At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances

Rating:
Summary: Charming But A Bit Thin
Review: Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is a member of the august Institute of Romance Philology in Germany. He is the author of "Portuguese Irregular Verbs" a seminal work, read by few. "At The Villa of Reduced Circumstances" is one in a series of three slim books that contain short stories following the quirky von Igelfeld and his colleagues at the Institute on a series of adventures. This book contains two such stories which take place on foreign shores. In one Dr. von Igelfeld goes to Cambridge on sabbatical and comes in contact with the eccentric habits of various English academics as well as their intrigues. In the other story for which this book is given it's name, he goes to Bogota to receive an honorary award given by the Columbian Academy of Letters. While there von Igelfeld hilariously becomes involved in a revolution, and finds himself briefly named as President of Columbia. Much of the humor in the two stories in this book derive from national differences between the English, Germans and Columbians. If you like understated humor of the Wodehouse variety you will enjoy this book. Otherwise you will find it a bit thin, particularly in the first story involving Cambridge in which nothing much happens.

Rating:
Summary: Far From Thin - A Truly Wonderful Read
Review: 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))