The 2 1/2 Pillars Of Wisdom (2015) - Plot & Excerpts
The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom is the exciting and humorous trilogy of tales featuring the hapless Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, Professor of Philology, and his two professorial colleagues - Prof Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer and Professor Florianus Prinzel. In Portuguese Irregular Verbs the three Professors are students, teaching themselves tennis, engaging in fencing duels (when they have never fenced in their lives before), transcribing Irish vulgar swear words, "getting on" with hostile Italians, romancing dentists, and when they discover that Venice is actually radioactive. It's very funny, brilliantly written....5/5The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs sees von Igelfeld being a victim of mistaken identity in the USA - which has unfortunate consequences. He then travels with Prinzel to Rome in order to undertake some research, and tells a clergyman to "shut up" in the Vatican Library - only thing is, the clergyman turns out to be the Pope! And whilst in Rome, von Igelfeld is entrusted a very sacred artefact to guard by a Patriarch - but this is not as easy a task as it seems! Finally, he joins a lecture cruise and becomes the centre of some very unwelcome attention by some elderly women on the ship. Again, very funny....5/5.At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances has our hero von Igelfeld going off to Cambridge for a Sabbatical, where he meets some interesting characters and gets caught among some scheming between College Fellows. And finally he gets the accolade and merit he feels he deserves when a University in Colombia offer him a Fellowship award. He travels there to get it, but gets not only his academic award, but also gets involved in a Revolution - the outcome of which no-one could have predicted! This book wasn't quite as funny but still enjoyable....4/5.Loved this trilogy - little short tales which brighten up the dullest day. It draws on professional jealousy, rivalry, poignancy, comedy and ambition. I don't know if it is just me, but throughout the trilogy, I was imagining von Igelfeld as a Mr Bean-type character - a very unlikely hero!
This book is a collection containing the three novels, or rather novellas, Portuguese Irregular Verbs, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, and At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances. They are not really novels, as a series of instalments recounting the vicissitudes of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his companions Unterholzer and Prinzel. All of them are professors in the Institute of Romance Philology, and von Igelfeld is the author of the famous work Portuguese Irregular Verbs. We follow them, particularly von Igelfeld, in their adventures, starting from an attempt at tennis without ever having played the game, only following the rules described in a very old book.It's one of the funniest books I've ever read, and I liked it much more than The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Although, come to think of it, this is probably a heresy.It's true that it's sometimes over the top, but I think its aim is to be absurd, ridiculuous and funny at the same time.I'm definitely going to read the last book in the series, Unusual Uses for Olive Oil.
What do You think about The 2 1/2 Pillars Of Wisdom (2015)?
Frankly, the title made me pick the book up. I was really curious to see what it was about and since i found McCall smith an ok writer, i bought this book. The plot centers around a professor - of Philology no less and chronicles a part of his long life. Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld - his name is a mouthful, so for the purposes of this review, let me call him Igelfeld. There are three interesting stories or novellas as part of this collection - Portuguese irregular verbs, the finer
—Harini Padmanabhan
I gave this book three stars. I enjoyed its gentle satirical humour which was subtle and far from offensive whilst at the same time being very close to the truth in some instances. There was a distinct charm about this book, typical of the author's style. All I can say is that sausage dogs will forever remind me of this novel (or trilogy of novels). The final book strayed a little into the realms of being "over the top" and Igelfeld took on shades, I thought of John Cleese, which I felt was a bit of a shame, as the balance had been right in the preceding two parts. Good for those who enjoy a light, humorous read.
—Narissaphelps
To be honest, this was not one of those books that gripped me from the very first page. Took me a while before I could feel any involvement in the protagonist and his world. I had a similar feeling of the sort when I read my first Blandings castle novel. By the time I was 15 -20 pages in, I was hooked. The Blandings castle analogy is particularly apt because 21/2 pillars does remind me of Wodehouse’s gentle wit and the sublime world he created for us in his books. A world that no longer exists, perhaps never did anywhere in the real world. While I confess I know little about the world of academia, I suspect that von Igelfeld’s idyllic world too exists only in the mind of its creator and is all the more beautiful for it. The past week has been a tiring one for me and I've enjoyed escaping into the world of Romance Philology every chance I got. Warm and mellow yet enthralling. This isn't riotous laugh a minute stand-up comedy, but I guarantee the smile will never leave your face while your nose is buried in 2 ½ pillars of wisdom. :)
—Anupriya
