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33rd out of 101 books
—
27 voters
Portuguese Irregular Verbs (The 2½ Pillars of Wisdom #1)
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 ne
...moreHardcover, Large Print, 153 pages
Published
January 1st 2006
by Random House Large Print Publishing
(first published August 4th 2004)
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Very witty stuff! Almost Wodehousian. Portuguese Irregular Verbs follows an uptight German Romance languages professor struggling for the respect he feels is owed him and his 1000+ page book on Portuguese irregular verbs. If you like your wordplay humor in the dry British style with a light dash of slapstick and a touch of the absurd, this is the little slice of heaven pie you've been looking for! If you have a childish love of poking fun at pompous Germans as I do, well then, have another slice...more
I really don't know what to do with these books, which are intermittantly hilarious, but so atrociously muddled in plot that they are disatisfying. Perhaps this is the point--they are post-modern reminders that life doesn't happen within a narrative arc, but to my fairly modernist mind, this is only annoying. Still the critique of academia is sharp and funny, if a little depressing.
4 likes
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I gave this book 5 stars based on how hard I laughed while reading--actually, listening. I mention the listening, because I am convinced that listening is the key to enjoying this pithy little book. It it one the wittiest treats I've ever read, and I was stunned when most of my book club rejected it! They were shocked at the very small contingent of admirers in the group who found it so hilarious.
I think it is just erudite enough that regular chaps like me need the benefit of the excellent reade...more
I think it is just erudite enough that regular chaps like me need the benefit of the excellent reade...more
7 likes
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From the author of the #1 Ladies Detective Series, this is the story of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his adventures through Europe. The only word to describe this book is "absurd." Each chapter is a self-contained story about Professor Igelfeld, author of the tome Portuguese Irregular Verbs. He is convinced of his genius and forever getting himself into uncomfortable situations caused by his over-inflated sense of importance. It is silly and ridiculous, but also a lot of fun. There...more
Bonfire of the Academic Vanities, this novel is hilarious, witty and sly beyond belief! Of all McCall-Smith's characters in all his MANY books, his portraits of this German academic, Professor Moritz-Maria von Ingelfeld, and his scholarly-impaired peers are his finest! It is laugh-out-loud amusement from beginning to end. Just when you think he can't get more outrageous, he outdoes himself. Lady detectives and Scottish philosophy journal editors don't come close to the careful-tuning and interpl...more
Random House sent me the fourth, and most recent, book in the Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld Entertainment series. Loathe as I am to jump into a series in the virtual middle, and seeing how slim the first three books were, I elected to read those first, before number four.
They're silly books in the Wodehousian vein, filled with flawed character with huge hearts who take themselves far too seriously. In short, they're as close to what others refer to as "guilty pleasures" that I care to get. They ta...more
They're silly books in the Wodehousian vein, filled with flawed character with huge hearts who take themselves far too seriously. In short, they're as close to what others refer to as "guilty pleasures" that I care to get. They ta...more
"Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld often reflected on how fortunate he was to be exactly who he was, and nobody else. When one paused to think of who one might have been had the accident of birth not happened precisely as it did, then, well, one could be quite frankly appalled. Take his colleague Professor Dr Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer, for instance. Firstly, there was the name: to be called Detlev was a misfortune, but to add that ridiculous Mozartian pretension to it, and then to culminat...more
This book was a delight. I was in somewhat of a funk before starting it, but by the time I got to Chapter 2, I was already feeling a lot lighter and happier. Alexander McCall Smith doesn't write capital-L "Literature," but that's ok because, despite being a pretty picky/high-standards reader, I don't demand every book I read to be worthy of discussion in an English class; this one is just pure fun.
Portuguese Irregular Verbs is a biting comedy along the lines of the Jeeves & Wooster series b...more
Portuguese Irregular Verbs is a biting comedy along the lines of the Jeeves & Wooster series b...more
Alexander McCall Smith’s Portuguese Irregular Verbs is very short and very funny. It follows a German professor of philology and some of his colleagues as they engage in that peculiar sport of academic infighting in the exclusive world of international conferences. This is not subtle humour. The core jokes are about stereotypes, funny exactly because they are spot on.
There is a sweet innocence about the hapless professors. Take for example, their decision to use the hotel tennis court, although...more
There is a sweet innocence about the hapless professors. Take for example, their decision to use the hotel tennis court, although...more
This short series (three slim volumes) follow Professor Dr. von Igelfield, a German professor who's life's work is the well-known (in his field, that is) book on Portuguese Irregular Verbs. von Igelfield teaches at the Institute of Romantic Philology with two colleagues (it's never quite clear if these colleagues are friend are foe, given their penchant for petty academic rivalries).
