Book Description
Wodehouse’s most famous creations, likeable nitwit Bertie Wooster and his effortlesly superior valet and protector Jeeves, reach a kind of apotheosis in
The Code of the Woosters, in which Bertie is rescued from his bumbling escapades again and again by the ever-nonplussed gentleman’s gentleman Jeeves.
Customer Reviews:
Fun with Wooster and Jeeves.......2007-08-03
The Code of the Woosters, by the inimitable P. G. Wodehouse, is a fun and enjoyable romp with Bertie Wooster and his Man Jeeves. This novel features numerous plotlines, including but not limited to, the battle over a cow creamer, a lost notebook, romantic entanglements, the theft of a policeman's helmet, a potential jail sentence for Bertie, a dictator, and more romantic entanglements. Each plotline is brought to a conclusion by the brilliance of "Plum" the excellent English humorist. The book is full of hilarious one liners and brilliant wit. Amazingly, this novel was first published in 1938, yet it is still full of timely situations.
This novel of classic comedy introduces us to Totleigh Towers and its owner, Sir Watkin Bassett. Several memorable mainstay characters are in this book including Gussie Fink-Nottle, Aunt Dahlia, Madeline Bassett, and Stiffy Bing. Any journey taken with Wooster and Jeeves is time well spent. This classic series endures because the characters are wonderful and memorable. A 5 star fun-filled romp.
What's a cow creamer anyway?.......2007-04-09
The Code of the Woosters opens with Bertram Wooster's favourite aunt arriving unannounced with a request that Bertie go visit an antique dealer and cast aspersions on a silver cow creamer as a ruse to bring the price down for Bertie's uncle, a fanatical cow creamer collector.
Unfortunately a rival collector buys it before Bertie can get into his act and to make matters worse it is a judge with whom our hero has had a run in. We follow the further meetings and doings of Bertie Wooster through a mirthful chain of people and merry events which tangles itself about poor Bertie linking him to that blasted cow creamer like a prisoner to his iron ball, until finally Bertie's valet Jeeves as usual frees him from the whole mess and rids him of all worries.
But what the deuce is a cow creamer anyway? It is a vessel, part of a dessert and coffee service, used to serve cream and shaped in the form of a cow. Of course that's what it had to be, and I would have figured it out on my own too. After all anyone will tell you that grand old chap Vincent is no stranger to the more rarified items of trivia and that he can trivialize with the best of them. There's always something working in the old bean as they say. In any case, I'd have been able to figure out the purpose of this object, from the name alone in fact, had I for a minute imagined it possible that such a silly thing could have existed in the first place.
That the book follows P.G. Wodehouse's classic Jeeves & Wooster formula doesn't make it less entertaining, nor does it eliminate all surprises. Great fun.
Trivia: The Code of the Woosters is set in the late 1930s, just before WWII and Wodehouse satirizes Hitler in much the same way Charlie Chaplin did in is film "The Great Dictator".
Vincent Poirier, Dublin
One of the best of the Jeeves and Wooster series...a great read and a wonderful Christmas present !!.......2006-12-01
This book is a good introduction to the Jeeves and Wooster series. The story is stupefyingly complex, the dialogue hilarious, and the characters unforgettable. Really get involved in reading Wodehouse's body of work and you will find "Woosterisms" creeping into your vocabulary: you will be referring to chums as "old bean" and greeting people with a merry "What ho!"
Wooster and Jeeves ride again........2006-10-01
As with any novel about Jeeves and Wooster, I don't want to give too much away. Much of the humor is not just in the language but in how surprisingly complex things can get before they are resolved. So my first suggestion is to skip the introduction by Alexander Cockburn who quotes some of the funnier scenes in the book.
Now as for the story it involves a cow-creamer, a small leather book, two marriages, a want-to-be Dictator and a police helmet.
The Code of the Woosters has 222 pages of some of the best dry British humor ever to come from P.G. Wodehouse's pen. As always the dialogue between Bertie Wooster and his man Jeeves is some of the greatest you will ever encounter in your whole life. How one book can contain so much is beyond me but this is, as any of his books are, a must for any library.
The Code of the Woosters.......2006-09-12
Bertie Wooster and his unflappable manservant Jeeves are enlisted by Aunt Dahlia to recover an 18th-century silver cow-creamer purchased by Sir Watkyn Bassett, the retired magistrate of Totleigh Towers. The cast of characters includes his two daughters -- "Stiffy," who has secretly decided to marry "Stinky" Pinker, the curate -- and Madalyne, engaged to Gussie Spink-Nottle, a shy bachelor entralled by the sexual habits of Newts, who is hounded by the baleful and muscle-bound Rodrick Spode. Gussie fights intimidation by compiling a list of uncomplimentary observations into a small leather book, which becomes an object of blackmail when Stiffy tries to get Bertie to steal a policemen's helmet . . . well, never mind. You get the idea. The hilarious volume is one of Wodehouse's best -- combining deft plotting and dialogue to return you to the Edwardian England, where your choice of dinner jacket was more important than your choice of politics. Highly recommended. -- Auralgo
Amazon.com
P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) is an English-born storyteller and journalist who came to America before World War I and sold a serial to the Saturday Evening Post, where most of his books first appeared. Though Wodehouse wrote more than 90 books and 20 film scripts, and collaborated on more than 30 plays and musical comedies, he is perhaps best known as the creator of the gentlemanly character Jeeves, "that subtle master of prudence, good taste, and ineffable composure." This three-part edition will delight newcomers to Wodehouse as well as those already familiar with his "sunny universe and sparkling prose." Let the reader beware: unless you are the kind of person who enjoys being stared at, do not attempt to read anything by P. G. Wodehouse in public. If you do, you'll soon find yourself an object of interest on the bus, plane or train as you attempt to stifle guffaws or end up accidentally swallowing your tongue in a useless effort to squash that belly-laugh. Wodehouse is, quite simply, one of the funniest men on the planet, and this latest compendium of his work, Life with Jeeves, is Wodehouse at his best.
