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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Yet another series by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the second in the Paul Stuart series. I am amazed at how much I like Alexander McCall Smith's characters and how he infuses unique aspects into the many different series. Even though this is the second of the series, it can easily be read on its own and will still be enjoyed.
"The Second-Worst Restaurant in France" is a fitting sequel to "My Italian Bulldozer." I received this as a gift and the gifter didn't realize that it was part of a series. (I'm a bit of a francophile so people tend to give me gifts, including books, that have a connection to France - however remote that connection may be.) I am rather a stickler for reading a series in order, so I checked book one out the library. I have to admit it the style took me a while to get used to, and I wasn't immediately in loved with Paul Stuart, but I enjoyed the first book enough to move on to this installment of the series. I really enjoyed the characters in this tale and (predictably) was thrilled to be reading a story set in France. If you're looking for something nice, light, and quick to read, I definitely recommend this book. While it's not critical to read "My Italian Bulldozer" first, I would suggest it; there is a significant amount of character development and an overarching plotline that drives the protagonist's decision-making in a way that enriches the story.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While this series is not as well-known as AMS's others, it is still an enjoyable read. In the first book Paul, a Scottish food writer, was in Italy; here he is in France, staying with an older cousin while he writes about the philosophy of food. As in all other AMS books, kindness to others is a major theme, and in Paul's case draws him into some awkward situations. Out in a small town with a terrible restaurant, he encounters twin elderly landladies, an older chef who is not a good cook, a younger suppressed potential chef, a pregnant waitress, and his cousin who may be telling the truth about her five husbands or ?? Definitely some laugh-aloud moments. My only disappointment was the abrupt and unfinished ending, unlike the Scotland Street series where Angus always has a poem and Patience Ramotswe who generally ties it all up neatly.
Took a risk on one of his that wasn't Mma Ramotswe or Isabel Dalhousie, and I wasn't completely disappointed. . . . The beginning and end of this are fun; the middle is skimmable, with long stretches of rambling philosophy and back story. Mr. Smith, we want more lovely food descriptions! Borrow this, don't buy it, and be prepared to skim.
Didn't realize this was the second in a series.