Portuguese Irregular Verbs

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Paul Hecht

From New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, creator of the phenomenally popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels and winner of the inaugural Saga Award for Wit, comes the first wonderfully entertaining novel starring Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, distinguished philologist, and frequently inept human.

Von Igelfeld is the world's leading scholar on Portuguese irregular verbs, having written a majestic, nearly 1,200 page book on the subject. As one review says, "There is nothing more to be said on this subject. Nothing." But in other matters, von Igelfeld is not nearly so skilled. Whether haplessly playing tennis against an equally dreadful opponent, or committing his friends to swordfighting duels without their knowledge, von Igelfeld is somewhat naive in the ways of the world. Yet that does not stop him from having a go at life, and the results are always humorous.

If you enjoy sharp yet subtle wit, you cannot afford to miss Portuguese Irregular Verbs.

©2003 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Brought a Laugh

Funny!!! xD Listened while working. Made me actually look forward to doing the boring task of grading papers.

Great Entertainment

I've yet to read any of McCall Smith's books without being surprised at the depth and originality of the characters. Not to mention such a great sense of humor that I can't help but laugh as I listen, producing strange looks from those around me at the time.

So ridiculous it's funny!

Of Alexander McCall Smith's adult series this one took me the longest to appreciate. This author's ability to spotlight a variety of human behaviors is evident in all of his work, but of all of his wonderful characters Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is the most outrageous. I admit it took me a while to really appreciate the humor in this series, and in one case, a topic I don't find the least bit funny, was made so ridiculous it crossed the line of unforgivable to hysterical without my even wanting it to.

Dated and dull

This bland little series of short novels is very anachronistic, but so is the protagonist, Herr Professor Von Igelfeld. More of a wry commentary on British manners than a realistic reflection of German academia, Von Igelfeld's extremely sudden immersions into the wildest of circumstances, and his absurd blunders out of them, are mildly diverting but hardly engaging. As a big fan of the "Kalahari Typing School" series, I know of the magic Mr Smith is capable, so I think his heart simply was never in the telling of these tales.

Not PG Wodehouse, but cut from the same cloth

This is the first Alexander McCall Smith book I've listened to (never having been bitten by the Ladies Detective Club series bug) and I enjoyed it. It's a wry, witty send up of the world of academics, specifically German philology, and I've already gifted it to several of my friends who I know will like it. I suspect this is Smith's homage to PGW and I will listen to the entire series again I'm sure. Interspersed with liberal doses of Uncle Fred, Pongo (my favorite) Bertie and Jeeves and the whole gang.

Recommend, particularly if you like "Wodehousian" humor.