P G Wodehouse

[sib]

Hi, is anyone into P G Wodehouse?

[Angel]

I must confess that I haven't read any of his books

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it here! We're a chatty bunch so just feel free to join in!

[Kell]

Is it him that did all the Jeeves & Wooster stuff? I've not read them but I caught the occasional Fry & Laurie series on telly...

[Angel]

Kell it was - I checked on Amazon :wink:

[Inanna]

I don't believe I have read any of his books before, no!

But welcome aboard :wink:

[Maureen]

Not even me. What type of books does he have?

[wiccibat]

My old man loves his books, I've read a couple and they are really funny.The T.V. series captures the essence of the books very well.

[Freewheeling Andy]

The books are fantastic. The TV series caught the mood very well, but you acn't quite get Wodehouse's writing style onto the screen. I've only read 3 or 4 of them but they're such good fun.

[Sarahrob]

I've only ever read What Ho, Jeeves, but thought it was completely fantastic and would love to read more.

[Philip Stein]

Yes Wodehouse is a master. The difficulty is that he wrote about 90 books so it's hard to know where to start. I've read maybe a dozen or so. I strongly recommend Leave it to Psmith as one of his best novels. The story collections Meet Mr Mulliner and Ukridge are wonderful too. He has a particular way of phrasing things which is slightly old-fashioned and yet perfectly hilarious. And that's without even mentioning the Blandings books or the Jeeves and Wooster ones (which I don't like quite as much). The plots of his books are almost interchangeable - bossy aunts, drippy blokes, feisty girls, stolen manuscripts, prize-winning pigs - but it's all in the writing.

[sib]

He's probably my favourite author, but I agree that his plots and characters are a bit the same sometimes. :reading:

[Louiseog]

I love his books, so easy to read! Quite samey but that is part of the attraiction, Simon Brett has something the same about his books as does MC Beaton and Agatha Raisin. I think
Adore the television too

[sib]

I know what you mean about the saminess being a good thing - it's like the characters are old friends. I think his books give you a nice, warm feeling. His use of language is masterly - the way he expresses things is funny. And some of his comedy situations are pure genius - I think Something Fresh, chapter 8, part IV is a great example. :lol:
I think Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie were brilliant in the TV Jeeves and Wooster. I picture them as Bertie and Jeeves when I read the books now, as well as some of the other actors in that series as their respective characters in the books.

His stories are farces about young men and women trying to make a buck and marry the girl/man of their dreams. Then of course there's Jeeves and Wooster; Wooster being the aristocratic Tim Nice But Dim character and Jeeves (his manservant) always getting him out of the various scrapes he gets into. And not to forget Ukridge, the likeable ne'er do well always with a grand scheme up his sleeve but never more than about threepence in his pocket. And Psmith, not one of my favourite characters, but a crafty and resilient chap all the same.
Some of his comic situations are brilliant, and his use of language to great comic effect and his ability to find the telling phrase are masterly.
A good one to start with would probably be Very Good Jeeves, a book of short stories with Jeeves and Wooster.

[Liz]

I've got two of the Jeeves books - Very Good, Jeeves and Right Ho, Jeeves. I know that there are a few more before those two in the series, but are they the type of books where it's better to read them in order, or doesn't it make much difference?

[sib]

I've got two of the Jeeves books - Very Good, Jeeves and Right Ho, Jeeves. I know that there are a few more before those two in the series, but are they the type of books where it's better to read them in order, or doesn't it make much difference?

To be honest, you could probably read them in any order. Even if you haven't read the previous books Wodehouse will fill you in on any essential details from those stories. He makes a kind of joke of it; Wooster says 'Please stop me if I've told you this before, but for those who haven't read of my previous adventures...' etc.
Both Very Good, Jeeves and Right Ho, Jeeves are really good ones.

[Liz]

Ah, that's good then. Thanks very much, Sib.

[sib]

Let us know what you think of them.

[poppy]

Wodehouse is my favourite humorous author. I saw some-one describe his books as satire, which I suppose in a way they are. I've read every book of his I can lay my hands on and many several times. They are real feel-good books and so very funny. Jeeves and Wooster are my favs, and like you say sib, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry play their parts to perfection. But the Blandings series is excellent as well, I have a lot of affection for Lord Emsworth and his pig. I love the names the gives his characters - Gussie Fink-Nottle, Biffy, Barmy, Stiffy, Pongo etc etc.
Now I'm going to use one of his quotes as my signature:mrgreen:

[sib]

I think blandings is probably his most consistently good setting. (Not sure if that was a very good sentence, but nevermind.) But some of his one-off novels are great too. Try 'The Small Bachelor' and 'Uneasy Money' (this was the first one I read, and I'm re-reading it now).