Here you'll find Bertie Wooster, a complete gentleman, but the first to admit he's a bit of a chump; his valet, Jeeves, infinitely sagacious, the source of all solace; and a wild collection of terrifying aunts, miserly uncles, love-sick friends, female authors, crusading communists, troublesome cousins, cantankerous dogs, unwanted fiancés and more-all bound up in plots as impossibly labyrinthine as they are laugh-out-loud funny.
Customer Reviews:
So, so funny!.......2007-06-15
This book was my first aquaintance (I'm a late bloomer, what ho) with Wodehouse. I made the mistake of reading the story which contains Gussie Fink-Nottle's speech to the students of the Market Snodsbury Grammar School while I was on an airplane from New York to London. My fellow travelers were trying not to stare at me and I was trying to be discreet, but I lost control at some point and just about exploded with tears of laughter and tummy aching.
I defy anyone to read this passage without making a complete and happy fool of themselves!
The stories are great and Wodehouse's use of language and British slang is perfect. The perfect antidote for whatever ails you!
Nick Green -- "Life With Jeeves".......2006-09-13
Wodehouse's "Life With Jeeves" is a three-part volume containing "The Inimitable Jeeves", "Very Good, Jeeves!" and "Right Ho, Jeeves." The first two are collections of tales and the third is one long story. Bertram, or "Bertie," Wooster is a wealthy middle-aged man who continuously finds himself in incredible, complex messes that he is unable to solve. From the evil Aunt Agatha to the eternally in love Bingo Little, Bertie goes through it all. But just when things seem their worst, Jeeves comes through. Jeeves, "a bird of the ripest intellect, the source of all solace" time and time again devises an intricate plan that will not only rescue Bertie and his friends from the most terrifying situations but that will even benefit them.
In "Life With Jeeves," Wodehouse cleverly and hilariously pokes fun at the British aristocracy of the early 20th century. I find it funny that Bertie Wooster, an Oxford-educated man, must repeatedly request aid from his valet Jeeves. Wodehouse uses the fine art of literature to show the silliness of the British upper class. At one point in the book, Bingo, a friend of Bertie's of the same social status, dresses up as a member of lesser status for reasons I will not go into to avoid being longwinded. He eventually yells at his own uncle and Bertie: "There you see two typical members of the class which has down-trodden the poor for centuries. Idlers! Non-producers! Look at the tall thin one with the face like a motor-mascot. Has he ever done an honest day's work in his life? No! A prowler, a trifler, and a bloodsucker! And I bet he still owes his tailor for those trousers! And the fat one! Don't miss him. What has he ever done except eat four square meals a day? His god is his belly, and he sacrifices burnt offerings to it. If you opened that man now you would find enough lunch to support ten working-class families for a week." This not only comically summarizes the message Wodehouse is sending throughout the novel, but gives some insight as to what was going on at that time. The lower class was very worked up about the rich aristocracy, who generally just sit on their inherited wealth.
Although some might consider Wodehouse's works purely entertainment, I find that, while amusing, there is a significant underlying message. My only criticism of "Life With Jeeves" is that the stories tend to become somewhat predictable. They follow a certain formula: Bertie gets himself into trouble and Jeeves either advises or directly helps him, salvaging the mess that Bertie has created. Except for this one small complaint, I found "Life With Jeeves" highly entertaining and enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone interested.
Type is Way Too Small.......2006-03-04
I should have realized that you can't shove several books into one without this happening. The low rating has nothing to do with Wodehouse - I am an inveterate fan - but I wish Amazon gave us a choice of getting him in type big enough to read.
Hilarious.......2005-10-20
I haven't seen the PBS series, and only came to Wodehouse via an article in the theological/political journal First Things (of all places). Probably the only other books that made me laugh out loud were Dave Barry's "Dave Barry Slept Here" and Steve Martin's "Cruel Shoes". Wodehouse's writing is hilarious - Bertie Wooster is absurdly simple (and yet Oxford-educated), and this simplicity combined with his indignation and being referred to as dull-witted, and his incessant attempts to do without Jeeve's assistance, are the reliable comic elements that rarely fail to elicit a chuckle.
One almost wishes that there were titled upper-class nimrods tooling around America in their roadsters and confounding the proletariat with their "What-ho's"
It is Wodehouse's mastery of upper-class English slang, and his wrenchingly descriptive language that really stand out. Particularly Wooster's many euphamisms for Aunt Agatha.
Overall, an excellent book that I am delighted to discover. I'm not sure how much Wodehouse I could take on a long term basis, but Life With Jeeves certainly leaves me wanting more.
A Most Amazing Cove!.......2005-08-14
These books follow the misadventures of Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves, who manages to get him safely out of these situations. We are introduced to characters such as the "high on love" Bingo Little, the formidable Aunt Agatha, newts aficionado Gussie, and the much-disliked Honoria Glossop.
While situations involving these and other characters are in themselves funny, Wodehouse's writing style clinches the humor. I cannot figure out how to describe it so here are examples. From The Inimitable Jeeves: "I turned to Aunt Agatha, whose demeanour was now rather like that of one who, picking daisies on the railway, has just caught the down express on the small of the back." From Very Good, Jeeves: "If I had had to choose between him and a cockroach as a companion for a walking-tour, the cockroach would have had it by a short head." I think people sitting next to me on the metro were a bit alarmed at the giggles I would let out while reading this book, but if they had been reading it too, they would have been laughing harder. I was trying very hard to restrain myself.
