different place from Germany. Signora Margarita Cossi: Proprietor of an inn in Montalcino rural Tuscany who is an "incorrigible xenophobe", an unfortunate characteristic in her profession. Professor J. G. K. L. Singh: Indian professor of philology who invites von Igelfeld to present at a conference in Goa. Prof. Singh is injured in a train accident, and does not reach the conference. The holy man: Guru whom von Igelfeld meets in Goa. The man tells him of something bad happening to a friend connected to Goa, and that a plot against him is happening at his home. Both events happen: Professor Singh's injuries, and the plot by Unterholzer and Prinzel to have the book Portuguese Irregular Verbs taken off the shelves in the library of his institute, which he stops by leaving the conference in Goa early. Doctor Lisbetta von Brauthein: Dentist who fixed von Igelfeld's painful tooth, then married Unterholzer, who pursued her while von Igelfeld loved her but did not act. Polish tourists in Venice: A mother with her son and several daughters stay in the same hotel as Von Igelfeld. He learns the son's name, Tadeusz, by hearing the mother call to him. The boy makes Von Igelfeld nervous, as the boy seems to stare at Von Igelfeld. The mother is attractive and the children are well-behaved. The family speaks French. Title The book's title refers eponymously to von Igelfeld's magnum opus, a tome of nearly 1200 pages, which sells poorly. This is his academic specialty. Short story titles Some find the book to be a series of connected short stories. Following that view point, the titles of the eight are listed. Eins: The Principles of Tennis Zwei: Duels, and How to Fight Them Drei: Early Irish Pornography Vier: Italian Matters Fünf: Portuguese Irregular Verbs Sechs: Holy Man Sieben: Dental Pain Acht: Death in Venice Reviews Kirkus Reviews enjoys this lovable anithero who is "as predictable in his habits and as impervious to the outside world as Kant", following a great tradition: “All I want is love,” dolefully reflects the author of that standard but slow-selling reference work, Portuguese Irregular Verbs, “and a tiny bit of recognition from the Portuguese.” What he gets instead is a series of eight little adventures that add up to a life of quiet desperation. Sidelined from his original interest in Early Irish by his landlady’s horror at discovering a German translation of