I wanted to like these books more than I did--I really like the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series, but I...more
I wanted to like these books more than I did--I really like the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series, but I...more
I finished reading this two nights ago and I stand my what I wrote previously. As I got farther into it and was accustomed to the syle, I found many funny moments indeed. The "entertainment" is perhaps one of those things like Kaslamata olives - You either love them or hate them, but for some are an acquired taste.
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It is interesting to read the reactions of other readers. Some found the book to be hilarious, while others were bewildered. The crux o...more
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It is interesting to read the reactions of other readers. Some found the book to be hilarious, while others were bewildered. The crux o...more
This is the first of the series about Dr. Professor Moritz von Igelfeld, a Romance language professor in Germany whose concentration is Portugese. He thinks a lot of himself since he wrote the definitive book outlining Portugese Irregular Verbs. Unfortunately, not anyone else in the entire world shares his enthusiasm about this subject.
Von Igelfeld reminds me of the Mr. Bean character, a buffoon with an out-sized opinion of himself. Von Igelfeld sees himself as a martyr in many situations, as he...more
Von Igelfeld reminds me of the Mr. Bean character, a buffoon with an out-sized opinion of himself. Von Igelfeld sees himself as a martyr in many situations, as he...more
A new (to me) series from an author I already enjoy. Smith is the author of 'The Number One Ladies Detective Agency,' and his 'ouvre' is setting stories in, to him, exotic logations and having them live their everyday lives. The stories are charming, in the best sense of the word.
The protagonist of this story is a German philologist whose entire claim to fame is having written 'Portuguese Irregular Verbs,' which is the definitive work on the subject. But the Professor seems to be the only one wh...more
The protagonist of this story is a German philologist whose entire claim to fame is having written 'Portuguese Irregular Verbs,' which is the definitive work on the subject. But the Professor seems to be the only one wh...more
I don't know what to make of this book! It was a very short, quick read and admittedly had some hilarious parts, but there was nothing about it that really compelled me to keep reading... other than the fact that I just wanted to finish it so that I could start my next book.
Each chapter is a little self-contained anecdote, all of them about Professor von Igelfeld who is frequently getting himself into awkward situations, often connected to his position as a professor of linguistics and philology...more
Each chapter is a little self-contained anecdote, all of them about Professor von Igelfeld who is frequently getting himself into awkward situations, often connected to his position as a professor of linguistics and philology...more
Portuguese Irregular Verbs is weird. It’s short (and so on the ‘short’ list), and is also a collection of short stories (sort of). A collection of short stories featuring the same character - a professor von Inglesomething. I liked the collection because it followed one character, and I found the character charming.
Professor von Ingelwhatever studies Portuguese irregular verbs. Not surpising the book offers something of a critique of the overly specialized work of academics and the way that acad...more
Professor von Ingelwhatever studies Portuguese irregular verbs. Not surpising the book offers something of a critique of the overly specialized work of academics and the way that acad...more
I love Alexander McCall Smith, but this book kind of fell flat for me. I listened to it twice, and don't remember when I finished it for sure, or much about the book. It just wasn't very memorable. Much of the humor depends on a familiarity with academia - it is amusing in a droll sort of way. There is no plot - it rambles forward and backward in time, like a collection of short stories or reminiscences. The dear Professor bumbles through life full of his own self-importance and somehow manages...more
Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is a philologist at a German university. In this 128-page novella (titled by the author “an entertainment”), the sad sack academic ruminates on his lack of distinction, becomes enamored with a woman only to lose her, resents his colleagues, takes two disastrous trips to Italy, and so on.
It’s a delight to read, especially in its lighter, more frivolous passages, such as when, as a student, von Egelfeld gets his friend to fight a duel, the friend loses the t...more
It’s a delight to read, especially in its lighter, more frivolous passages, such as when, as a student, von Egelfeld gets his friend to fight a duel, the friend loses the t...more
I really enjoyed this and the 2nd book The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs. I must confess that I picked up the Sausage dog book due to the cover and my own love of sausage dogs.These books are very delightful to read at the leisurely pace they provide. I giggled aloud in many places and was embarrassed when my fellow passanger on the plane kept glancing over at me.
I think this quote from the first page of Portuguese Irregular Verbs gives a very adept look at the character and set my expectations...more
I think this quote from the first page of Portuguese Irregular Verbs gives a very adept look at the character and set my expectations...more
Every once in a while, (log while actually), you come across a book that make you think: "how come it took so long for me to find this". And then you realize, you don't find books. Books find you, when you're ready for them.