Of the three books included in this edition, my favorite would have to be Right Ho, Jeeves because of its continuation of one plot line through the whole of book with a couple of detours. I found that The Inimitable Jeeves was almost like a collection of short stories, with each adventure being resolved within two to three chapters. In Very Good, Jeeves, each story continued for more than a couple chapters but they did not continue throughout the whole book. I'm not usually a fan of short stories, so that may have been why I liked the last book the most. However, they are all well-written. As Bertie might say, this book is "an amazing cove!" Highly recommended - it gets five stars for writing and four and a half stars for my enjoyment.
Average customer rating:
- Fun Reading
- Even Wodehouse said it
- Before there was Bertie
- An enjoyable collection of Wodehouse's works
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Enter Jeeves: 15 Early Stories (Hilarious Stories)
P. G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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ASIN: 0486297179 |
Book Description
Splendid collection features Bertie Wooster, the deliciously dim aristocrat, and Jeeves, his brainy manservant. Included are the first 8 Jeeves stories as well as the complete Reggie Pepper (Bertie's prototype) series. "Extricating Young Gussie," "The Aunt and the Sluggard," "Leave It to Jeeves," "Absent Treatment," "Rallying Round Clarence," 10 more tales.
Customer Reviews:
Fun Reading.......2007-08-16
It took me a couple of tries to get into this book - maybe the historical period isn't of particular interest to me. I kept after it and I really did enjoy the stories.
This isn't a novel - it's a collection of stories previously published in periodicals. Don't expect a 'flow' - each story stands alone, as was the intent of the writer in writing for periodicals. The good thing about it is that you can read them story by story and put the book down not wondering what in the world happens next. The stories are entertaining and fun and short enough to read in one of those 'boredom windows' we all have - at the doctor's office, on the bus, or whenever we have to sit and wait for something.
Even Wodehouse said it.......2003-10-27
Even darling P.G. Wodehouse had said it. He did no justice whatsever to the beloved man servant Jeeves in his first story. "Extricating Young Gussie". But Wodehouse had made up for it in every other Jeeves stories that he had written. Bertie Wooster on the other hand had been well developed from the get go.
Reading the Reggie Pepper stories is a gas. I feel in love with dear ol' misguided at times Reggie from the first sentence in "Absent Treatment."
There is no way you can book "Enter Jeeves" down without fistening the story that you are on. You would just want to read the entire book in one sitting, but you know that you just want to savor the witty P.G. Wodeshouse in the book for as long as you can.
Before there was Bertie.......2000-01-18
The first half of this book contains the first Jeeves tales, as they appeared in periodicals. If you've read 'Carry on Jeeves,' there's a lot of overlap here, although the style was polished up a bit later. The second half features Reggie Pepper, Bertie's prototype. His stories are entertaining in their own right, although they can't hold a candle to later Wodehouse. Still, it's interesting to see the evolution.
An enjoyable collection of Wodehouse's works.......1999-02-27
Before purchasing this book I had only been aquainted with Wodehouse's most famous characters Bertie Wooster and his stalwart man servant, Jeeves; and I must say that it was a pleasant suprise to be introduced to Reggie Pepper. His stories frolic in as much fun as Bertie's and he is a man who can think for himself (althought I do miss the perspicatious Jeeves standing in a corner ever ready to solve all the world's problems). With a mixture of Bertie, Jeeves and Reggie you're sure to have a jolly old time.
Book Description
Who can forget our beloved gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves, who ever comes to the rescue when the hapless Bertie Wooster falls into trouble. My Man Jeeves is sure to please anyone with a taste for pithy buffoonery, moronic misunderstandings, gaffes, and aristocratic slapstick.
Download Description
What I mean is, while there's no doubt that in certain matters of dress Jeeves's judgment is absolutely sound and should be followed, it seemed to me that it was getting a bit too thick if he was going to edit my face as well as my costume. No one can call me an unreasonable chappie, and many's the time I've given in like a lamb when Jeeves has voted against one of my pet suits or ties; but when it comes to a valet's staking out a claim on your upper lip you've simply got to have a bit of the good old bulldog pluck and defy the blighter.
Customer Reviews:
clean surface and sleek condition.......2006-02-28
the book is in excellent, in fact, perfect, shape, and has a beautiful feel to it--the contents are the usual brilliant Jeeves and Wooster humor!
A bed book for reading in the bed........2006-01-02
I love Jeeves stories and these are some of the first. But not all are about Jeeves and Wooster, thou they would show up in later books changed to be Jeeves and Wooster stories.
A bed book, as I pointed out, is meant to be used while in bed. It is designed so you can read it while on your side. I like to read books while laying on my front in bed, so it is nice to have. I had to take a star away for the fact that not ALL stories were of the J & W type.
A cure for insomnia.......2005-10-14
I listen to audio books all night - re-cuing to where I left off every time I wake up. Jeeves is a very light, relaxing, entertaining listen - especially when narrated by Jarvis. I DO laugh out loud occasionally - even on the 2nd or 5th listen - and even at 3am, but the lightness of the stories and the humor are surpassed (to my taste) only by John Mortimer's Rumpole series read by Leo McKern.
Like "Tootsie" the movie, you won't come away from this with a different outlook on life, but it's good escape and, for me, chases away the worries that night in the George Bush era bring.
