"Tea and sympathy." Alexander McCall Smith

Barbara Cartland wrote 723 books in her lifetime. Can Alexander McCall Smith be far behind? I exaggerate of course, but McCall Smith is a prolific writer. He has five series he is writing concurrently, as well as other stand-alone novels. One series, 44 Scotland St, first appears in print in The Scotsman, before being published as novels. Another is published online in serial form. As far as I can tell, he has written at least sixty fictional works, as well as twelve works on law. So he’s a long way behind Cartland but considering his first work was published in 1978 (and his first novel in 1999), he’s doing okay.

I haven’t read Barbara Cartland’s work, but I have read several of McCall Smith’s. I started reading Espresso Tales, the second in the 44 Scotland St series. This series revolves around residents of the eponymous building, which includes a painter and his dog, a family driven by an ambitious mother, much to the consternation of her 6-year-old son Bertie, a rich but unambitious art dealer, and more, as well as their friends and relations. While the mode of publication is inspired by Dickens’ model of writing his chapters in newspapers, the stories lack any sense of an overarching plot. Instead we follow the doings and misadventures of these people, who are very loveable, knowable and plausible. I was hooked before finishing the novel, and have read all now except the latest. I realised on finishing the second-latest novel, The Importance of Being Seven” these books could keep going forever, if the author so desired. Each short little plot is entertaining, and there are many strands to keep us going.

The other series I have followed is The Sunday Philosophy Club featuring philosopher-amateur detective Isabel Dalhousie, who solves problems both real and esoteric. Each of these novels are self-contained, while there are continuing arcs involving her, her niece, her partner Jamie and so on. In The Importance of Being Seven, there is a reference to Isabel’s baby, so both these stories take place in the same Edinburgh.

So I assume it is the same world as the Botswana of Precious Ramotswe, the lady detective of his most successful series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I resisted this series as I was already hooked to two and I didn’t want to embark on a third. I saw the television adaptation of the first novel, and was so charmed I finally read one of them, Miracle at Speedy Motors. I enjoyed it too, but thankfully have not been pulled into the lure of the whole series. This may be pure contrariness on my part.

The key to his appeal is the word I used, charm. These are charming books, the characters are likeable (except the few we are not meant to like) and they have a wonderful warm quality, and feature small communities of people who know and care about each other. Even the difficult and unlikeable characters are viewed by their neighbours with sympathy and an attempt at understanding. I have written elsewhere of our focus on dark and awful subjects. McCall Smith writes humane, gentle, empathetic stories and they sell like hotcakes. His popularity is evidence to me of a world that craves connection and civility. Barbara Cartland appealed to our dreams of true love, McCall Smith to our dreams for humanity. Perhaps they are as idealistic and unrealistic as each other. I hope not, and I hope he keeps writing.