P G Wodehouse...?

dr gonzo

I always knew the name but figured his work was dense, quite old fashioned stuff but ive been hearing a lot lately thats its hilarious and very readable. Firstly would many boarsies recommend him and secondly where to begin? I cant seem to find a consistent starting point.

Alice Milligan

Wodehouse is a great writer and very easy to read. You might find that the plots are similar in most books, although he did write once "A certain critic—for such men, I regret to say, do exist—made the nasty remark about my last novel that it contained 'all the old Wodehouse characters under different names'. He has probably by now been eaten by bears, like the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha; but if he still survives he will not be able to make a similar charge against Summer Lightning. With my superior intelligence, I have outgeneralled the man this time by putting in all the old Wodehouse characters under the same names. Pretty silly it will make him feel, I rather fancy."
The best known books are the Jeeves and Wooster ones. Although I prefer the Blandings Castle ones like Pigs Have Wings or the short stories relating to the Drones Club e.g. Eggs, Beans and Crumpets.

The Mad Hatter

Nigel Lambert's reading of A Pelican at Blandings is one of the best recommendations for audiobooks I can give. Absolutely hilarious.

ThirdMan

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Nigel Lambert's reading of A Pelican at Blandings is one of the best recommendations for audiobooks I can give. Absolutely hilarious.

Interesting article on Wodehouse audiobooks.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/03/hitchens-201003

Whippersnapper

You could pick up any of them and enjoy them. I'm a huge fan, very funny. Bertie Wooster is an absolute legend.

sceptre

Pick up a copy of "Carry On, Jeeves". All short stories and conveniently opens with the first meeting of Bertie and Jeeves. I'd start there.

mikhail

Wodehouse is very easy to read. The language is on the formal side, but never stuffy or dense. The tone is mild farce, with clever lines interspersed like, "The fascination of shooting as a sport depends almost wholly on whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun." You absolutely should give him a go.

dr gonzo

sceptre wrote: »

Pick up a copy of "Carry On, Jeeves". All short stories and conveniently opens with the first meeting of Bertie and Jeeves. I'd start there.

Thats perfect, cheers Sceptre for Carry on Jeeves, and cheers to everyone else for the info. WIll definitely give him a go as soon as get near a bookshop.

Whippersnapper

Make sure and let us know what you think. We'd be interested to hear!

kylith

I got one of the Jeeves and Wooster collections a while ago and found it fantastic, once you get past the casual racism that I write off as a product of the time.

copacetic

can't beat wodehouse for a turn of phrase and descriptive hilarity. Great stuff in general. Interesting factoid (May be a myth) he supposedly also came up with Elementary, my dear Watson, Elementary.

I could read just his famous quotes all day

I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.

I agreed the situation was sticky. Indeed, offhand it was difficult to see how it could have been more glutinous.

His golf series is my favourite but I don't think anyone without an interest in golf would think the same..

BopNiblets

I recently downloaded My Man Jeeves and Right Ho Jeeves eBooks for Android reader, they're in the free books domain.
Might read them on the bus.

mrsdewinter

I've only read a few of the Jeeves And Wooster books, and that was quite a few years ago, but they are hard to beat for sheer laugh-out-loud writing. Every few pages, I would find myself rereading a passage and trying to figure out how he had reduced me to tears of laughter with just 20 or so words.

dr gonzo

I picked up a copy of Carry On, Jeeves the other day(as were my orders) and suffice is to say, im not disappointed. Love the characters, the setting, the situations, very easy to read and very enjoyable. The only thing i will say is its not quite as laugh out loud funny as it was made out to me but its still very humorous in a much more low key and potentially better way.

I will continue reading and pop back on when ive finished and have had the full experience.

Rabble Rabble

think stephen fry as jeeves and hugh laurie as wooster.

I can do no other.

mikhail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgS1ctxglw