Early Jeeves/Wooster, and Reggie Pepper too.......2005-01-23
This was the earliest (1919) of Wodehouse's short story collections to mention Jeeves in the title, and these are very early Jeeves/Wooster stories. But only half of the stories in this volume are set in the Wooster household. The other half of these stories feature Reggie Pepper. Pepper can be thought of as a proto-Bertie, but he has no Jeeves-like character around. The Reggie Pepper stories are also similar to the Jeeves/Wooster stories in that they are written in Reggie's voice. Once Wodehouse got rolling with the Jeeves/Wooster stories, he abandoned Reggie Pepper. I think there are only eight Reggie Pepper stories in total, with half of them found in this collection.
A few points are worth noting. The earliest Jeeves/Wooster story is not in this collection. That first story was "Extricating Gussie", which is to be found in the 1917 collection "The Man With Two Left Feet." It is in "Extricating Gussie" that Jeeves and Wooster travel to New York. All the Jeeves/Wooster stories in "My Man Jeeves" are set in New York as well. Another factor to bear in mind is that most of these early stories were later reworked, and appear in "Carry On, Jeeves." The story "Leave it to Jeeves" appears in "Carry On" as "The Artistic Career of Corky", with the first few paragraphs re-written for that version. The stories "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" and "Jeeves and The Hard-Boiled Egg" appear in "Carry On" with no obvious alterations. Also, the story "Helping Freddie" appears in "Carry On" as "Fixing it for Freddie", but in that case the story has been changed from a Reggie Pepper vehicle to one featuring Bertie and Jeeves - the plot and much of the language carry directly through this transformation.
In short, three of the four Jeeves/Wooster stories, and one of the Reggie Pepper stories, appear, with varying degrees of alteration, in "Carry On, Jeeves." The only Jeeves/Wooster item in this collection that doesn't appear in "Carry On" is "The Aunt and the Sluggard."
Classic Wodehousiana!.......2003-09-04
Martin Jarvis' reading of My Man Jeeves runs circles around Jonathan Cecil's reading of *anything* (for more ranting on Cecil, see Psmith: Journalist). He simply embodies the characters of Bertie Wooster, Jeeves, Biffy, Corky, and all the cast (albeit with the same typical attempt at an American accent).
This recording consists of the two stories from the printed Carry On, Jeeves collection that were left out of the CD copy of the Carry On, Jeeves audiobook--one of which has Jeeves himself as the narrator--as well as three stories starring Bertie Wooster's predecessor, Reggie Pepper.
Pepper by himself isn't as funny or touching as the relationship between Jeeves and Wooster, but the predicaments are identical to those that Bertie would find himself getting into. The only difference is that Reggie manages to extricate himself from the troubles, unlike Bertie, who relies on the wiles of his man, Jeeves.
Either of this or Carry On, Jeeves would appeal to the casual Wodehouse fan, and are perfect for long road trips or any other situation where a laugh is needed. Wodehouse exceeds all others in humor and, one assumes, will remain that way for centuries to come.
Book Description
Since his first appearance in print in 1919, Jeeves has become synonymous with British tongue-in-cheek humor. Valet to bumbling aristocrat Bertie Wooster, Jeeves is continually helping his employer out of scrapes. In this debut novel, Wooster's lovesick pal Bingo Little decides to marry and enlists his friend's help. Luckily for Wooster, Jeeves comes to the rescue.
Customer Reviews:
A whole lot of fun! 4.5 Stars.......2007-07-13
I can't recall reading a more consistently comical book in my whole life. I wasn't sure at the start if I was going to enjoy this. For one thing, what do most of us have in common with the idle rich of 1920's England? These blokes spend most of their days carefree and content, engaging in such benign activities as hanging out at the local bar all day and gambling on everything from the ponies to what was dubbed "the great Sermon Handicap". The latter is essentially a bet about which of the parsons in the area (there are about a dozen total) end up performing the longest sermon on Sunday. What a life huh?
Bertie Wooster, our main protagonist, is a couple of IQ points above being labeled a true simpleton. He is however, despite all of his shortcomings, an extremely likeable chap all the same. Bertie would be lost in this world if it weren't for his valet, his right-hand man - Mr. Jeeves. Although Jeeves may be a man of few words, there is no doubt of his wisdom every time he does open his mouth to speak. He consistently saves the day, and keeps Bertie's chaotic life from becoming an absolute catastrophe. The refined, conservative Jeeves also does his best in preventing Bertie from dressing like a total nerd (their constant battles over Bertie's eccentric style of clothing is priceless!). On top of that, Bertie's best friend Bingo keeps falling in love with every female he sees with a pulse (which of course calls for Jeeves assistance as well). And lastly, to add even more flavor to this already colorful crew is Bertie's Aunt Agatha. This rich, pretentious, highfalutin' dame is something else to say the least. She reminds me a bit of a more refined Hyacinth Bucket from that classic British sitcom "Keeping up Appearances". Bottom line, the whole bloody bunch is absolutely hilarious!
There is nothing in this light-hearted book that is going to broaden your intellect and make you any more enlightened or wiser. However, if you are looking to have some fun, not have to think too hard, and also want to laugh, than this book is ideal for you. I am greatly looking forward to reading quite a bit more of these Jeeves & Wooster books. If they are anything like this one, I am going to be one happy man (there are thirteen more!). It took me a while, but I am glad I finally got around to reading Wodehouse. The chap definitely had a unique sense of humor and I enjoy his facile, sunny style of writing.
I give it a solid 4.5 stars. A whole lot of fun!
What ho!.......2007-05-20
Although "The Inimitable Jeeves" is not the first appearance of the famous double act, Jeeves and Wooster, it is the first book to be 'completely' dedicated to them. It was first published in 1923, and was originally known in America as, simply, "Jeeves".
