The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the latest in the series called The Sunday Philosophers’ Club. It has the same gentle meandering quality as the earlier stories in the series. Indeed, I really love the style of this author’s writings. Isabel is the editor of the philosophy journal, “Review of Applied Ethics’ which she runs from her home in Edinburgh. She is married to a musician and has a young son. One day she meets with an acquaintance and agrees to have coffee with her and listen to her request for help.

There has been a robbery at one of the large manors. This manor has a large art collection but only one particular and most expensive painting had been stolen. There did not appear to be any break in but then the place is often open to public. The owner has a younger second wife, a son and daughter from the first marriage. Isobel agrees to meet him and finds that she likes him and that they are on the same wavelength. She agrees to help him with the recovery of this theft. 

While this is the crux of the story what I like is the way Isobel’s thought process is displayed. It is a wonderful way of making explicit how people in general and also philosophers think. The questions like should one ignore the gifted child instead of nurturing the gift actively? Can you pay an insincere compliment? Do you believe in angels? What about wearing clothes that offended other people—clothes that revealed bad colour coordination, for example? Was that wrong? There are thoughts about the kinds of clouds that float by which few people seem to notice.

Isobel meets the son and daughter to find out more and does her best to help. Why is each sibling trying to point a finger at the other? Will they ever recover the painting as the insurance is willing to pay off the thieves a ransom demand for that would be cheaper?

What is up with Eddie, the young man who works at Cat’s delicatessen? Isobel cares for him and looks out for him. What is she going to do about her housekeeper who insists on teaching her son mathematics even though he is too young? So meanders the life and mind of a philosopher. When I read this I see my own wandering mind and wonder if it’s the same with everyone? Are we all secret philosophers after all?