My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (Portuguese Irregular Verbs #3)
by
Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)
Readers who fell in love with Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, now have new cause for celebration in the protagonist of these three light-footed comic novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Welcome to the insane and rarified world of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Von Igelfeld is engaged in a n...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Anchor
(first published 2003)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,851)
I have enjoyed it thoroughly, listening to the sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes alarming adventures of the good Professor.
McCall Smith has a delightful way of writing. His gentle humour, his philosophical reflections, above all, his insights into the everyday minor moral dilemmas of ordinary people, are a constant joy. Shakespeare or Austen are worthy comparisons here - he sees to the heart of humanity in all his characters. Even when he does not spell out their motivations and ac...more
McCall Smith has a delightful way of writing. His gentle humour, his philosophical reflections, above all, his insights into the everyday minor moral dilemmas of ordinary people, are a constant joy. Shakespeare or Austen are worthy comparisons here - he sees to the heart of humanity in all his characters. Even when he does not spell out their motivations and ac...more
Midway through the first of two short-stories in At The Villa of Reduced Circumstances, one might be led to believe that Professor Dr von Igelfeld is a wholly unpleasant man.
“On Being Light Blue” portrays a stoic German professor, taking sabbatical in England, making unspoken judgments of those surrounding him. None of them, he feels, live up to the standards set by man within der faterland. In fact, von Igelfeld comes across as a humourless boor incapable of discerning irony fro...more
“On Being Light Blue” portrays a stoic German professor, taking sabbatical in England, making unspoken judgments of those surrounding him. None of them, he feels, live up to the standards set by man within der faterland. In fact, von Igelfeld comes across as a humourless boor incapable of discerning irony fro...more
This third book in the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series is a bit fomulaic, but like McCall Smith's other novels I've read, the formula manages to sustain the reader's interest despite the outcome of the plot being mostly predictable. I also read the three books back-to-back, which could explain why I got a little tired of the structure by the middle of book 3. They might be best read a bit further apart.
The characterization of Professor Dr. von Ingelfeld continues to be spot-on in...more
The characterization of Professor Dr. von Ingelfeld continues to be spot-on in...more
Another fun read - although wholly unbelievable this time around. One particular piece struck me in the book: the Master at Cambridge rises to give a toast to his fellow colleagues - who are often "at odds" - and it is quite startlingly moving.
"There are amongst us still those who would deny to others the right to hold a different understanding of the fundamental issues of our time...we see people of one culture or belief still at odds with their human neighbors who...more
"There are amongst us still those who would deny to others the right to hold a different understanding of the fundamental issues of our time...we see people of one culture or belief still at odds with their human neighbors who...more
I really really enjoyed all these books--fun, made you laugh, and quick reads. I like Alexander McCall Smith because he has a way of writing (convincingly) from the point of view of people from either Germany, as in this book, to Botswana to Scotland. He's brilliant. Although as Taryn says, he does better when writing from a woman's point of view.
This is my second book of the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series. I was not disappointed. I experienced this book as an audiobook. The narrator is so fine. His accents and distinct voices add to the enjoyment. Our professor once again lands in such outlandish circumstances, through no fault of his own. How he gets through them with his unique outlook and thoughts made me laugh or smile as I drove listening to this book. McCall Smith's clever and subtle observations are always fresh and keep me li...more
I enjoyed every word, comma, quote mark and bit of cleverness in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. It was with great anticipation I enbarked on his "Proffessor's series. The same suble wit is there tho' 4 me it lacked the humanity of the previously mentioned series. Proffessor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld main character in this series is so educated, so pompous and so brilliantly dense that I found myself annoyed at the same time I was smiling at the ri...more
Gentle but intelligent satire of the academic world. Settings are first the fictional Institute of Romance Philology in Germany, then a fictional college at Cambridge (England), then the villa of the title in Colombia, where Professor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld has been invited to become an honorary member of the banana republic's elite Academy of Letters. A. McCall Smith's understated wit and clever dialogue make almost credible the both mundane and absurd situations von Igelfeld, author of the...more
view all 4 comments
One of a set of three small books featuring the German professor of philogoy, Martiz-Maria von Igelfeld, this book finds him first on a visiting appointment at Cambridge immersed in the strange wars of no larger consequence that Henry Kissinger famously claimed characterized academia. After Cambridge von Igelfeld receives an invitation to Columbia to receive an award but becomes immersed in revolutionary politics. From this he learns enough to better appreciate those with whom he lives and wor...more
I enjoyed this book just as I did the other two, but if I had to choose, this is my least-favorite of the series. I say that only because the others contained several shorter episodes about Professor von Igelfeld's comings and goings, while this one only contained about three longer episodes. So there was greater build-up for each one, but that means fewer laughs. Still funny, still almost unbelievable that there is a character so stupid as this, and still definitely worth reading.
Third in the Portuguese Irregular Verbs trilogy, which I finished mostly out of stubbornness. I liked this final volume better than the second—the trip to Cambridge included some amusing observations about the English—but it was still rather blah. All in all, the whole series could be said to be slight in length and even slighter in content.
The first few sections of this reminded me very much of the book Pnin by Nabokov. It is mainly making fun of the obtuseness of academia. The last section takes makes a serious foray into political satire as the main character travels to Columbia. This was a more entertaining read than I was expecting, especially as a former academic myself.
