On Living Ethically

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith is the second in a series of three (so far) novels featuring Isabel Dalhousie, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics.

Set in the city of Edinburgh, this slim volume is a delightful hybrid that combines a touch of mystery with local color and gentle discussions on how one woman goes about living and working in a manner that is morally and ethically consistent. The result is a pleasing discourse on all manner of things--from forming and maintaining a variety of relationships, to how one integrates into the surrounding community, to coping with the unexpected results of today's medical miracles.

By now, you probably know enough about this book to determine whether it might interest you. This is not a highbrow book, but rather a thoughtful one. It's not an appropriate choice for those seeking an action-packed scenario. If, however, you like the idea of wandering through an intelligent mind seeking to cope with the challenges of living life ethically against the backdrop of Scotland's most beautiful city, you might be in for a treat.

As an author, Alexander McCall Smith is best known for his series of books featuring the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Smith plays a bit to type with his main characters. It really isn't that difficult to find a bit of Mma Precious Ramotswe in Isabel Dalhousie. Both are strong but gentle women who think about what they do and why they do it. Both understand who they are and where they come from. They love their home and the culture that produced them. Both like men, not to mention a bit of romance in their lives, but both are well able to live fully on their own terms.

The main plot of this book concerns Isabel's efforts to help her new friend Ian, who is a recent heart transplant recipient. Ian has been experiencing troubled dreams and visions suggesting that his unknown donor may have been murdered. He fears that the dreams are really a form of cellular memory transfer, and he turns to Isabel in search of answers that will give him a measure of peace.

Subplots revolve around relationships--friends, family, and lovers. Many of these relationships are exceedingly complex, and Isabel expends a good deal of energy trying to identify ethically responsible pathways through the all-too-common human foibles that touch her life. A life well lived, as Isabel rationalizes, must make the best choices possible based on the knowledge available. Mistakes and apologies are, for her, an inevitable part of the process.

Smith's writing style is . . . well, pleasant. As does Isabel with her practical pursuit of ethics, he lets context do much of the background labor. Smith doesn't follow a minimalist path in the manner of Hemingway, but having set his scene, he doesn't go to great lengths to provide long descriptive passages. Nonetheless, those who know Edinburgh will be satisfied to wander the streets and neighborhoods of this comely city. I'll likely read the book again for this alone.

As a mystery writer, however, Smith is not quite at his best in this volume. For my part, his resolution of the various subplots surrounding Isabel's personal relationships is far more satisfactory than his resolution of the main plot. Characters introduced late for the purpose of solving the story's central mystery are incomplete and exaggerated. In my opinion, they don't really work.

What of chocolate? Well, that's part of the minimalist approach. For more on that, you'll simply have to read the book.