The book is set in the 1920s England and features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and he's intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.
All of the short stories are connected and most of them involve Bertie's friend Bingo Little, who is always falling in love - occasionally while still 'officially' in love with another. It's Bingo who most consistently drops Bertie into trouble : Bingo's schemes generally aim for an increase in his allowance from his Uncle, with the intention of marrying his latest girlfriend. Generally, Bingo's intended is a girl his uncle wouldn't approve of - so he ropes Bertie and Jeeves into helping him out. There are also appearances for Bertie's troublesome cousins, Claude and Eustace, a devious bookmaker called Steggles and Bertie's fearsome Aunt Agatha. Bertie is held in very low esteem by Agatha, but she is determined that Bertie should marry - Bertie's opinion, as far as she is concerned, is irrelevant.
A very easy and enjoyable read.
Car Listening.......2007-05-16
Delightful listening especially on a long car trip. Reader is excellent. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the sillyness of Wodehouse.
The Inimitable P. G. Wodehouse.......2007-05-06
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse can best be described in one simple word: FUN. Fortunatley, by surfing Amazon and its denizens fine reviews, I was able to stumble on this fine author. My interest was piqued by the reviews I read, so I decided to give the Jeeves and Wooster series a try. I began with season one of the televised Wooster and Jeeves and was thoroughly impressed. I then read this delightful book, after reading some short stories. This book is great fun and features the warm, sometimes competetive, relationship between Bertie Wooster and his "inimitable" valet Jeeves. With much help from supporting players. Especially the goofball Bingo, this book features a variety of light stories all brought together. Do yourself a favor, like I did, join the many fans of this great author and these fun characters. 5 Stars!
Popping but unpenetrating.......2007-03-04
I have heard that few writers had put more effort into trying to be funny than Wodehouse. Few writers have put more studied effort, and weighing of every word for maximum hilarity. Wodehouse is good but there is a forced quality that does not seem as natural as others like Saki. Some jokes just get wrung out for everything they are worth - jovial flavors of feeling just sap out. Wodehouse was, apparently, a work-horse of a writer but there is nothing deep in him which on the other hand makes him an easy read and one can be certain that his words are well chosen. On the other hand if you agree with Wilfred Sheed, who in the forward to "Leave it to Psmith", classified Wodehouse along with Gilbert and Sullivan as anti artist artists.
Anti artist artists were born something out of a reaction to English public opinion against Byron and Shelley and their questionable views and lifestyles. Their motive is to knock high ideals off their perspective horses. While Europe was taking art seriously, maybe too seriously, with rebellious Wagnerian operas and psychological probings of Flauberts and Prousts and such the English were being amused by Gilbert and Sullivan and other entertainment of high silliness.
The stories really qualify for the realm of science fiction and are mildly funny.
If you are interested in finding the book of stories that the TV series of "Jeeves and Wooster" was largely based on this is it.
If you like this you might also like the "Short Stories of Noel Coward" maybe even better.
Average customer rating:
- Best Wodehouse book I've read
- The Last Of Psmith Is The Best
- One of woodhouse' finest!
- Psmith rocks
- Marvellous!
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Leave It to Psmith
P.G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 1400079608
Release Date: 2005-04-12 |
Book Description
A debononair young Englishman, Psmith (“the p is silent, as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan”) has quit the fish business, “even though there is money in fish,” and decided to support himself by doing anything that he is hired to do by anyone. Wandering in and out of romantic, suspenseful, and invariably hilarious situations, Psmith is in the great Wodehouse tradition.
Customer Reviews:
Best Wodehouse book I've read.......2007-09-12
In my opinion, this is the best of Wodehouse, and I was pretty surprised at it.
The Last Of Psmith Is The Best.......2007-07-20
"Leave It to Psmith" was originally published in the U.K. on November 30, 1923 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the U.S on March 14, 1924 by George H. Doran. The edition I am reviewing is from "The Everyman Wodehouse" series published by Everyman's Library in the U.K., and for those in the U.S., you may be able to find the equivalent quality in "The Collector's Wodehouse" series which is being published by Overlook Press.
I did not have high expectations for this book, because I didn't think "Psmith in The City" was very good, but Wodehouse's writing clearly improved greatly over those 13 years, and the merging of the Psmith character with the cast at Blandings Castle was great chemistry. The character of Ronald Eustace Psmith (formerly known as Rupert Psmith and in both cases the P is silent), was much more interesting in this book than I found him before. He fits right in with the other Blandings characters such as Lord Emsworth, Freddie Threepwood, and a great foil for Rupert Baxter.
In this story, we have a diverse set of characters, all converging on Blandings Castle, and more than a few with the idea of stealing Lady Constance's necklace. Their motives are rather diverse, but whether they want it for money, freedom, or love, there is no shortage of people out to get it. As one would expect in any Wodehouse story, there is a fair amount of assumed identities and amazing coincidences which drive the story forward. Psmith, himself takes on the identity of Mr. Ralston McTodd, a poet from Canada in his pursuit of the beautiful Eve Halliday. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the flower pot scenes, which is some of the funniest writing I have read in a long time.
As the second of the Blandings Castle novels, and the last of the Psmith novels, this was a great improvement on both of those series. The Blandings series would continue to grow from this point, and there are many more great stories in that series. I do not believe the character of Psmith appears again in any of Wodehouse's stories, but the fully developed Psmith that appears in this work does foreshadow such characters as Jeeves and Uncle Fred. If you didn't care for Psmith in the previous works, you may still want to give this one a try. This is Wodehouse at his best.
