Corduroy Mansions

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Alexander McCall Smith is posting a new novel online at the Telegraph. A new chapter is updated daily. I hope you are able to take some time to read it, because I am finding it very enjoyable. Corduroy Mansions is a large house in London that has been broken up into apartments and is inhabited by a number of interesting and quirky characters. William French is a wine dealer who lives in the top flat of Corduroy Mansions and is struggling with his son Eddie's reluctance to move out on his own. William has decided to get a dog. Eddie hates dogs, so William hopes this will be enough to drive Eddie out. William's new dog is Freddie de la Hay, a vegetarian Pimlico terrier. Jenny, Caroline, Dee and Jo all share a flat in Corduroy Mansions. Jenny is an assistant to a politician, Oedipus Snark, who she hates, but keeps her job because he allows her to work flex time. Caroline is an art student, whose photograph appeared in Rural Living. We don't know much about Dee and Jo, yet, but I'm having a wonderful time getting to know these characters. Corduroy Mansions is quite similar in style to McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series, which I absolutely love. The plot is not the main appeal here. The characters are what make this book a delight to read. Although they are ordinary people, living ordinary lives, the characters are well-developed, intelligent and humorous. And although the novel is set in London, McCall Smith creates the feeling of a small-scale setting, making it seem quite cozy. Unfortunately, you can't curl up with a computer (at least not comfortably) because this would be a nice novel to curl up with a cup of tea.