- Hardcover: 358 pages
- Publisher: Polygon; 1st edition (1 Aug 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1846971217
- ISBN-13: 978-1846971211
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.6 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 83,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Corduroy Mansions
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Quirky and original . . . told with warmth, wit and intelligence, and McCall Smith's cast of characters are beautifully observed. It's a page-turner with many happy endings. Perfect (DAILY EXPRESS ** 'Bags of warmth and wisdom and easy, accomplished writing that begs for a comfy chair’ )
Kate Saunders, THE TIMES ** 'Richly illustrates McCall Smith's absolute mastery of the art of storytelling (THE LADY ** 'The author's gentle humour and playful teasing-out of moral dilemmas great and small are there in abundance’ )
SCOTSMAN ** 'The seriousness is always sugar-dusted in McCall Smith's delight in the ridiculous and his perfectly paced humour (DAILY TELEGRAPH ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Kate Saunders, THE TIMES ** 'Richly illustrates McCall Smith's absolute mastery of the art of storytelling (THE LADY ** 'The author's gentle humour and playful teasing-out of moral dilemmas great and small are there in abundance’ )
SCOTSMAN ** 'The seriousness is always sugar-dusted in McCall Smith's delight in the ridiculous and his perfectly paced humour (DAILY TELEGRAPH ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Book Description
*The new London-based series from Alexander McCall Smith, comparable in warmth and humour to 44 Scotland Street
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Corduroy Mansions is in the same vein as 44 Scotland Street, but set in London. The inhabitants of a block of flats are the core characters who interact with the outside world. McCall Smith creates a range of believable people and weaves stories around them that illustrate human feelings and behaviour. When reading his books, I feel that the author is a kind and humane man who tries to see the best in people. His books do not depict the underbelly of society not are they full of violence, but they are not overly sentimental and do deal with philosophical and moral issues. I know Edinburgh well and the Scotland Street books are full of familiar Streets and venues which add to the pleasure. I don't feel that Corduroy Mansions has so many allusions to place, which is not surprising as McCall Smith has lived and worked in Edinburgh for a long time. The format of the book (like the Scottish series) is a series of short chapters, previously published in a daily newspaper, giving the book a pacy immediacy that carries the reader along. It's a bit like a superior soap opera where one follows the lives of the largely middle-class characters from day to day. Very enjoyable.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I took this book camping with me, having enjoyed other books by the Author. I wish i had left it at home..
Each character is a carbon copy of the next, there is nothing unique about any, the dialogue of each is identical making it difficult to give individual characters their own voice, and also, the characters are very similar to those in other books by the Author which is particularly disappointing, there seems to have been no imagination when writing this, it is very lazily and poorly written.
Also, if the Author does think that people actually talk the way his characters do, he really should get out a little bit more. The dialogue throughout is unrealistic and "one" would expect more of an effort to made, to recreate a modern community.
I would suggest to anyone reading this review, if you Like McCall-Smith give this a miss, it really is uncharacteristically bad.
Each character is a carbon copy of the next, there is nothing unique about any, the dialogue of each is identical making it difficult to give individual characters their own voice, and also, the characters are very similar to those in other books by the Author which is particularly disappointing, there seems to have been no imagination when writing this, it is very lazily and poorly written.
Also, if the Author does think that people actually talk the way his characters do, he really should get out a little bit more. The dialogue throughout is unrealistic and "one" would expect more of an effort to made, to recreate a modern community.
I would suggest to anyone reading this review, if you Like McCall-Smith give this a miss, it really is uncharacteristically bad.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I always enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's writing, and the pace with which he is able to carry a reader, but his characters did not grab me in this book. It's partly because it's set in London and he does not lovingly and in detail describe the areas of the city in which the characters live, work and move ( and I can't empathise with an unknown part of London as much as I can with that wonderful city of Edinburgh), but also because some of the characters are rather shallow. I also find it very difficult to visualise them (always absolutely necessary) as I can in other series
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Another enjoyable series
Was happy to find this after finishing reading all the 44 Scotland Street books.
It is in the same style, which suits me perfectly and I was drawn in very quickly. Read more
It is in the same style, which suits me perfectly and I was drawn in very quickly. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Starting over
Corduroy Mansions
Another soothing read from Alexander McCall Smith, as far as I am concerned this man can do no wrong. I look forward to, and have yet to be disappointed, every book of his.
Published 2 months ago by Sue
A Bit of Isabel Dalhousie Crossed with 44 Scotland Street Planted in...
"If you are wise, you are wise for yourself," -- Proverbs 9:12 (NKJV)
Don't miss this book! Read more
Don't miss this book! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Donald Mitchell
Cordfuroy Mansions
This book is a bit of a trifle, mostly just custard and cream with only the oiccasional mouthful of Victoria sponge soaked in cooking sherry. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. Karl Blau
Corduroy Mansions
I've read several of Alexander McCall Smiths's books, starting with the 'The Number One Ladies Detective Agency' series, set in Botswana which I loved. Read more
Published 10 months ago by C. Gardner
truly delightful
Corduroy Mansions is the first of the Corduroy Mansions series by Alexander McCall Smith. This novel is along the same style as the 44 Scotland Street series: it was originally... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Cloggie Downunder
Well written and absorbing
I am a big fan of the no 1 ladies detective agency but this is a completely different kettle of fish. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sarah-Louise J
Scotland Street Revisited
If you loved the `Scotland Street' series, then this is more of the same warm, witty drama from Alexander McCall Smith. Read more
Published 12 months ago by anozama
What one would expect from McCall Smith
There are many excellent ratings for this book so I will not analyse it further, but I am surprised to see some very poor ratings. Read more
Published 13 months ago by BBSS1 (Bruce Blood Sister1)
Half a story
I have read and enjoyed the No1 Ladies Detective Agency stories and some of the Scotland Street series so I expected most of the loose ends to be tied up at the end of this one. Read more
Published 17 months ago by magsonjollies
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