Friday, May 30, 2014

I Love Alexander McCall Smith's Novels

Have read nearly all of Alexander McCall Smith's novels in the last six months. Ate up all novels (to date) in his five series: Corduroy Mansions, 44 Scotland Street, Isabel Dalhousie, Portuguese Irregular Verbs and, of course, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. His publisher simply lets this most prolific writer know when a new sequel is due for one of his series and he writes it. So what's the secret to his productivity, besides loving to write? It's simple, as revealed in this Globe and Mail interview:

“I don’t have to think,” he says of his writing. “I go into sort of a trance.”
Well, it's fabulous for us that he gets in the flow and writing comes so easily to him because his novels are delightful. In addition to the thirty-eight books in these series to date, he's written many others - over one hundred - including Dream Angus: the Celtic God of Dreams and Trains and Lovers. My goal is to read them all (with the possible exception of his legal tome on Botwana's laws). ; - ) They are that good.

Meanwhile, should you find yourself a bit down feeling a bit down, step into one of his novels. You will enter a world that makes you feel better.