Have you read ... P.G. Wodehouse?

     I feel as though I have read lots of P.G. Wodehouse, having had so many lines quoted to me over the years. My husband is, you see, a big fan, and he regularly re-reads his favourites from the canon, shaking with laughter the while. I invariably ask him to tell me what has tickled him so much, hence my familiarity by proxy with the work of the master. But I have never actually read him for myself - until now.

    Feeling at something of a loss as to what to read next - I don't lack good books, there just wasn't anything which quite matched my mood - I thought I wanted something very British, very funny and with a character all its own. I could have picked up a favourite Nancy Mitford, but 'Plum' seemed to be calling me, so I asked Mr. C. to choose a corker and he duly produced Right Ho, Jeeves. Now half way through I am chuckling as I knew I would be, amazed by the sparkling sharpness of the narrative and the consummate stylist that Wodehouse is.

     The story is a lot of stuff and nonsense and the plot need not detain us, suffice to say that it is all froth and frivolity, but fun! I can't help but see Messrs. Fry & Laurie as the inimitable Jeeves And Wooster, and there are so many good lines worth quoting that it's hard to choose one or two, but here's a quick passage just to give a flavour:

"I mean to say, when you leave a girl and a man, each of whom has admitted in set terms that she and he loves him and her, in close juxtaposition in the twilight, there doesn't seem much more to do but start pricing fish slices."

    I was interested to read in coverage of the newly published William Shawcross biography of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother that that lady's favourite books were the novels of P. G. Wodehouse, because they were "so realistic"! But someone else said that to criticise PGW was "the equivalent of taking a spade to a soufflé", and I rather agree with them.

Comments

[Nancy]

"I can't help but see Messrs. Fry & Laurie as the inimitable Jeeves And Wooster..."

I agree - can't call up any other images.

Ask Mr. C for a good PGW book to start with - & a couple of others to follow. I'd like to start in on them.

Mostly, I've read a lot _about_ PGW and about the books - but have not the books themselves.

[Dark Puss]

Surely you should start with Jeeves Takes Charge? However since you have on hand a real expert we will await his advice.

[Sophie]

Oh, I adore PGW, esp. the Jeeves & Wooster series. 'Right Ho, Jeeves' is actually probably my favourite, although 'Thank You, Jeeves' is also a close contender.

[adele geras]

Welcome to the PGW fanclub! You have hours of innocent fun ahead of you, as Terry Wogan puts it!

[Simon S]

I am yet to give P.G. Wodehouse a go and saw a very old and very fabulous collection of his stories (I think its the one in your picture) at the weekend in a charity shop and didnt buy it... I wish I had!

[Nancy]

Surfing the Net turned up an interesting (& fun) article by Hugh Laurie called "Wodehouse Saved My Life" - in the Daily Telegraph back in 1999:

http://www.pgwodehousebooks.com/lauriesaved.htm

[Cornflower]

Sophie,the other one Gareth suggested I might begin with is "The Code of the Woosters", but I think he finds it hard to choose a favourite!

[Elaine]

Nancy - I, too, have red the Hugh Laurie article. I have only just discovered PGW in the last year and have already have to curtail my reading of any of his books in public places as my resultant quivering and mirth has garnered many sideways glances from people who avoid me very carefully. Lots more to go but so far the Jeeves and Wooster series are my favourite though Blandings is also brilliant.

Difficult to explain why they are funny - they just ARE and you have to read them to understand. I simply love them all.

[Prem Rao]

Would any of you like to join our group of P G Wodehouse fans?

This is the link. http://atoasttoplum.ning.com/

[Cornflower]

Thankyou for letting us know!