Trains and Lovers: A Novel Author: Visit Amazon's Alexander McCall Smith Page | Language: English | ISBN:
034580581X | Format: EPUB
Trains and Lovers: A Novel Description
From Booklist
The latest from McCall Smith, Scotland’s contemporary answer to Anthony Trollope, is a stand-alone novel, set on the train from Edinburgh to London. Unfortunately, the novel is a rare misfire for McCall Smith, the architect of the “everyone brings problems to one place” frame used to such wonderful effect in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and in the elegantly interlocking stories in the 44 Scotland Street and Corduroy Mansions series. The frame here has four people in one train compartment: three men (from Scotland, the U.S., and England) and one woman (from Western Australia) settle in to tell each other tales of their past loves. It would take a derrick to suspend this I beam of disbelief, beginning with the startling fact that these twenty-first-century travelers occupy the entire journey by taking turns talking—there’s not an iPad in sight. Those who expect the sort of assignations promised by the cover art will be disappointed; there’s not even any flirting. Still, if readers can ignore the screeching narrative wheels, there are the usual rewards to reading McCall Smith, including his deft descriptions of landscape and the physical characteristics of his characters—and, of course, his wise and witty reflections on love and luck. --Connie Fletcher
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
“The best thing McCall Smith has written so far. . . . He is a virtuoso storyteller.” —The Scotsman
"Four strangers--seated together by chance on a train from Edinburgh to London--strike up a conversation and share their stories with one another. Grade: A-" --Entertainment Weekly
“Wise and witty.” —Booklist
“A warm, understated serving of comfort food.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Both disarming and deeply affecting. . . . That four strangers should meet and tell such compelling stories is highly unlikely, but such is McCall Smith’s ability to draw us into his kindly world, [where] disbelief is more than willingly suspended.” —Sydney Morning Herald
“Their stories envelop us, each in its own way—we can smell the dust of the Outback and hear the gentle lap of waves against a rowboat—and they resist reducing emotion to platitudes. Love doesn’t always end happily, but even then it can end well, with hope, dignity and humanity, and that’s just what Trains and Lovers celebrates.” —The Wichita Eagle
“A lovely, quiet vacation that requires no packing, missed connections or meeting actual strangers on trains.” —Weekly Alibi (Albuquerque, NM)
“As each interwoven story gracefully unfolds, trains themselves play a part in the individual narrative arcs where the fleeting nature of love emerges as a unifying theme.” —Shelf Awareness
Praise for Alexander McCall Smith
“[McCall Smith’s writing is] beautifully precise and psychologically acute.” —The Independent (London)
“McCall Smith’s generous writing and dry humor, his gentleness and humanity, and his ability to evoke a place and a set of characters without caricature or condescension have endeared his books to readers.” —The New York Times
“McCall Smith creates unforgettable characters and stories that resonate with readers across generations.” —Booklist
See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (December 31, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 034580581X
- ISBN-13: 978-0345805812
- Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Trains and Lovers: A Novel Preview
Link
Please Wait...