One of woodhouse' finest!.......2007-05-15
"Leave it to Psmith" is an amazing tale of an amazing writer. It is the fourth novel about the character Ronald Psmith (The "P" is silent, he explains, "as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan."), and also the secong novel that takes place at well known Blandings Castle. In the Opinion Journal from the Wall Street editorial page, Roger Kimball selected "leave it Psmith" as the first of his five favourite comic novels. And indeed, it is, even in competition with the Jeeves an Wooster stories. It is quite simple, you like this kind of stories, with this kind of humor (for instance, if you like the quote and you can see the humor in that one-lined but already multi-layered joke, you must be a Woodhouse fan, whether you know it or not), or you don't understand even the tiniest bit of what people find so funny about it at all. In that case, don't bother. There may possibly be a therapy for it, but since I don't need that I can't help you. I have (after about 15 years) rediscovered this fantastic book, and yes, reading it brings it all back, every word still in my mind. I will not hesitate and I will reread the Jeeves and Wooster novels as well, but I am very glad I found this one again, the orange penguin was a bit, well, torn apart really. And it deserves a new generation of dedicated followers.
Psmith rocks.......2007-03-09
Many Wodehouse devotees seem to feel that Leave It to Psmith is the weakest of the Psmith books--but what does that mean? So it's the worst of the very best. How bad can it be? If you love Wodehouse, you'll love the book. If you love Psmith, you'll presumably be delighted to see his situation apparently "wrapped up." If you are unfamiliar with Wodehouse but love the English language, beware: Read Leave it to Psmith (or any other snippet of Wodehouse) and you'll be hooked. Wodehouse is the master of the comic narrative. He is simply the very best. Once you pick him up, you can't put him down until you've read all of him--and then you'll be ready to re-read him.
Can a lover of the English language not love Wodehouse and Psmith? As Jeeves would say, the mind boggles.
Marvellous!.......2006-06-29
"Leave it to Psmith" is part of the Psmith series by PG Wodehouse. This story tells of a debonnair young man, Psmith, and how he chases the girl of his dreams whilst at the same time, solving (and aggravating!) the problems of the people around him. Throughout all the mayhem and foibles, Psmith never loses his cool and definitely not his manners and composure.
A light and engaging read, Psmith is truly a delightful character created by PG Wodehouse. Filled with beautiful prose and incredible wit, this book has to be one of Wodehouse's best. Look out for the scene where the Efficient Baxter contemplates how he should get back into the house when he was locked out in the garden. I consider that part to be the apex of the book and writing at its finest!
Book Description
Wodehouse fans beware: Uncle Fred is in town and that means another literary dose of wacky hi-jinks. Love is in the air in Uncle Dynamite, and good old Fred (a.k.a. Lord Ickenham) resorts to impersonations, blackmail and ridiculous irreverence in an effort to sort out the havoc of a matchmaking blunderbuss.
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious!.......2002-05-09
This is the first non Jeeves and Wooster book of Wodehouses's that I've read, and I'm pleased to report that the adventures and exploits of Uncle Fred (aka Lord Ickenham) are just as madcap and droll as those of his more renown duo. As with many of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, the plot revolves around (mis)engagements, misunderstandings, country houses, bonny baby contests, blustering pompous old men, duck ponds, and a constable. However, the difference here is that instead of an idiot (Bertie) getting into sticky situations and being rescued by a genius (Jeeves), we have Uncle Fred, who seems to relish creating havoc and then sorting it all out through a variety of impersonations, good natured lies and blackmail, with general irreverence for one and all. The matchmaking leads to all manner of wacky hi-jinks, and as per usual, Wodehouse's comic timing is impeccable. Of course, the real treat is the language, which sparkles as it amuses. The names are especially good in this one, with Pongo, Bill Oakshot, and Sally Potter leading the way. (Coincidentally, two characters share the names of prominent characters from the Harry Potter saga: constable Harold Potter and Hermonie Bostock.) Uncle Fred is the equal of any Wodehouse character, and look forward to tracking down the rest of his tales.
Book Description
Despite marriage to a millionaire's daughter and success as a vice-president of Donaldson's Inc., manufacturers of the world-famous Donaldson's Dog-Joy, Freddie Threepwood, Lord Emsworth's younger son, still goes in fear of his aunts when at Blandings Castle. Full Moon tells the story of how he faces them down while promoting the love of Bill Lister and Prudence Garland.
A charming Blandings comedy with a full Wodehouse complement of aunts, pigs, millionaires, colonels, imposters and dotty earls.
Customer Reviews:
Veronica Wedge Snaps Up Her Millionaire!.......2005-01-01
Full Moon is one of the better Blandings Castle episodes and is graced by a delightful set of illustrations by Paul Galdone that increase the fun.
When there's a young American millionaire in the woods, the British nobility are apt to trot out their finest-looking, young unmarried women. In the latest generation, that's Veronica Wedge, daughter of Lady Hermione Wedge who is the sister to Clarence, ninth Earl of Emsworth. What Veronica offers in beauty, though, is more than lost in brainpower. So one needs a very shallow, very rich American for her. But unexpected difficulties arise because Freddie Threepwood, Clarence's not-too-bright son, is in charge of squiring Tipton Plimsoll, the American millionaire, around.
Tipton has been on a toot. He's just come into his money and seems dedicated to drinking it up. But some red spots lead him to wonder if he's overdoing it. A trip to the doctor's office warns him that seeing spectres could be next. That observation becomes the basis of a running gag as Plimsoll comes to regard another young lover, Bill Lister, as a spectre whenever Plimsoll sees Lister. Frightened by Lister, Plimsoll decides to go to Blandings to take the cure for his alcoholism . . . and falls madly for Veronica Wedge.
