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Corduroy Mansions is the affectionate nickname given to a genteel, crumbling mansion block in London's vibrant Pimlico neighborhood and the home turf of a captivating collection of quirky and altogether McCall-Smithian characters. There's the middle-aged wine merchant William, who's trying to convince his reluctant twenty-four-year-old son, Eddie, to leave the nest; and Marcia, the boutique caterer who has her sights set on William. There's also the (justifiably) much-loathed Member of Parliament Oedipus Snark; his mother, Berthea, who's writing his biography and hating every minute of it; and his long-suffering girlfriend, Barbara, a literary agent who would like to be his wife (but, then, she'd like to be almost anyone's wife). There's the vitamin evangelist, the psychoanalyst, the art student with a puzzling boyfriend and Freddie de la Hay, the Pimlico terrier who insists on wearing a seat belt and is almost certainly the only avowed vegetarian canine in London.… (more)
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Interesting but spoiled by the flat ending.
Author Alexander McCall Smith writes with verve and wit, but something about this farce kept it from holding my attention. The characters and their predicaments are interesting, but the plot never seems to go anywhere--and wading through all the dithering over decision-making is monotonous and drags the story down. Several characters play a very small part in the tale, and don't seem to have enough to do. Either their roles should have been expanded or excluded all together.
While Corduroy Mansions is cleverly told, it lacks any nuance capable of hooking the reader and inciting him to care. I want to like this book and recommend it wholeheartedly . . . . I just can't.
Here's what I love most about Alexander McCall Smith's writing: his character development. There is not a single book of his
This was the perfect airplane read. It had me giggling softly to myself, thoroughly engrossed in the unfolding drama all centered around a quiet, unassuming building. A fantastic read and one I highly recommend.
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McCall Smith is evidently so used to writing serials that he doesn't even bother to tie up his plot lines any more, something that gives the structure of the book a rather unsatisfying feel. Worth reading if you happen to find a copy on a friend's shelves, but not worth spending money on, I would say.
It was fun, with all ranges of human (and canine) emotions, but I'm not sure that this format sets it off to best advantage.