The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom (The Von Igelfeld Trilogy)

I couldn't put this down once I started. It was delightfully and lovingly humorous, not unlike Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegone gentle pokes at out-state Minnesota. (I ought to know; I grew up in that territory.) I think that you need some understanding of European academia to fully appreciate McCall's humour in these books, but I still recommend it to everyone. If you aren't familiar with the German university system now, perhaps these books will inspire you to learn more about it. And, then when fully enlightened you can re-read 2-1/2 Pillars of Wisdom.

Alexamder McCall Smith is probably best known now as the author of the wonderful series, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but proving his immensely fine writing and observation skills are not simply a fluke, he has also written some other series. This is one, there are three books in here, Portuguese Irregular Verbs, the Finer Points of Sausage Dogs and At the Villa of reduced circumstances. This series follows the adventures of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Iglefled, author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs, (which has sold over 200 copies) and his friends (and arch rivals) Unterholzen and Prinzel - as they attend philology conferences, or establish themselves in the finely details pecking order of academia - all done in the best of good manners with almost no open hostility. Truly this is a marvellous peice of writing. The story where - as friends, von Iglefeld, Prinzel and Unterholzen read a book on tennis and its rules and then decide that they can play and indeed will play - all they need to know of tennis can be gained from books after all. It has been reviewed as cultivated pomposity, but there is also a marvellous edge of appealingness about them. I think we can all relate to their battles, their own pride and firm assurance in their very rightness. I think there appeal is not that they are pompous and ridiculous, but rather - there but for the grace of god go I! If you like this series I am sure you will enjoy another author - E E Benson who wrote the Lucia series, another very finely observed series of books where the small politics of a isolated community dominate the actions of everyone. They are glorious good fun to read! Highly enjoyable good-natured, good-humoured and good reading.

Contains three stories: Portuguese Irregular Verbs The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances They are all funny, but The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs is absolutely hilarious. Completely mad, and has a lot of in-jokes for academics, but enjoyable for anyone. Laugh 'til it hurts!

I read this book over a year ago, so I can't write all that I could have when I had just finished it. But I noticed there were no reviews of this book available, and that's a shame because this is a masterpiece of subtle (and not-so-subtle) humor about a stiff and pompous German professor and his colleagues, their interpersonal intrigues, and their various adventures. It's one of my few "keepers". As with other books by this author, you can't judge this book by the description of the story, which I admit sounds dry. The same plot, implemented by another author, might have been a complete flop. But McCall Smith can take the most mundane or obscure story and bring it to life, adding twists of irony and color that entertain and charm the reader. This book (which contains a trilogy, actually) is not the light and merry read that we're used to from McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series, but every bit as entertaining. Any experience or knowledge that readers may have of German culture and customs will make this book even more of a delight to read -- unless, of course, you're a German without the ability to laugh at your own culture.