A new problem arises though when Plimsoll perceives that Veronica and Freddie are very friendly. Assuming the worst, Plimsoll stifles his feelings and wanders around depressed.
There's a second romance that needs help. Bill Lister finds himself stood up at the registry office where his awaited his bridge to be, Prudence Garland. Prudence has been bundled off to Blandings Castle by her mother, Dora, also one of Clarence's sisters so that Hermione can keep the young suitor at bay. Prudence becomes annoyed that Bill won't give up on painting in order to run an inn near Oxford. And even if he gives up on painting, they still need 700 pounds to fix the old place up.
Into the breach comes Galahad Threepwood who wants all the young lovers to be happy. In the process, he introduces Bill Lister into Blandings Castle on three occasions under false colors and helps overcome Plimsoll's wavering.
Along the way, there's enough good fun and goofiness to amuse anyone.
Book Description
One of literature’s most celebrated fictional duos, lovable fop Bertie Wooster and his clever valet Jeeves, take center stage in these hilarious tales. In the first four, Jeeves saves Bertie from some serious scrapes involving stolen manuscripts, unfortunate engagements, marital scandals, and jailbird friends. The other four find Bertie exiled to 1920s New York, where Jeeves rescues him from American aunts, visiting Brits, poetic chumps, and femme fatales. “Jeeves Takes Charge” is chronologically the first in the series, telling how the canny valet entered Wooster’s life. “Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest” expands the canvas to include Bertie’s young cousin who goes wild under his wing. “The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy,” “Clustering Round Young Bingo,” and “The Artistic Career of Corky” are variations on the Wodehousian theme of dastardly rascals who scheme to take advantage of Bertie’s hopeless naivete. The author’s witty wordplay, eccentric characters, and incisive comedics are well served by Martin Jarvis’s pitch-perfect performance.
Customer Reviews:
A Capital Collection.......2007-01-20
This volume of ten stories originally hails from 1925. I read them in the 1999- 2000 Penguin paperback edition. While many readers like the covers by Ionicus on earlier Penguin paperbacks, these recent editions with covers by David Hitch are my favorites. They are very well done, reasonably priced and just the right size, which is to say, perfect for the novice or seasoned Wodehouse reader. The stories are also among the absolute tops in the Wooster/ Jeeves canon, and give the back stories that Bertie meditatively refers to in so many of the later books.
As Richard Usborne notes in his invaluable guide, Plum Sauce, five of these stories appeared earlier in My Man Jeeves (1919). Two of the stories there told by Reggie Pepper are here transformed into Bertie's ruminations. Carry On Jeeves was the next collection following the ten stories in The Inimitable Jeeves (1923), and Wodehouse was on a roll. Here's Bertie's first engagement to Florence Craye, and his first encounter with her younger brother, Edwin, the Boy Scout, who rapidly renders unsafe house and home. Enter Biffy and Bingo Little, later fixtures in the Wooster ouvre. Here also Bertie pens his oft- mentioned "piece" for his "good aunt" Dahlia Travers, and her struggling paper, Milady's Boudoir. The last story in this collection is somewhat questionably narrated by Jeeves, but Wodehouse fortunately reverted to telling tales in first person Bertie in the later shorts. Some of these tales also found their way into the Jeeves and Wooster TV shows with even more riotous results. All in all, a capital collection.
Carry On, Jeeves.......2006-06-28
Carry On, Jeeves is another classic from P.G. Wodehouse. It follows in the same kind of humorous hiliarious vein of his other books that involve Berty Wooster and his Man Servant Jeeves. This is a book that should not be missed. In fact,
all of P.G. Wodehouse's books involving Jeeves and Berty Wooster
should be thoroughly enjoyed by every one.
The original show about nothing.......2006-05-14
I had never got around to reading any P.G. Wodehouse until I read this volume, and now I regret the delay.
My first exposure to Wodehouse, at least the first I can remember, was the great Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie (better known from "Black Adder" and "House") TV series "Jeeves and Wooster". That series, plus a few artsy articles on Wodehouse (for example this one by Christopher Hitchens [...] ), turned my Wodehouse radar on.
Even though the world of butlers and aristocratic drones in the 1920s may as well be life of the Siberian Steppes to us web connected suburbanites, the human comedy never really changes. It was the Jeeves and Wooster stories, not "Seinfeld", that was the original "show about nothing."
Every story starts from a minor mishap that turns into major mayhem, requiring the sagacious Jeeves to slide in and rescue his well meaning but social accident prone patron from the self induced quagmire.
This is humour that is sympathetic to all the parties involved. As such it is a pleasant change from the rude brood of "cruder than thou" comedies that has dominated mainstream TV / movie comedy from both England and America for most of the last dozen years. My guess is that generation of young media consumers has grown up that know no humour other than the stick it someone else variety. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, it's just the monotony of it all that I am tired of.
Bring back Wodehouse!
The Immortal Bertie and Jeeves Sparkle (Carry On, Jeeves).......2006-04-12
P G Wodehouse specializes in extremely humorous, complex plots, with everyone seemingly at cross purposes, and the ubiquitous happy ending. His characters are the offspring of the builders of the British Empire, wastrels all. Bertie is an extremely affable chap, but a bit lacking in brain power. In the opening story Jeeves becomes Bertie's butler, definitely the brains of the duo. Bertie is one of natures bachelors, but this never prevents him from being engaged to completely unsuitable fiances. They generally have terrific profiles, volatile temperments, and consider Bertie to be a spineless jellyfish with brains to match; and attempt to mold him. The brainy literature they force on poor Bertie is way beyond our heroes reading level. Bertie leads an idyllic life, the sun is in the sky, the birds are singing in the trees, but he manages to always land himself in the soup. The magnificent Jeeves is ever there to fish him out, not unlike the magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Jeeves's mental prowess is always made available to come to the aid of Bertie's menagerie of pals.
