Paul Stuart, a renowned food writer is at a bad period of his life – his wife left him, he has a deadline to meet and is at a writer’s block. His editor packs him off to Italy to cheer him up. Sprinkled with humour, Paul has many adventures on his ‘Italian bulldozer.’
In Brief
Meet Paul Stuart, a famous food author. He is in his forties, recently divorced because his wife left him for another man (her personal trainer) and is at a writer’s block while his editor persuades him to meet his deadlines. The editor is your typical ‘all-weather friend’ who might have feelings for him, but clearly Paul does not see that. She packs him off to Tuscany for a vacation so that he can get back to work with a relaxed mind. But then everything that can possibly go wrong does – he is jailed for car theft, ends up renting a bulldozer and meets a lady. Thus start the hilarious adventures of Paul through Tuscany on a bulldozer.
Before beginning my review, I must add that McCall Smith is a writer that I have heard heaps of praises of. The first book of Smith that I read was Unusual Uses for Olive Oil, which grabbed my attention because of the title. Sadly the book was a disappointment for me. My bad luck with Smith’s books seem to be repeating because after reading the blurb of My Italian Bulldozer, I was expecting a lot of Italy and a generous amount of descriptions on food. I was disappointed to find neither. I think when I first came across a nice description of food, it was after I had lost my interest in the book. The book has its light moments and makes you smile, if not slip into riotous laughter. But there was nothing to urge me to turn the pages. You might enjoy the book if you are looking for a light holiday read, not necessarily a page turner.
Perhaps my expectations after seeing buzzwords such as ‘Italy’ and ‘food’ were too high. I see a lot of good reviews for the book on Goodreads. So maybe this book just was not for me. However I will try out the much acclaimed Isabel Dalhousie series by McCall Smith. Keeping my fingers crossed that I would not be disappointed again.
Title : My Italian Bulldozer
Author : Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher : Penguin Classics
Published : 2017
Language : English
Pages : 240
Rating : 1.5/5
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Pantheon Books for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Awww…too bad! I am a fan of the #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series and have read some other Alexander McCall Smith books – a few of which did nothing for me. Reading the words “Italy” and “food” in a description of a book would lead me to have highly-delectable expectations, too.
Yes, I was so disappointed. Hoping to read the famous series by Smith. I really hope I will like those books.
I’m not a huge fan of McCall Smith but I might have picked this up for a light read, tempted by the food and Italy. It’s helpful to know these don’t feature heavily!
I was disappointed too. I think the blurb gives a different feel compared to what is actually in the book.
I do think this is aimed at a much older audience than us. My mum who’s 50 plus enjoys his books a lot. So do my older relatives. I, however, haven’t felt the urge to grab any. Sigh.
Maybe that is the reason. Now when I think of it, I have seen McCall Smith fans in those who are much older than me. You have got me thinking here. I found this to be too light of a read. It was not descriptive enough or hilarious enough to interest me. My last resort is to try an Isabel dalhousie book. If that fails, I assume he is not my kind of an author.
Ugh. how disappointing! You’re right– the synopsis sounds great! But there are some authors I just can never seem to connect to, even when they are highly praised. Patrick Ness is one of those for me. Perhaps Alexander McCall Smith is one of those of you. Will you give any more of his books a try, or are you done now?
Actually today Vicky (booksandstrips) and me were discussing whether it is an age thing. Readers a bit older than me seem to enjoy McCall Smith alot. So I think it is a personal taste. I will be giving him a last try with the Isabel Dalhousie series. If I do not enjoy the book, then I think he is not an author for me. You are right, sometimes some authors do not work for us.
Have you read A Monster Calls by Ness? I adored that book and it moved me alot. If you did not like that (that is if you have read it), then Ness is definitely not an author for you. if you haven’t, I would recommend it as a last try.