UNUSUAL USES FOR OLIVE OIL

McCall Smith has created a clever, believable, and very funny world. Along with his fellow professors and students, we meet Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, who specializes in Portuguese irregular verbs at Germany's Regensburg Institute. Narrator Paul Hecht depicts each character to perfection—with the haughty, sometimes unreasonable, but also kind von Igelfeld being the standout. Listeners will perk up each time he begins his hilarious utterances and complaints in a guttural German accent. Also, the sweetly tiresome librarian who is constantly concerned about his nursing-home-bound aunt is a sublime creation. As the daily sniping of the academics comes to an end, listeners will realize they've been privy to an insular but highly entertaining world. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]