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Portuguese Irregular Verbs | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexander Mccall Smith
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $11.95
Buy Used: $1.96
You Save: $9.99 (84%)
New (53) Used (76) Collectible (3) from $1.96
Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 36998
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5 x 0.4
ISBN: 1400077087
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781400077083
ASIN: 1400077087
Publication Date: December 28, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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Product Description
Readers who fell in love with Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, now have new cause for celebration in the protagonist of these three light-footed comic novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Welcome to the insane and rarified world of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Von Igelfeld is engaged in a never-ending quest to win the respect he feels certain he is due–a quest which has the tendency to go hilariously astray.
In Portuguese Irregular Verbs, Professor Dr von Igelfeld learns to play tennis, and forces a college chum to enter into a duel that results in a nipped nose. He also takes a field trip to Ireland where he becomes acquainted with the rich world of archaic Irishisms, and he develops an aching infatuation with a Dentist fatale. Along the way, he takes two ill-fated Italian sojourns, the first merely uncomfortable, the second definitely dangerous.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
 A Light Collection of Vignettes for Fans Only November 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Alexander McCall Smith , author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, shifts away from the mystery genre with his series of short novels featuring Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld, the first of which is Portuguese Irregular Verbs, named after the main character's academic magnum opus. A series of light vignettes, the books follows Dr. Von Igelfeld's misadventures as he tries to assert himself as an intellectual in the lost field of romantic philology as well to gain respect from his fellow academics. The results include dangerous amateur duels, obscenities from archaic Ireland, an unsavory tour of India, and toxic water in Venice. Along the way we also meet interesting secondary characters such as a racist Italian innkeeper and a dentist fatale.
While a bit unexpected for fans of his mystery series, the book provides a break from hard-boiled murders and gives us the light side of Mr. McCall Smith. His character Von Igelfeld is thoroughly an underdog and awkwardly lovable, and with each story, we cheer for him even though we know it will not turn out well for him. Despite this, however, the British/European humor is sometimes lost in translation, and for whatever humor there is to laugh at, it is usually a light chuckle or two, not something on the scale of say the Monty Pythons (but of course, the Monty Pythons are in a class of their own).
Overall, the book should be taken as it is: not a serious work of fiction, not part of his usual writing, but something light that can be read in a couple of sittings. However, with this said, the average reader would be disappointed. This should only be recommended to loyal McCall Smith fans.
 Von Igelfeld is not "Precious", but He's Interesting October 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Portugese Irregular Verbs" is the third or fourth series that Alexander McCall Smith has written. The "professor series" as I like to call them is not as immediately engaging as "The Number One Ladies Detective Agency" series, but a true McCall Smith fan will still find them enjoyable. In this series, McCall Smith captures some of the potential for pettiness that exists in all of our lives and we manage to see the Professor trying to handle his own petty temptations as well as the pettiness of others.
 Hey Alex! F--K U! Ya Irregular Dumb f--k author September 5, 2008
0 out of 7 found this review helpful
I really must agree. this book is definitely a piece of sh-t book . what is up with the title? the author is either, A) an idiot who doesnt realize that he is an idiot. B) an idiot who doesnt mind being an idiot! or, C) the author is actually very slick, and knows that he can f--k people over by deceiving readers with irrelevant titles. I am also disgruntled by the title of the book. such a dishonest author. what a waste of time, energy and moeny. the author has no integrity. this is my only logical conclusion because that is the only reason why he would have entitled the book "verbs". hey alexander mc call Smith......F--k U! guys, dont by this book!
toilet paper! September 5, 2008
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
yes i agree! you really are an irregular dumb f--k. hahaha stupid title. i also thought that this book was a reference for the portuguese language. i hope this book doesnt make a dime!
 Disappointed August 31, 2008
Looking forward to a better story by Mr. Smith after reading the #l Ladies Detective Agency Series.
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