I knew of AMS as the author of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency (which I've yet to read, although there is whole of the Sunday Philosophy Club series to finish off before that, if I ever pick that one). But when I got my hands on the Professor Dr von Igelfeld series, starting w...more
I knew of AMS as the author of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency (which I've yet to read, although there is whole of the Sunday Philosophy Club series to finish off before that, if I ever pick that one). But when I got my hands on the Professor Dr von Igelfeld series, starting w...more
It probably helps to be a college professor in the humanities (or be married to one) to get this series. The books in this series are short "interludes" that can be easily read in one plane flight. They tell the adventures of the imposing German Romance philogist Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, who has achieved some academic noteriety through his seminal book Portuguese Irregular Verbs. He doesn't seem to have done much later, however, and some frustration occurs when others seem not to be familiar w...more
It IS funny, the chapters are short and satisfying. The characters are real enough to start caring about them (something missing sometimes in slapstick), especially since the book wavers between genres, starts very funny and not very serious--though the jokes do highlight real life character foibles and which stay with you after the punch line is forgotten--and it gradually gets more serious and tragic. So, in this way its not very even, especially since he does one better than the other. Short...more
I re-read a number of books while grappling with The Elizabethans by AN Wilson one of which was Portuguese Irregular verbs which I remember enjoying very much on a first read although it is a slim volume and not McCall Smith's best. We heard him speak at the opening of the Wigtown Book Festival and it was this that prompted me to choose this work to recommence reading his books and to catch up with a number which I haven't yet read. He explained that he wrote this book as a present for a German...more
An odd book. I've loved both the #1 Ladies Detective Agency and the Sunday Philosophers Club series, but this one left me cold, largely because the protagonist is not simply unlikeable but also not terribly interesting. Moreover, the milieu in which he operates seems antiquated, more pre-WW II than post-war, and the Venice section at the end was just strange. There were McCall Smith's characteristic flashes of wit ("Scallopini alla Marie Curie"!) but the whole of the book didn't add up to much....more
I think it's safe to say I'll love everything I read by Alexander McCall Smith. This little gem of a book was hilarious & charming & made me feel light & happy & that is the magic of McCall Simth's words, the man's work is lovely. This book followed the amusing shenanigans of a German professor by the wonderful name of Moritz-Maria von Ingelfeld. He's somewhat self important but in an almost innocent child like way & you can't help but to sympathize with him when he gets into...more
We already knew that McCall Smith has a gentle, witty sense of humor from his other novels, but it really comes out in this one: Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is a fantastic send-up of just how serious academics in obscure fields can be, about the strangest things. It's a series of short vignettes showing scenes from von Igelfeld's life as he travels the world visiting conferences & seeking recognition for his life's work as a Romance philologist: his enormous book on "Portuguese I...more
I like the simplicity,
the kindness, the gentleness,
the light humor, and the respect
the author pays to each
character in this story. Smith,
author of the No. 1 Ladies'
Detective series, is not to
everyone's liking. A friend,
who I loaned one of the No. 1
series books, was irritated
with the books. "Nothing happens,"
she complained. I know that is
true. But somehow it suits me.
the kindness, the gentleness,
the light humor, and the respect
the author pays to each
character in this story. Smith,
author of the No. 1 Ladies'
Detective series, is not to
everyone's liking. A friend,
who I loaned one of the No. 1
series books, was irritated
with the books. "Nothing happens,"
she complained. I know that is
true. But somehow it suits me.
When I grabbed this book off the shelf, I figured it’d be a quick read. I was wrong – the chapters are entertaining but full of so much life I could only read one or two at a time. Some of them had me exasperated beyond almost any book I’ve ever read, and some had me laughing hysterically and begging my husband to let me read them out loud to him. Dr. Von Igelfield is the perfectly rounded bumbler – he is completely self-centered, but so terribly naieve that it almost makes up for it. He means s...more
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Dr. Moritz-Maria von Ingelfeld falls prey to every possible vantity in academe. Very funny.
As a fan of the Isabel Dalhousie and 44 Scotland Street series' (Not so much of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series) I fully expected to enjoy a new cast of characters from this author. Tragically, I found it painful to wade through the bumbling antics of this protagonist and grew impatient waiting for any likability to emerge. Instead, I found myself as annoyed by this narcissistic boob as I did many of the pompous pseudo-intellectuals I encountered during my brief career in academia. Unli...more
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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
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“He had been thinking of how landscape moulds a language. It was impossible to imagine these hills giving forth anything but the soft syllables of Irish, just as only certain forms of German could be spoken on the high crags of Europe; or Dutch in the muddy, guttural, phlegmish lowlands.”
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11 people liked it
“Professor Dr Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld often reflected on how fortunate he was to be exactly who he was, and nobody else. When one paused to think who one might have been had the accident of birth not happened precisely as it did, then, well, one could be quite frankly appalled.”
—
1 person liked it
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Sep 28, 2012 12:54am