Classic Wodehouse.......2006-03-11
This is a collection of Jeeves stories, most set in New York, that also includes the story of how Jeeves came to be hired by Bertie Wooster and Jeeves own account of one of his adventures with Bertie. All is classic Wodehouse and great fun to read.
Book Description
Overlook is proud to present four more antic selections from comic genius, P.G. Wodehouse. A Damsel in Distress is an early novel about the aristocratic Marshmoreton family-a precursor to the Blandings series. Leave It to Psmith is a comedy adventure involving crime and gunplay, and Mulliner Nights is a series of stories about the inimitable Mr. Mulliner. Meanwhile, Lord 'Chuffy' Chuffnell borrows the services of Jeeves in Thank You, Jeeves.
Customer Reviews:
No Thanks.......2007-09-23
As a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse, it pains me to assign only three stars to `Thank You, Jeeves, but I have my reasons. Jeeves and Bertie go their separate ways over Wooster's `banjolele' playing, so the first objection is that a large chunk of the book lacks the necessary goodish portion of Jeeves that nourishes Wodehouse fans.
This reader's other two objections are intertwined and, I hope, a bit subtle. The story is just plain dated. A gag about white men wearing black-face runs on and on through the book and it's just not that funny anymore. This objection stems not so much from race consciousness as it does from the fact that the gag just falls flat - if not on the first instance then certainly by the umpteenth replay.
And then there's Bertie's repeated use of the N-word to describe a group of minstrels. Now Wooster does not use the term as a straightforward epithet; he likes the minstrel show and wants to practice with them. His attitude is patronizing, but not hateful. And the word has or used to have somewhat different, perhaps slightly less offensive, connotations in England than in the US. No doubt the use of the word accurately represents the unspoken assumption of racial superiority that permeated the British upper class. The best you can say is it's an anachronism today. By the way, Jeeves calls them Negro minstrels, also an anachronism, but never intended offensively. Maybe Wodehouse was trying to make a point.
The BBC TV series adapting the Wooster and Jeeves stories is highly entertaining. For this reviewer, these adaptations brought the characters to life in a way that improved upon the mental images I had formed. Jeeves & Wooster - The Complete Series
Anyway, there are plenty of other better Wooster and Jeeves stories, like The Code of the Woosters that are far superior to Thank You, Jeeves.
I highly recommend Jeeves and Wooster, but this volume can be left aside.
Entertaining British Humor and Plotting .......2007-05-02
Wodehouse is a funny "Brit". His Jeeve's short stories are great entertainment, especially if you want to make a time trip back to the past in MOE. "Thank you, Jeeves", his first novel, got a little slow in some of the chapters. Additionally, if you don't know the colloquialisms of the British thirties some of the funny stuff is lost, but those are minor problems and I continue trying to collect first editions of his work.
Bertie is in an awful pickle............2003-11-23
Bertie is in an awful pickle when Jeeves, over Bertie's constant playing of the banjolele, leaves his employment and is replaced by a knife weilding socialist who would rather see his blood running down the gutters than bring him his cup of tea. In this absolutely hilarious book from the Master, Bertie find himself in a burning house, chased by a knife weilding valet who thinks he is the devil, hounded by cops in the middle of the night, visited by ex-fiances in his bedroom, having his face painted black to escape from the yatch of an American millionaire, a kindered soul in 'England's biggest alienist' and in jail (again). Whew, what an adventure.
This is also P.G.Wodehouse's first full length novel, and on reading it one chafes that he did not start writing full length Jeeves novels earlier. This book is a very enjoyable read, if you like P.G.Wodehouse, you will definitely take to this one, if you don't, then obviously you have not read the man's works, and this is a great place to start.
Jeeves & Bertie #4.......2002-09-13
Previous: Very Good, Jeeves
The first of the Jeeves novels, Thank You, Jeeves is outstanding in every way, and it is a terrible shame that this brilliant book appears to be out of print. This is, in fact, one of my three favorite Jeeves books. The story is deliciously different, and eccentric at every turn. I think what is most noticeable about this book is the exquisite relationship between Bertie and Jeeves. We are wounded along with Bertie in the opening pages when Jeeves gives notice, although what follows makes their relationship more interesting than ever and, if I may say so, charming. This is the only book in which we "see" the servant's quarters (where Bertie spends much of his time seeking out Jeeves's advice), and the first in which we see how utterly devoted Jeeves is to the "golden-hearted" Bertie (Jeeves's words), although for the vast majority of the book he doesn't even work for him. Full of hilarious sequences such as Bertie's getting awakened every few minutes by the police constable, and getting chased by a drunk Brinkley (the new valet) with a carving knife (an event which is alluded to more than once in later novels). A wonderful, sweet, and zany book that tops the list of must-reads for Jeeves and Bertie fans.
I could be wrong, but I believe the reason for this book's being out of print is Mr. Wodehouse's repeated use of the word "nigger." In context, it is perfectly obvious that while the word is slang, it is never meant to be the extremely offensive and derogatory word that it is to my generation. In fact, Bertie has nothing but respect for the "nigger minstrels" and only wants to learn some banjolele-playing tips from them. The use of the word is simply a reflection of the times in which Wodehouse wrote-after all, this book was written more than seventy years ago, and times, and words, change.
Next: Right Ho, Jeeves
Jeeves at his best.......2000-10-22
a terrific funny novel by Wodehouse. i enjoyed this tremendously.. hope u too
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Right Ho, Jeeves
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The Mating Season
