Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances  By  cover art

At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by: Paul Hecht
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.17

Buy for $11.17

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The irresistible wit and charm of Alexander McCall Smith's New York Times best-selling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series has won over countless fans. The same subtle humor and enchanting characterizations are full on display in At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances, the third entertaining novella starring Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld.

Von Igelfeld is quite pleased with his role as a visiting scholar at Cambridge, even if his English colleagues can be difficult to comprehend. They frequently speak in metaphors and make peculiar assumptions, saying such odd things as, "I take it your journey went well," when that is not the case at all. But von Igelfeld settles in the best he can, and is soon deeply embroiled in some shady political scheming at the university. After returning to the comfort of his perfectly rational Germany, von Igelfeld is invited to Columbia for a special fellowship. But while there, he gets caught up in some decidedly unscrupulous behavior.

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

What listeners say about At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    44
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    44
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    34
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Ridiculously Fun

I enjoyed this book as much as any of McCall Smith's others, though it was a bit over the top, even for Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. His stuffy self satisfaction and obliviously ethnocentric views somehow blend with an ultimately moral character and occassional display of feeling that leave him in mind as an infernal teddy bear. All of the previous books in this series have been fairly believable as to plot; this one not so much--perhaps it is McCall Smith's token work of Magical Realism? Regardless, I enjoyed the read/listen very much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book

I cried I was laughing so hard. You will throughly enjoy this book. I do recommend reading it in order.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

not the best of Alexander McCall Smith

I am a big fan of all of his books, except this one. I guess I will just look forward to the next one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best series by McCall Smith

This is so much fun! The author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs is charming especially because he’s so very wonderfully human. McCall Smith’s dry humour always makes me laugh but this one especially. The narration, too, is flawless!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!