and the back to make sure that it was a "mystery," at least according to the publisher. Then I checked again at page 200. I got to the end (and I hope no one considers this a spoiler) but there (view spoiler)
This boo...more
This boo...more
Of the five laudatory review quotes which appear on the cover and end paper (or whatever you call it in a paperback), “delightful” appears in three, a fourth thinks Alexander McCall Smith “a delight”, and the rogue fifth opts for the book’s “charm”. If at this point alarm bells aren’t sounding, this may be the book for you and what follows an affront.
My poor Advanced reading group – just as I thought you couldn’t do worse than Mary Ann Shaffer, along comes “The Right Attitude to Rain”. I’m not s...more
2 likes · like · see review
In this third installment of the Isabel Dalhousie series, Alexander McCall Smith has done an admirable job of advancing the plot without being too redundant. For those unfamiliar with the series, but who have read the authors No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series, Isabel Dalhousie is a far different protagonist than Mma Ramotswe. While both philosophers in their own right, Isabel's philsophies are academic and rooted in social modernity whereas Precious Ramotswe prides herself on simple wisdom...more
Dear Ms. Dalhousie--
I continue to enjoy your company (particularly as a light interlude between weightier works--although you are weighty in your own way), but I do have a few bones to pick with you this time.
1. If there was a mystery in this one, I completely missed it. In previous books, the mystery has been rather low-key, but still there. I appreciate that you needed some airtime for the development of your own character, but I kept waiting for a mystery that never appeared.
2. I continue to...more
I continue to enjoy your company (particularly as a light interlude between weightier works--although you are weighty in your own way), but I do have a few bones to pick with you this time.
1. If there was a mystery in this one, I completely missed it. In previous books, the mystery has been rather low-key, but still there. I appreciate that you needed some airtime for the development of your own character, but I kept waiting for a mystery that never appeared.
2. I continue to...more
Rating: 3 disappointed stars of five
The Book Report: Isabel Dalhousie, moral philosopher and newly reawakened lust-pot, entertains her American cousin and her husband in this third installment of the Sunday Philosophy Club series of novels. Much happens, all of it spoilery, but one big thing occurs here: Isabel finally asks her younger musician friend and lust object, Jamie, to bed. He, unsurprisingly, says yes.
Isabel does this because almost everyone in her world spends the whole book saying, "...more
The Book Report: Isabel Dalhousie, moral philosopher and newly reawakened lust-pot, entertains her American cousin and her husband in this third installment of the Sunday Philosophy Club series of novels. Much happens, all of it spoilery, but one big thing occurs here: Isabel finally asks her younger musician friend and lust object, Jamie, to bed. He, unsurprisingly, says yes.
Isabel does this because almost everyone in her world spends the whole book saying, "...more
Aristotle was wrong. When he wrote “Why is it that all men who are outstanding in philosophy, poetry and the arts are melancholic”, he reckoned without Alexander McCall Smith, an author whose expertise in these fields is matched, if not exceeded, by his frivolity. The character of Isabel Dalhousie reflects this mixture of high intellect, sharp observation and easy sense of humour. During some pre-party wardrobe angst we read that “There were word people, idea people – and then there were clothes...more
Picking up an Alexander McCall Smith novel makes me want to curl up in a chair with a cup of hot tea. Considering the temperature here in the Southeast, I'll pass on the hot tea. But I have enjoyed the Isabel Dalhousie "mysteries" a great deal. Isabel is a philosopher, given to musings that are thought-provoking for me and that tie in with the novel's themes and plots more than you'd think at first glance.
In Book 3 of the series, Isabel is her usual inquisitive self. She has her American cousins...more
In Book 3 of the series, Isabel is her usual inquisitive self. She has her American cousins...more
In creating the character of Isabel Dalhousie, McCall Smith has given us a heroine who is very real and someone I for one am able to identify with (it may be because I am 40!). It is possible that a younger reader may not appreciate her life, her thoughts and her actions as much. However, this is where Mccall Smith is at his best no doubt. He writes so beautifully and so exactly about Isabel's state of mind and the thoughts that almost always seem to make her a participant and an observer at the...more
Enjoyable and unexpected. A bit slow at the start, but then it warms up. As usual I enjoyed the character Isabel's philosophizing and inquiries into what is moral and right, what we are personally responsible for. Questions such as that are not addressed much these days, but our modern world might be better off if they were.
"She moved away from the rug shop. A man inside, anxiously waiting for customers, had seen her and had been watching her. Isabel had looked through the glass, beyond the pile...more
"She moved away from the rug shop. A man inside, anxiously waiting for customers, had seen her and had been watching her. Isabel had looked through the glass, beyond the pile...more
Oh, dear!
The Right Attitude to Rain: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel UNABRIDGED
By Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by Davina Porter
This is not a good sign. It took 30 minutes to realize, I've heard this book before!
I loved the narrator, Davina Porter. Her voice sounded age appropriate and the accent went along perfectly.
