The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom

For Dash, Alexander McCall Smith's writings are always thought provoking and yet entertaining : )

Earlier this Nov, Dash had just re-read the Von Igelfeld Trilogy, titled "2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom". Comprising three books, "Portuguese Irregular Verbs", "The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs" and "At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances", they provide hours of highly entertaining reading and food for thought.

Dash particularly enjoys the unfolding of the moral dilemmas that von Igelfeld finds himself in because of the tussle between his loftier noble desire to keep true to his family crest motto "Truth Always" and his petty concerns. Of course these situations can *really* get out of control when von Igelfeld regrets his rash action of telling blatant tales to the Freudian psychoanalyst so that he can get his revenge on a colleague, and then running into church for confession even though he is not a Catholic; or even von Igelfeld shushing the Pope in the library, not recognising who the Pope is.

This is Dash's third reading of the book, and Dash is still absolutely tickled by the Sausage Dog episodes in the trilogy, whether it is the dog's owner wailing about how he should not have to oil the wheels of the dog, or the dog gnawing on the supposedly holy bones relic : )