A Distant View of Everything: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (11)
by Alexander McCall Smith
- Used
- Hardcover
- Signed
- Condition
- Very Good - Cash/Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 0307908941
- ISBN 13
- 9780307908940
- Seller
-
Bountiful, Utah, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Pantheon, July 2017. Hardcover. Very Good - Cash/Very Good. Minor rubbing and edge wear to cover, with light reader wear to pages. Still great condition. Stock photos may not look exactly like the book.
Reviews
On Apr 25 2017, CloggieDownunder said:
"… it really was rude to allow oneself to daydream while somebody was talking to you. In a way, it was every bit as discourteous as taking a telephone call while engaged in conversation with another, or closing one's eyes and drifting off to sleep in a concert in full view of a performer. And yet, how did you prevent thoughts coming into your mind? And once they were there, how did you stop yourself from entertaining them?"
A Distant View Of Everything is the eleventh novel in the Isabel Dalhousie series by popular British author, Alexander McCall Smith. Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is now an even busier woman: mother to three-month-old Magnus (whose four-year-old brother, Charlie is less than impressed by his existence), another edition of the journal waiting for input on her desk, and she finds herself yet again cajoled into helping a friend solve a dilemma.
Bea Shannon, an old friend from school whose matchmaking skills are legendary in Edinburgh, has misgivings about an introduction she has made: is plastic surgeon, Tony MacUpsaig actually more interested in relieving Connie Macdonald of her money than in a genuine relationship? Is he, as has been suggested, a serial gold-digger? As if this is not enough distraction, it seems Jamie has something important he's not telling her.
This tenth instalment of Edinburgh's favourite philosopher sees Isabel musing on population growth, moral proximity, the keeping of promises, the relationship of floor space to social position, the fate of statues of famous people fallen from grace, selfie protocols, social media mores, the privilege of being alive, and having a conscience: "The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps"
Isabel continues to appreciate her husband, but sometimes fears for her good fortune: "That was the problem with things that were exactly as you wished them to be; that was the problem if you found yourself in Eden – there was a snake in the garden", even if she is sometimes mystified "… the key to understanding men, a friend had once said to her, is to remember that the boundaries between the man and the boy within were often blurred, and not every woman knew where they were".
As always, McCall Smith includes plenty of gentle philosophy and an abundance of wisdom: "Anybody who coins an aphorism tends to regret it – because it gets quoted back at him ad infinitum and is inevitably misunderstood" and "… the judgement of others was often more about them than the ones they were judging" are examples. Isabel's reflections often bring a smile to the face, and her banter with Jamie and her friends provide some laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful read, as always.
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Details
- Bookseller
- The Book Garden (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 736371
- Title
- A Distant View of Everything: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (11)
- Author
- Alexander McCall Smith
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good - Cash
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- ISBN 10
- 0307908941
- ISBN 13
- 9780307908940
- Publisher
- Pantheon
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- July 2017
- Pages
- 272
Terms of Sale
The Book Garden
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
The Book Garden
Biblio member since 2012
Bountiful, Utah
About The Book Garden
Just as the Tardis is bigger on the inside – you will just have to see it to believe! We have over 4000 square feet of as many books as we could sort, stack and tower housed inside this innocent looking storefront. We also have inventory off-site, so if you don’t see what you are looking for – just ask! Love the smell of books? Daydream about getting locked in the library? This is the place for you – located at the very center of downtown Bountiful. Selling gently loved books since 1985.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.