Reviews

A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith

Only show reviews with written explanations

donnareadsbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

aminakara's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This is the first book that I've read in this series and I enjoyed it.

Saying that, I'm more of a fast-paced book sort of person so I'm not sure I'd have the patience to sit and read the rest of the books in the series. I found this slow going at times.

I loved the characters though! Such colourful characters! I can see why a lot of people love this series! Maybe someday I'll change my mind and read the full series.

Thank you to PH and Alexander McCall Smith for the chance to read this book.

laurahastoomanywips's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

First of this series I have read. This was an enjoyable very cosy mystery.
This was a very slow, meandering tale of two issues that the detective agency had to solve.
The style, assuming it is accurate to the way people in Botswana are, meant that something that could have been said in a short sentence was a long convoluted speech (think Uncle Colm in Derry girls, but not quite so annoying), meant that the story was slower than it needed to be, which was a little frustrating.
I would read others in the series if I wanted something very cozy and light.
With thanks to the Pigeonhole and the author for the opportunity.

srivalli's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

4.3 Stars

One Liner: Heartwarming; a comfort read (but go with the right expectations)

Grace Makutsi's husband has a furniture business, which is in trouble. An international is selling furniture for cheaper prices. While Phuti Radiphuti is particular about quality and comfort, the new competitor is intent on sales and profits.

Grace and Mma Ramotswe meet Grace’s childhood friend Patience, who appears to be dealing with her own issues. Mma Ramotswe comes up with ideas that might solve both issues and provide a happy solution for all of them.

But are things as easy as the plan? How will Grace Makutsi and Mma Ramotswe handle the latest complexities?

The story comes in the third person POV. It alters between limited third-person (of both the leading ladies) and omnipresent narration.

The last time I read a book from the series was about a decade ago. I picked it up at random from the library and wasn’t impressed by the lack of dead bodies in a cozy mystery (blame it on my bloodlust). Comparing it to Agatha Christie’s book didn’t help. Still, I was compelled enough to finish the book before turning to a murder mystery.

Now I see why the series is successful and much loved. The book doesn’t really fit any genre. The mysteries are not ‘mysteries’, but aspects of one’s life- things we see in society, issues someone has to deal with, and decisions people need to make.

The narration is relaxed and takes time to gather momentum. Even then, it is languid and lingers here and there before coming to the main point. The writing has a semi-stream-of-consciousness style (an incident happens/ new info is revealed, and one of the leading ladies thinks about something relevant from the past). Once I got used to this, I could sync my reading style with the narration.

The book has a good dose of social commentary but doesn’t overdo it at any point. Mma Ramotswe’s calm acceptance of whatever life throws at her helps ground the narration.

Coming to the main issues in the story, things don’t take off until the second half. The first half gathers information in bits and pieces, while the ‘solving process’ begins in the latter part. Of course, we know what and why already. It’s how that matters. One solution is simple, and the other is well… elaborate and dramatic. The teeny twist at the end adds a cheeky charm to the book.

To summarize, A Song of Comfortable Chairs is the kind of book you want to sit with on cold noon and warm your heart. It isn’t a typical cozy mystery or drama. It’s a comfort read that’ll make you think and smile at the same time.

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Knopf Canada, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

*****

P.S: The book works as standalone but reading at least one book in the series might be better.