Your Inner Hedgehog

Written by Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by Paul Hecht

In the latest entertaining and hilarious Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld novel, our hopelessly out-of-touch hero is forced to confront uppity librarians, the rector of the university, and a possible hostile takeover, all while trying to remain studiously above it all. An Anchor Original.

Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his colleagues at the University of Regensburg's Institute of Romance Philology pride themselves on their unwavering commitment to intellectual excellence. They know it is their job to protect a certain civilized approach to the scholarly arts. So when a new deputy librarian, Dr. Hilda Schreiber-Ziegler, threatens to drag them all down a path of progressive inclusivity, they are determined to stop her in the name of scholarship—even if that requires von Igelfeld to make the noble sacrifice of running for director of the Institute. Alas, politics is never easy, and in order to put his best foot forward, von Igelfeld will be required to take up a visiting fellowship at Oxford and cultivate the attentions of a rather effusive young American scholar. Still, von Igelfeld has always heeded the clarion call of duty, especially when it comes with a larger office.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705010426

Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the award-winning series The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and he now devotes his time to the writing of fiction, including the 44 Scotland Street and the Isabel Dalhousie series. He is the author of over eighty books on a wide array of subjects, and his work has been translated into forty-six languages. Before becoming a full-time writer he was for many years Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh.

Reviews for Your Inner Hedgehog

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the fifth book of Alexander McCall Smith’s “Portuguese Irregular Verbs” series, but it is the first I’ve read from the series.The Institute of Romance Philology at the University of Regensburg in Germany, is the locale of this tale. A very distinguished site of learning where Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfled, Professor Dr Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer and Professor Dr Dr Florianus Prinzel are the three Chairs of the department. They have their strict protocol of how everything is done. There is also Herr Huber, the Librarian. He is not of the same level, but is given some leeway.When Dr. Hilda Schreiber-Ziegler is brought in to assist Herr Huber in the library and is given the title of Deputy Librarian, she feels she has some authority and takes it upon herself to implement some streamlining of procedures and some money saving changes. When she takes it upon herself to eliminate excess duplicates of the book inventory, she oversteps by removing twenty-one of the twenty-two copies of Professor Dr Dr von Igelfeld’s twelve hundred page “Portuguese Irregular Verbs.”This action causes Igelfeld and Scheiber-Ziegler to square off in a campaign for the position of Director of the Institute; a position that has been vacant for a while. The lines are drawn.McCall Smith’s quirky characters and the situations they find themselves in makes for an entertaining read. Along with the main plot at the University, there are the private stories of each character. Herr Huber’s invalid aunt and his detailed explanations of her health. Professor Dr. Unterholzer and is dachshund with one leg and wheels to allow the dog mobility — this is due to an incident involving Professor Dr Dr Igelfeld. Professor Dr Dr Igelfeld’s desire for a higher position in the world of academia, and a larger office with a view.

[mstrust · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Things are going surprisingly well at the Institute of Romance Philology, with the incessant and bitter rivalry between Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and Professor Dr Unterholzer at a truce for the moment. Then a new assistant librarian arrives, a young woman who decides that the library doesn't need to hold twenty-two copies of Professor Dr Dr Igelfeld's opus Portuguese Irregular Verbs and clears them off the shelves. This begins the assistant's assault on tradition and respect at the institute, backed by the man in the highest position, the mysterious His Magnificence, who believes it's time to prove that the institute isn't elitist.This is my favorite series from McCall Smith and I'm glad that he's continuing with this latest book. It's quirky and the humor frequently comes from the undignified situations that occur to this small group of utterly composed men who just want to do their research on linguistic minutiae. This book is different from the previous in the series in that it addresses current events somewhat, with a young academic who wants to be given control over the institute.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful!!!... Infused with subtle and not so subtle satire and winsome humor, this new installment in "The Portuguese Irregular Verbs" series is a genuinely enjoyable read - filled with lightheartedness that's so much needed in these trying times.