At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith (Polygon Books, 2003; later Anchor Books, 2004) is the third volume in the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series featuring Professor Dr Moritz?Maria von Igelfeld. The novel consists of two longer stories that satirize academic life and international intrigue. In one, von Igelfeld spends a sabbatical at Cambridge University, where he becomes entangled in petty rivalries and scholarly politics