I loved myself silly reading these three books. Being of Austrian heritage and having spent a lot of time in Britain I totally got the main character and his opinions and reactions to things. I marvel at how Alexander McCall Smith does it - he is a prolific writer yet each book is fresh and has its own voice. You are there, you feel and see with the characters whether in Germany, Africa, Scotland or wherever! Ah, to have such a gift as his!
I've been entertained by most of the series by Alexander McCall Smith. This is part of one of his lesser-known series that starts with "Portuguese Irregular Verbs". In this book Prof. Von Igelfeld, in his time as a guest professor at Cambridge, decides that the English are very strange indeed. Later he discovers that receiving an honor in Colombia is more dangerous than he could have anticipated.
Though not as funny as the second book in the series, this one ws funny. Probably more than the first, being without the unmitigated tragedy. This had some great new characterization of the librarian. I just thought things got a little off with the whole Columbia thing at the late part of the book. I just wasn't buying it. It was more weird absurd than funny absurd.
I enjoy most of this author's books, in particular the Numer 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books as well as the Sunday Philosophy Club series. His pace is slow and makes you feel like nothing is happening, but his descriptions of the characters, male or female, are thorough.
The main character in this series is a German professor of Portuguese whose claim to fame is a book he wrote on irregular verbs. He feels this gives him cache amongst his peers and is always internally fighting for res...more
The main character in this series is a German professor of Portuguese whose claim to fame is a book he wrote on irregular verbs. He feels this gives him cache amongst his peers and is always internally fighting for res...more
So far, enjoying this, and only a few pages to go. Not sure what McCall Smith's colleagues may have thought of the book, because he seems to be lightly mocking the life of academics. Some of the book made me laugh out loud.
It's not a prize winner, but I had a few laughs. Not so sure, as I said, that McCall Smith's fellow professors would laugh so much. The ending is a bit of a stretch, too, but funny.
It's not a prize winner, but I had a few laughs. Not so sure, as I said, that McCall Smith's fellow professors would laugh so much. The ending is a bit of a stretch, too, but funny.
While rather entertaining in parts, I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series. While always a bit on the unbelievable side, I thought this one swayed a bit too much in that direction in the second half.
That said, the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld are still immensely enjoyable and there are plenty of laughs throughout.
That said, the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld are still immensely enjoyable and there are plenty of laughs throughout.
I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. I'm a fan of his No#1 Ladies Detective Agency series and also the Isobel Dalhousie series but had not particularly enjoyed the others in this particular series. This one was different though and I really enjoyed the sly humour and digs at British academia and of course the parts set in South America.
Read this book after I had read some of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series back in the early 2000s and it just wasn't as good. I do read and appreciate the No. 1 Ladies Detetive Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie series, the 44 Scotland Street series and the Corduroy Mansions series. I try to read them as soon as a new one is published and highly recommend them!
Our pitiable lead character here is a German academician whose grasp of the culture at an English college he visits leaves him in socially precarious predicaments. I could only stand so much of this.
I really wanted to like this book since I enjoy Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books so much. Alas, it was not to be.
I really wanted to like this book since I enjoy Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books so much. Alas, it was not to be.
The audio version was delightful, like all of Alexandre McCall Smith's books. However, this was a little slow until the Professor goes to Columbia. Also, it seems like the characters are beginning to sound more like one another. I could swear I heard Mme Ramotswe and Isobel Dalhoughsie phrases in his speech. Could I be hearing things? Hmmm
Delightful. I laughed out loud many times throughout the book. This is the continuing story of the professor; this life and times. If there ends up being another book in this series I will definitely be reading it (or listening).
This is another one that I totally recommend on audiobook. The reader has just the right balance of gravitas and humor.
This is another one that I totally recommend on audiobook. The reader has just the right balance of gravitas and humor.
A german professor, who is very literal, has difficulty navigating the dry wit of Cambridge. He is further challenged by the emotional and volatile climate of Columbia. I LOVE this character. And listening to this on CD with the accents is sheer delight with the occasional chuckle.
If this had been the first of his series I had read I would not have read any more. Hard to believe this is the same author who wrote The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
The main character was tedious, repetitive and dull. I found no humour in it nor did I learn anything of interest.
The main character was tedious, repetitive and dull. I found no humour in it nor did I learn anything of interest.
Well, the ending is pretty unbelievable, but the book was a fun read nonetheless. This author always manages to incorporate into his books the weird things that are going on in the real world. And, his portrayal of the world of academia is hilarious.
I really enjoyed this series, though the first two were more entertaining than this one. But there's a really funny bit about a bathroom that reminded me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, so that was fun. Anyway, great book, fun quick light read.
I listened to this on CD on a trip and the time flew by it was so funny - Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, as he travels from the academic security of the Institute in Regensburg to visit Cambridge and Colombia.......
I love this ending: "And he realised then that there were more important things to worry about, and that we must love those with whom we live and work, and love them for all their failings, manifest and manifold though they be."
This third book in the series about Professor Dr. Maria Moritz von Igelfeld was a disappointment to me. It lacked the witty humor of the previous two, or at least presented it in a way that I didn't follow. It seemed that the author was trying to poke fun at British and Latin American culture but didn't quite pull it off.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what...more
More about Alexander McCall Smith...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
