At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances

It started slow amongst his colleagues -with the usual politics of positioning. Then the professor is sent on an off-campus assignment. As he worries about his office and status, his life turns into full drama. It was quirky, a page-turner, and surreal. I even chuckled. And it takes a lot for me to chuckle.

This book concludes the adventures and mishaps of Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, esteemed professor of philology, and author of "Portugese Irregular Verbs." This third title involves von Igelfeld in becoming the president of a unstable South American country, a job that no one else wants because of routine assasinations. It is charming both in wit and wisdom. Highly enjoyable, however, read books one and two first!

This is the first Alexander McCall Smith book that I've listened to. The audio version is funny as heck...especially von Igelfeld's toilet difficulties at Cambridge. The narrator has captured the true essence of our German hero! I highly recommend it...I even sent a copy to my dad. He loved it too!

I enjoyed At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances the most of the three books in this series. I think, however, that most people will enjoy this book more if they have read at least Portuguese Irregular Verbs if not also The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs before this book. Two things are different about this book from its predecessors in this broadly satirical series: First, von Igelfeld finds himself softening so that he's actually trying to be helpful . . . rather than superciliously putting his own interests first as he does in the earlier books; second, the two stories are longer and allow Dr. Smith more room to rove. "On Being Light Blue", the professor is surprised when Unterholzer remembers his birthday. With some prodding, von Igelfeld admits that he'd like to be a visiting scholar at Cambridge. Unterholzer likes the sound of that because that would mean that Unterholzer could "borrow" von Igelfeld's much nicer office while von Igelfeld is away. Unterholzer finds no difficulties in making arrangements for the invitation, and von Igelfeld is soon off in England. This gives Dr. Smith an opportunity to have great fun at the expense of English academics to parallel his normal satire of German professors. Von Igelfeld arrives and is soon concerned about having to share a bathroom, which leads to many internal complications (humor intended) to the plot. There's also academic scheming in the background . . . because von Igelfeld is the potential tie-breaking vote in a faculty plot. The story has an unexpectedly heart-warming tone before it's done that will remind you of the Botswana stories a bit. "At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances" is one of those wonderful flights of satirical fancy that so many authors have favored us with concerning Latin America including Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana. After returning from Cambridge, von Igelfeld is delighted to discover that he's being considered for an award in Colombia. That potential honor leads to lots of humorous complications as von Igelfeld finds himself in the middle of a revolution at the Villa of Reduced Circumstances. What happens from there will amuse all but the most serious. It's a wonderful take off on honors, motives and government. Have a ball!

The truth about authors is that none of them are alike. No matter how one may try to copy or write like another author, it can't be done entirely; and surely no one will ever match Alexander McCall Smith's unique, quietly colorful, and charming style. His fictional characters truly come to life through his immensely creative hand. In the von Igelfeld series, Smith breathes life into some otherwise very dull, overly erudite personalities, giving them humor, a twisted kind of bravery, and even worldliness. In this installment there are two stories. This first is On Being Light Blue (can you figure out why this title?). Von Igelfeld decides he must go to Cambridge in England after friend and fellow philologist, Prof Dr Dr Florianus Prinzel, asks him on his birthday what he would really like to do. "I should like to go to Cambridge," he announces. "And, indeed, one day I shall go there." He does, and the rest of the story is pure von Igelfeld coping with life in England and dealing with the people and customs of that strange country (from his point of view, of course). Next, in the title story, At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances, von Igelfeld returns from Colombia and is informed that a copy of his precious work, "Portuguese Irregular Verbs," had been requested by the Colombian Embassy. The upshot of which is an invitation from the embassy's cultural attaché to visit Colombia and receive a Distinguished Corresponding Fellowship award, the highest honor the Colombian Academy of Letters can bestow. Of course von Igelfeld must go and receive this most prestigious award. If you've been reading this entertaining series, you can guess that the trip will be...well, interesting, though perhaps `bizarre' is a better word. As always with McCall Smith's tales, you must digest the written word to truly enjoy the flavor. Carolyn Rowe Hill

This book is as far from thin as you could possibly get - it is a great evening's read, or something to savour on a long train or plane journey. It is entertainment at its best - and anyone who has stayed in dodgy Italian hotels or undergone the vagaries of academic life will LOVE this book. Read it and enjoy! Christopher Catherwood (author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED MODERN IRAQ (Carroll and Graf 2004))