So why hadn't I reviewed it? I know I listened to the whole thing,
Publisher's summary:
New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith has become a household name through hi...more
The Right Attitude to Rain: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel UNABRIDGED
By Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by Davina Porter
This is not a good sign. It took 30 minutes to realize, I've heard this book before!
I loved the narrator, Davina Porter. Her voice sounded age appropriate and the accent went along perfectly.
So why hadn't I reviewed it? I know I listened to the whole thing,
Publisher's summary:
New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith has become a household name through hi...more
Ok, I admit, the characters are growing on me. I read this Kindle edition in one evening -- and immediate checked out the next one and finished it the next day.
I agree with the other reviewers who wonder where the "mystery" is, but they're quick reads and have caused me to ponder some of Isabel's philosophical musings.
Excerpt to ponder: "Begging, she realized, was one of those moral issues which she called intimate; they did not arise in the halls of academia so much as in the daily lives of pe...more
I agree with the other reviewers who wonder where the "mystery" is, but they're quick reads and have caused me to ponder some of Isabel's philosophical musings.
Excerpt to ponder: "Begging, she realized, was one of those moral issues which she called intimate; they did not arise in the halls of academia so much as in the daily lives of pe...more
The third episode in Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series, and Isabel's relationship with niece Cat is put under strain as a result of Isabel's developing relationship with Cat's discarded boyfriend Jamie.
Never one to keep out of trouble, or other people's business, Isabel maintains a watchful eye on the relationship between disfigured American Tom Bruce and his young fiancée - what exactly is her interest in him, or indeed his in her?
But the real driver of the plot in this book is I...more
Never one to keep out of trouble, or other people's business, Isabel maintains a watchful eye on the relationship between disfigured American Tom Bruce and his young fiancée - what exactly is her interest in him, or indeed his in her?
But the real driver of the plot in this book is I...more
My Thoughts:
The Right Attitude to Rain is book three in Sunday Philosophy Club series. If you have read my previous two reviews of The Sunday Philosophy Club and Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, you know that I am in love with this series. There is just something about it that I love; I try to savour every moment of these books while I am reading.
In this book Isabel has some guest that have arrived from Dallas, Texas. There is not a lot of drama and action in this book, or for that matter the first...more
The Right Attitude to Rain is book three in Sunday Philosophy Club series. If you have read my previous two reviews of The Sunday Philosophy Club and Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, you know that I am in love with this series. There is just something about it that I love; I try to savour every moment of these books while I am reading.
In this book Isabel has some guest that have arrived from Dallas, Texas. There is not a lot of drama and action in this book, or for that matter the first...more
Mar 02, 2009
Liz
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
books-read-in-2009
This is the third installment in Alexander McCall Smith's series of light mysteries centering around Scottish philosopher Isabel Dalhousie. As usual, the mystery factor is very, very light, the main focus of the book being on Isabel, her relationships, and the moral and ethical dilemmas that present themselves to her. In this installment, Isabel is enjoying an extended visit from her cousin Mimi, and Mimi's husband Joe. While in Edinburgh, they encounter a couple they were acquainted with in Dal...more
Highly ambiguous novel, due to the main character, Isabel Dalhousie, who turns out to be an unreliable narrator. At first, 'The right attitude to rain' appears to be a real 'feelgood' book, homely and cosy, paying attention to weather issues and the small complexities of human life.
The main character, Isabel Dalhousie, is a careful observer of human life. She believes she knows how to live life at the fullest and is quick in offering some mental support or advice. She wants to secure the financi...more
The main character, Isabel Dalhousie, is a careful observer of human life. She believes she knows how to live life at the fullest and is quick in offering some mental support or advice. She wants to secure the financi...more
This is by the author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which I've seen a lot more at airport bookstores all of the sudden - apparently, HBO did a movie of it.
HBO didn't do a movie of this series, but it's quite good. It takes place in Scotland. This is the second book I've read in the series (the first one I read was #4. I'm going backwards). I'm not sure if they're meant to be mysteries or not. I had thought they were, but maybe I just thought that because the author has another series of...more
HBO didn't do a movie of this series, but it's quite good. It takes place in Scotland. This is the second book I've read in the series (the first one I read was #4. I'm going backwards). I'm not sure if they're meant to be mysteries or not. I had thought they were, but maybe I just thought that because the author has another series of...more
1 like · like · see review
Isabel Dalhousie series continues and builds upon the previous two volumes in the series, which I would recommend be read in order starting with The Sunday Philosophy Club. The suspense is minimal but several interesting character developments. As usual with McCall Smith, I have mixed feelings -- enjoying the characters yet tiring of the plodding somewhat repetitive plot points. I may have to finish the series that he's published so far, which I heard in a PBS interview about his newest book, Th...more
An enjoyable book three with a slightly different feel. Not a mystery, more of a transformational book with pivotal character & plot development. Whereas in book 1 I found it hard to buy into Isabel being in her early forties, over the course of book 2 & 3 we see Isabel less stogy & nosy and more open, active, freer, helping the reader buy into her being a fab 40. I liked the character of Florence, an older wiser woman who encourages Isabel to live without regrets. I equally enjoyed...more
I can't say I liked this as much as the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency books (of which I think I have read all but one). While part of Precious Ramotswe's charm was her straightforward approach to life, Isabel Dalhousie, the central character in this series, is a serious overthinker. Literate and curious, she's the kind of person I'd enjoy spending an afternoon with, but living in her head for the length of the novel got tiresome.