He's just got a way of saying things which is funny; your signature quote is a good example.
Not sure I'd describe his books as satires particularly, (I always think of more scathing critiques of society or something when I think of satires). I'd just describe his books as 'fun'.

Anyway, happy Wodehousing.

[poppy]

It's quite difficult to get hold of his more obscure (if that's the right word) books in NZ. I've read everything available in the library and always look out for his books in second-hand shops, but haven't come across these two, as far as I remember.

[sib]

It's quite difficult to get hold of his more obscure (if that's the right word) books in NZ. I've read everything available in the library and always look out for his books in second-hand shops, but haven't come across these two, as far as I remember.

You'll get The Small Bachelor from Amazon. In fact, I think Amazon is quite a good place for Wodehouse.

Alot of his books are like gold-dust, now. The rarer ones seem to go for silly money on ebay. I think Everyman are doing a new series of his books, and have already got quite a few in print.

[Pilgrim]

If anyone's interested, we're discussing Jeeves and Wooster stories at this site:

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewforum.pbs?f=4

[KAY]

I had seen a jeeves and wooster episode on tv and thought i'd like to get into reading them, so i bought "thankyou jeeves" only the time i read it was when i was feeling sick and in a great deal of pain with mumps and now everytime i see them on the shelves in the book shops it reminds me of my horrid mumps, the pain the sick and supplies me with dire memories. will one day erase the memories and read more though.

[Pilgrim]

Funny to think that Wooster has become famous as House, MD. I like Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry in Jeeves and Wooster.

This is a wonderful clip from the Emmy Awards with him and Helen Mirren.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sv7Hy91EgM

[Ophelia]

I've read quite a few and have loved them. A couple of years ago a (fairly wealthy) friend bought me a Folio Society copy of 'The Plums of P G Wodehouse' which contains some of his best bits. I'm not sure whether it's published by anyone else, though.

[Purple Poppy]

Having read this thread through, I realise that I have been missing alot...and now intend to put that right. I did read some Jeeves and Wooster when I was in my teens and I know I enjoyed it, but I can't remember what it was. And yes, the TV version was great. Thanks for the recommendations. I will try and get started sometime in the new year.

Thanks for the link Pilgrim. Very funny :lol:

[Liz]

:lol: :lol: That's a great clip. Thanks Pilgrim.

[Pilgrim]

You're welcome.
He's a very funny man and Helen Mirren is so classy.

[Liz]

I like Hugh Laurie when he's with Stephen Fry in A Bit of Fry & Laurie. I think they work really well together.

[Snowflake]

Just got the whole set of DVDs of Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry -yay!!

[Liz]

I've asked for that set for Christmas. Hopefully I may get it.
If not I'll just buy it from Amazon with some Christmas money I know I'm getting.

[Danna]

If you enjoy Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster... you might want to try E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia series.

Danna

[Kylie]

I think it's high time we revive this thread on PG Wodehouse!

I've almost finished reading Thank You, Jeeves, my first Wodehouse, and I think it's brilliant. I'm already looking forward to getting my hands on more of his novels.

Arrow Books (http://www.wodehouse.co.uk/) in the UK is re-releasing his books, which is great timing for new collectors such as myself. Personally, I quite like the new covers, but when I showed a woman at work yesterday, she said she would never pick up a book with that cover if she was browsing books. What do you all think of these covers (http://www.wodehouse.co.uk/titles.php?rnd=eaKBqO3Z%2FbrkpCb3FbRIdrJmXpvfjzRQt PbROlzWa55%2Fr%2FtSEMC8g3TTaHTa1j3M)?

[poppy]

I think they are probably a lot better than some of the older ones. They convey humour and the time period well. Most people know who P.G.Wodehouse was (well you'd think so anyway) so they would be buying them for the book, not the cover.

[Kylie]

Yes, you would think so, but unfortunately, of the (perhaps) 3 people I've shown this book too, 2 of them have looked at me and the book blankly.

[Kell]

I rather like the look of the covers - they definitely suit the stories!

[Janet]

I think they're great too. :) A whole set of those on the bookshelf would look really smart, I think!