Corduroy Mansions - Book 20

I finally finished a book!  Boy, am I way behind on my Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.  I knew I would be, because I decided to focus on reading the Bible and also because I've been taking Theology courses.  I knew I just wouldn't be able to keep up that rapid rate of reading.  The truth is, for me, I have to read a lot of fluffy stuff in order to keep up.  I am not really a fast reader. And life has been so crazy in addition to going back to school, that even when I did have time to read before bed, I fell asleep almost immediately.

Corduroy Mansions is by Alexander McCall Smith of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency fame.  This series is set in London in a house, called Corduroy Mansions, which has been turned into flats.  Basically it chronicles the lives of the flat-dwellers there.  It is a gentle, light, charming, intelligent and subtly humorous story or rather collection of stories.  It would make a great beach book and it should have been the type of book I can read in a few days.  Why it took me a month . . . well, I already explained why!

The characters are all likable (except for one), which is pleasant.  While there are several characters, we mostly see things through the eyes of William the kind and a little too gentle wine merchant, Barbara who breaks up with the odious MP Oedipus Snark only to find true love immediately, Caroline who has boy trouble, and Berthea Snark, Oedipus Snark's mother.  This one cracked me up the most - she is a psychoanalyst who hasn't really got a clue, named her son Oedipus - can't stand him and is writing a biography of him.  Her very simple but spiritual brother Terence is also a lovely character.  There's a bit of poking fun, gently of course, at New Agey diets and spiritual trends.  The best thing is how the author would follow the thinking of each of the characters.  We really get their personalities and outlook on life as they meander into sometimes deep contemplations on the everyday conundrums we all face.

There is something midlife here in the wisdom in the book, and the saddest thing is that the two people who have children have pretty much failed as parents.  There's a lot of regret and dealing with the fact that they don't like their own offspring.

This book is the first of a series.  I think there are at least two more.  I may pick up another one if I have a lull in my life and need something gentle but interesting to read.

For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.