I was also surprised that there was, essentially, no mystery in this...more
I was also surprised that there was, essentially, no mystery in this...more
Third book in the Isabel Dalhousie series. A lot of readers might be put off by the lacking of mystery in this book (there's a bit of one in there, but it's very very insignificant to the plot, sadly), but I actually love that Smith put so much effort into character and relationship developments, though I don't like it as well as the first two. The story went so many different directions that it felt a little scattered, and I'm unsatisfied with the ending, especially knowing how it will effect f...more
My word it took me a while to get into this one. I had decided not to read any more of McCall Smith's books, in order to give other authors a chance. However, a friend had given me a copy of this for Christmas and I felt obliged to read it.
Another friend spotted it in my handbag and said how much she had enjoyed it. Perhaps I should have told her my misgivings and she would have told me to stick with it. She didn’t, and I persevered, and I am glad I did.
At first I was incredibly envious of Ms Da...more
Another friend spotted it in my handbag and said how much she had enjoyed it. Perhaps I should have told her my misgivings and she would have told me to stick with it. She didn’t, and I persevered, and I am glad I did.
At first I was incredibly envious of Ms Da...more
It's hard to believe that Alexander McCall-Smith, the same author who wrote the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency and the 44 Scotland Street series, wrote this book from the Sunday Philosophy Club series. So far, I think that this is the worst of the four-book series. The main character, Isabel Dalhousie, a philosopher and professor of ethics, can't seem to get through an hour of her day without analyzing everything into the ground. She spends so much time worrying about her feelings, beliefs, an...more
The books in this series are like little windows in the life of the protagonist, Isabel Dalhousie. However, at least with the first and second book in the series there was a clear (or not-so-clear in case of book 2) plot involving a mystery of some sort. This book doesn't even have that. It is literally a series of philosophically-oriented musings prompted by a weekend in the country and the fact that Isabel's in love with someone much younger than her who is oh-my-god-so-handsome-and-perfect (t...more
Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher and is also insatiably curious about other people's business. I enjoy her rambling musings on life, philosophy and relationships, not to mention the random quoting of Scottish poetry. I particularly enjoyed this book in the series because Isabel finally embraces romance in her life. McCall Smith also finally gives us a picture of how Isabel appears to others (very attractive, apparently).
McCall Smith does an excellent job of immersing his readers within the loca...more
McCall Smith does an excellent job of immersing his readers within the loca...more
“The Right Attitude to Rain” is a cozy mystery written by McCall Smith. I listened to this book which kept my attention as the reader did a good job with the characters. Isabel Dalhousis is a philosopher who has a very conservative view of herself and of the moral aspects of life's. In this book she grapples with romantic relationships between individuals of different ages. She also grapples with the importance of the opinions of others related to the freedoms one might enjoy in one’s own life....more
Sep 09, 2011
Myfavoritegeorgie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of the author; those searching for an easy, nondemanding read
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I love this title. It's what got me to read the book. And the cover. It looks so green and lush as plants do after a rainfall. This author writes mystery series, and the first book in this series is a mystery, this book actual book was not. It read more the like the main character's diary. You followed her day by day as she dealt with her feels for a younger man and if she should pursue them, and her cousin comes to visit, etc. If anything, it's more of a romance than a mystery.
"The literay equ...more
"The literay equ...more
I don't quite know what to make of this book. The novel is part of a series of books about a Scottish woman named Isabel Dalhousie. She is a philosopher by trade (no, really) and, I guess, a sort of detective, only her "mysteries" are those of the human character. The plot is a bit like a Seinfeld episode, consisting of small, daily interactions, only with likeable characters and lots of insight and reflection. But the reflections can be kind of intrusive -- the protaganist is always launching i...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Isabel Dalhousie. What a delightful woman, what a delightful story, what a delightful balancing act. I was all set to coast through this series of books in cozy conversation with this thoughtful narrator. Now I see that my window into Isabel's world is to be rather more than that, not just episode after episode of mysteries to be unraveled but a progression of events, not just anticipations but expectations, not just wish fulfillment but a parade of little joys and puzzles and surprises such as...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what...more
More about Alexander McCall Smith...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“If your ceiling should fall down, then you have lost a room, but gained a courtyard. Think of it that way.”
—
22 people liked it
“How many of us are happy to be exactly where we are at any moment?...only the completely happy think that they are in the correct place.”
—
14 people liked it
More quotes…
I was very confused by that, with the book being by a m...more
Jan 16, 2012 06:59pm
Jan 16, 2012 09:01pm