skyring's review against another edition
4.0
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 actions, we can make our own guesses.
I love the humour. So dry and gentle, sometimes just the choice of words, it is not so much the laugh-out-loud type, but the sort that brings forth a sigh of happiness in the reader.
Professor von Igelfeld, the celebrated author of the 1 200 page Portugese Irregular Verbs, has a series of adventures, both at home and abroad. In the first half of the book, friction at home is averted by a trip to Cambridge, where he finds the English puzzling and humourless. His proposed solution to the bathroom problem is masterful and utterly unworkable, his musings on the location of the missing skull penetrating, his contribution to the tears of the Master a delight.
But it is in the second half of the book, after another awkward situation is unexpectedly resolved, that events take increasingly surprising turns. He returns home in a surprising fashion, and his chief academic rival finds himself the recipient of a high Colombian honour - but is it the First Class medal, or merely the Third Class ribbon?
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 actions, we can make our own guesses.
I love the humour. So dry and gentle, sometimes just the choice of words, it is not so much the laugh-out-loud type, but the sort that brings forth a sigh of happiness in the reader.
Professor von Igelfeld, the celebrated author of the 1 200 page Portugese Irregular Verbs, has a series of adventures, both at home and abroad. In the first half of the book, friction at home is averted by a trip to Cambridge, where he finds the English puzzling and humourless. His proposed solution to the bathroom problem is masterful and utterly unworkable, his musings on the location of the missing skull penetrating, his contribution to the tears of the Master a delight.
But it is in the second half of the book, after another awkward situation is unexpectedly resolved, that events take increasingly surprising turns. He returns home in a surprising fashion, and his chief academic rival finds himself the recipient of a high Colombian honour - but is it the First Class medal, or merely the Third Class ribbon?
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
Fun fun fun reading. Short too! You can read in a day. This is #3 in the series
theladydoor's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed the first two Precious Ramotswe mysteries by Smith, and of course I am a huge Hugh Laurie fan, so I jumped at the chance to listen to this short series about an eccentric linguistic scholar, Dr. Moritz von Igelfeld.
This is not so much a novel as a series of short stories from the life of said scholar, and some of them were a bit funny, but most were not good enough to hold my interest. I found Igelfeld to be irritating and sanctimonious. Writing this review a year later, it is impossible for me to really remember anything that happens, except that Igelfeld spends a great deal of time professing his own importance and scholarly magnificence, and working to put down his academic rivals. And somewhere along the way he gets wrapped up in revolutions and other grand adventures that he somehow manages to bungle his way out of.
There was a lack of cohesion between the stories, and in the end, I wasn't impressed.
This is not so much a novel as a series of short stories from the life of said scholar, and some of them were a bit funny, but most were not good enough to hold my interest. I found Igelfeld to be irritating and sanctimonious. Writing this review a year later, it is impossible for me to really remember anything that happens, except that Igelfeld spends a great deal of time professing his own importance and scholarly magnificence, and working to put down his academic rivals. And somewhere along the way he gets wrapped up in revolutions and other grand adventures that he somehow manages to bungle his way out of.
There was a lack of cohesion between the stories, and in the end, I wasn't impressed.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
A case of academic envy, politics, and intrigue goes hysterically wrong!
madtattler's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eush's review against another edition
2.0
Somehow, a fitting end for Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. These books are a good quick read if you feel like having the piss taken out of the academy—and who doesn't? Of course, the bit with von Igelfeld in Cambridge is probably my favorite.
sean67's review against another edition
3.0
Third and what I had assumed was the final book in this series (turns out AMS added another book eight years later, but being I am reading his works in order of publication this will be a while away before I get there)
This one again not one of my favourite efforts from AMS and the humour is now very broad and slapstick, it almost feels foreign from book one to book three.
Some funny moments but the series is pretty average over all.
Book four - well one day in the future God willing!
This one again not one of my favourite efforts from AMS and the humour is now very broad and slapstick, it almost feels foreign from book one to book three.
Some funny moments but the series is pretty average over all.
Book four - well one day in the future God willing!
kjones31's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to this on audiobook while driving to Portland and didn't like it as much as the previous two. The first half in particular was hard to get through. I'm just not that interested in the ins & outs of the politics of academia.
booktimewithelvis's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoy these stories and the misadventures of Professor Dr von Igelfeld, its a shame they are not more highly rated I guess they are not everyone's cup of tea but I find them lighthearted and most amusing I wish there were more.