I've just finished 44 Scotland Street and am rapidly working through the 21/2 Pillars of Wisdom, after polishing off the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and I have to say, I love him. His books are such a lovely breath of fresh air, and I deeply appreciate the fact that he can make me laugh out loud.
I think it's the graceful simplicity of his stories and writing that appeal to me most. They're human and interesting but completely unpretentious. Pretentiousness is actually the punchline of many of his jokes. Making fun of people who think they're a cut above everyone else or know absolutely everything are beautifully characterised and then completely eviscerated.
21/2 Pillars of Wisdom is not my favourite of his books, but highlights in parts what is used to great effect in the rest of his work. Nothing really happens; it's like Seinfeld with three Germans. A blundering fool, fixated on the wrong priorities, convinced of his own superiority, and the trouble he gets into as a result. Will he learn from his mistakes? Will he even be able to recognise them? That is Smith's genius right there.
PATTOTE: Better living through the fictional lampooning of people we hate in real life.
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