At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances is the third and, at least for the time being, the last of three novellas featuring Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs, and his colleagues at the Institute of Romance Philology in Regensburg, Germany. I use the term "novella" loosely, for this is primarily a collection of humorous sketches exaggerating the rivalries and ambitions of von Igelfeld and his academic colleagues, who are experts in extremely narrow fields of interest. (In other words, they are big fish in a very small pond!)

In this book, Professor Dr von Igelfeld spends most of his time outside of Germany, first at a Cambridge college as a Visiting Professor, then in Bogotá, Colombia, as the recipient of an honor from the Colombian Academy of Letters. I had just finished a serious book set in Cambridge, so a light-hearted story in the same setting was a welcome change of pace. By the end of the Colombian story, I felt like I was reading a Monty Python sketch -- perhaps McCall Smith is a fan? This was the perfect read for a busier than usual week -- diverting, not too demanding intellectually, and a pleasant way to unwind at the end of a couple of very long days. ( )

Review for the abridged audio CD

The wonderful narration by Hugh Laurie was about the only good thing about this book.

We meet the characters while they are bickering at a German educational institutuion. Petty things like who gets to sit on the 'best' chair.
The main character, von Igelfeld, then gets the opportunity to visit the English city of Cambridge and there follows a similar send-up of a British educational institution. This visit is set up by his rival, Unterholzer, because he wants von Igelfeld's better office for the duration.
On his return von Igelfeld is awarded a prestigous honour in Colombia and travels to receive it, only to get into more unlikely and unbelievable adventures.

The whole thing is so OTT and pompous that I really lost interest in what happened to any of the characters. I wouldn't have been upset if von Igelfeld had been shot in Colombia!

In the audio version the ridiculously long names (particularly those of the Colombian characters) have to be repeated ad nauseum which is extremely irritating. When reading at least these can be skimmed.

I have read the first 4 books in the Ladies Detective Agency but they soon became very samey. ATVORC did not appeal to me at all. Sadly, I shall not be in a hurry to read furthur books by this author. ( )

This book, like the others in the series, is ridiculous. But amusing. ( )

This book starts out as an amusing, frothy satire on the jealousy-fraught relationships of academia. Professor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is on a constant quest for status vis-à-vis his colleagues at the University of Regensburg. His primary nemesis, Prof. Unterholzer, surreptitiously arranges for von Igelfeld to get a sabbatical at Cambridge so Unterholzer can occupy von Igelfeld’s nicer office. During the Cambridge portion of book, the novel is droll and even occasionally hilarious.

Shortly after von Igelfeld’s return to Germany, he is next invited to Bogota, Columbia. It is here the author unfortunately jumps the shark, ruining what had been a perfectly delightful commentary on academia and on the English culture versus that of the Germans. A string of absurd and improbable events in South America goes beyond satire, and in my opinion, devolves into silliness.

Since the book clearly has two sections that could in truth be divided quite easily, I would say read it for the sojourn to Cambridge, and skip the misadventures in South America.

(JAF) ( )

The third installment At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith continues the satirical and often hilarious misadventures of Prof Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his hapless colleagues, Prof Dr Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer and Prof Dr Dr Florianus Prinzel at the University of Regensburg (the Dr Dr is important!). While on a scholarly exchange program at the University of Cambridge, Prof Igelfeld gets involved in another bit of university intrigue and an intolerable bathroom situation. Upon his return to Regensburg he is convinced that someone has tried to usurp his superior office position during his absence and Prof von Igelfeld investigates the matter. When he is invited to Bogota, Columbia he is thrown into a revolution with an interesting result.

This book has two self-contained stories of which I found the first to be most entertaining. I especially enjoyed Prof von Igelfeld’s observations about the imprecision of the English language and the rationality of the German society. Alexander McCall Smith draws marvelous characters that are entertaining and worthy to know more closely.

I look forward to reading more about this character and his oblivious way of going through life so wrapped up in his world of philology and academic intrigue that he doesn’t notice anything else unless someone trips him and shakes him up. I recommend this book highly. ( )