Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith's charming account of how
the poet W. H. Auden has helped guide his life--and how he might guide
yours, too
When facing a moral dilemma, Isabel Dalhousie--Edinburgh philosopher,
amateur detective, and title character of a series of novels by
best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith--often refers to the great
twentieth-century poet W. H. Auden. This is no accident: McCall Smith
has long been fascinated by Auden. Indeed, the novelist, best known for
his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, calls the poet not only the
greatest literary discovery of his life but also the best of guides on
how to live. In this book, McCall Smith has written a charming personal
account about what Auden has done for him--and what he just might do for
you.
Part self-portrait, part literary appreciation, the book tells how
McCall Smith first came across the poet's work in the 1970s, while
teaching law in Belfast, a violently divided city where Auden's
"September 1, 1939," a poem about the outbreak of World War II, strongly
resonated. McCall Smith goes on to reveal how his life has related to
and been inspired by other Auden poems ever since. For example, he
describes how he has found an invaluable reflection on life's transience
in "As I Walked Out One Evening," while "The More Loving One" has
provided an instructive meditation on unrequited love. McCall Smith
shows how Auden can speak to us throughout life, suggesting how, despite
difficulties and change, we can celebrate understanding, acceptance, and
love for others.
An enchanting story about how art can help us live, this book will
appeal to McCall Smith's fans and anyone curious about Auden.
