The P. G. Wodehouse thread

[Bick]

The only 'shortcoming' of Fry as Jeeves is his built. Wodehouse described many times Jeeves's ability of appearing and disappearing without being noticed. I can't imaging a big guy like Fry not being noticed. I like Fry and Laurie's acting, but their images are not exactly what I have in mind for the Jeeves & Wooster under Plum's pen.

For me, I always saw Jeeves as a larger than average, quite impressive man. His ability to enter a room without notice I ascribed to his stealth and perfect decorum. If you take a look at the dust covers of various early editions of Jeeves books, he tends to look larger than average and perhaps not unlike Fry. He seems more impressive than Bertie in those early illustrations:

 

[Allegra]

Hm...he does seem rather masterful in these covers... Yes I totally agree his invisibility is due to 'his stealth and perfect decorum'.

 

[2DaveWixon]

Hm...he does seem rather masterful in these covers... Yes I totally agree his invisibility is due to 'his stealth and perfect decorum'.

I think I'd add that in the society in which Bertie and friends circulated, few really noticed the omnipresent servant class until they needed them...

 

[Allegra]

Can't pass this without sharing. In Galahad At Blandings, at one time Lord Emsworth had to use the Master Call 'Pig-hoo-ey' to address Empress who got a little tipsy (go figure). To describe the Master Call, it went like this:

It consisted the word 'Pig-hoo-ey', the 'Hoo' to start in a low minor of two quarter-notes in four-four time, building gradually from this to a higher note until at last the voice soared in full crescendo, reaching F-sharp on the natural scale and dwelling for two retarded half-notes, then braking into a shower of accidental grace-notes.

 

[Alex The G and T]

This made me think of The Amazing Hat Mystery. One of my favorite shorts.

"It must be something to do with the fourth dimension."

 

[2DaveWixon]

Hm...he does seem rather masterful in these covers... Yes I totally agree his invisibility is due to 'his stealth and perfect decorum'.

Something developed by the R.A.F., perhaps to counter German aeronautical programs pre-WWII -- stealth butlers!

 

[DZara]

Get outta town...I love Wodehouse! Got all four seasons of the show, and just a couple months ago I was reading in 'The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories'. Loved 'Extricating Young Gussie'. I need to go back and finish those.

 

[Bick]

Get outta town...I love Wodehouse! Got all four seasons of the show, and just a couple months ago I was reading in 'The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories'. Loved 'Extricating Young Gussie'. I need to go back and finish those.

Then, welcome indeed to a forum that has many fans of Plum, as well as all that SFF. If you have enjoyed some of his short stories (such as the ones you mention), then I beseech you to seek out Young Men in Spats, and a Mulliner collection or Ukridge, if you've not already read them. The first of these is an archetypal Drones Club collection with which you can't go wrong (see, for example, G+T's reference to The Amazing Hat Mystery, above).

 

[Ursa major]

I used to rather fancy the actress who was Madeleine in the last two seasons

According to IMDB, she's the Stepmother-in-law of David Tennant....


As for age, my first television Jeeves and Wooster were, respectively, Dennis Price (6'2") and Ian Carmichael (5'10"). Perhaps the reason Fry and Laurie were cast the way round they were had more to do with The World of Wooster than the books.

 

[Allegra]

Right now I am reading and enjoying very much A Pelican At Blandings. Sadly, after this there is only one last unfinished Blandings book Sunset At Blandings.

 

[steelyglint]

I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan.

If I'm going to read something I much prefer to start at the beginning, so I sought out the first appearances of characters. From what I could gather a short story collection entitled 'The Man With Two Left Feet' was where the birth of 'Jeeves' took place. It was a good while before I came across a copy of that. It was a tragic-looking item that I picked up at a car boot sale for 25p. No spine panel, red boards faded to a dirty pink and a fair bit of finger-soiling on the corners of pages and such. Still, it was published by Methuen and was the 1917 first edition.

I didn't really get on with it if I'm honest. So six months or so later I listed it on eBay. Turned out that that title is one of Wodehouse's more uncommon firsts, even in the state it was in. It sold for £262 - not bad for a 25p buy. I bought a mid-50s title from the same seller on the same day for 50p (it had a dust wrapper), and that later sold for £15.

Seems I have other reasons for being a bit of a Wodehouse fan.

.

 

[Alex The G and T]

Great story about a rare book find, there; but I'd hate to see Jeeves and Wodehouse given short shrift over the author's fledgling-ness.

The Man With Two Left Feet is available on Project Gutenberg; which means that the copyright was allowed to expire. Not without good reason, I'd say.

I read that a couple of months ago. As I recall, there were a couple of decent stories, couple so-so, and a few real clunkers in there.

Giver the author a few more years to hone his style and humor; and you might find the stories far more enjoyable.

 

[Allegra]

Re Blandings TV series, I watched a bit on YT, found the choice of the actor for Lord Emsworth is all wrong. First of all the appearance, Lord Emsworth is tall and gaunt. We all know the picture of him by the Empress's boudoir, draping himself on the fence like an old sock while watching Empress adoringly. Wodehouse wrote this scene numerously. I can't imagine that plump actor what's-his-name doing that. More importantly the character, I just don't see any Lord Emsworth in him. He would play a bookie perfectly IMO.

Peter O'Toole's Lord Emsworth in Heavy Weather is almost perfect:

 

[Bick]

I haven't seen that movie - thanks for posting. I agree, O'Toole looks just the part and has the right mannerisms.

Its a funny thing - I've bought most of my Wodehouse books recently in the recent 'Arrow' editions, as seen here, for example:

The funny thing is, that while pretty much all Plums best work was released in this edition (I have 30+ Arrow editions) - Heavy Weather was not published. I have always supposed it is because, for some reason, they couldn't get hold of the publishing rights. All the other Emsworth books are in their list - i.e. there is no way they took a voluntary decision to miss it out. Anyone know what's behind the omission?

 

[Bick]

I'm now reading Damsel in Distress. This is a corker, from (I believe) 1918, making it an earlier novel. It's a standalone, in that it doesn't involve Blandings, Drones club characters or anyone from the Jeeves stories. It does however mark a turning point, I think and is perhaps an important novel for fans of Plum.

In his earliest work, Wodehouse's prose was occasionally less fluent than it became, and could sound a bit stuffily Edwardian. In this book, he's found his voice, and some of his particular turns of phrase are appearing. Two that come to mind (which I love) he's used here well:

• "The scales fell from her eyes",
• "It was the work of but a moment".

For those who don't read Plum that won't mean much, but these lines are idiomatic signatures that occur frequently in his best work. There are many others.

He also makes golf references often in this one. I love his golf stories and when he likens a sudden promouncement to a niblick shot from a cupped-lie, it's hard not to smile.

Character-wise, he has a number of characters who could easily be substituted. Marshmorton could be a slightly younger Emsworth, and it could be set at Blandings quite easily.

So far no one has appeared at the Estate impersonating anyone else, but there's plenty of novel left, and I'm not ruling it out.

 

[Allegra]

In his earlier books that I read, Damsel in Distress wasn't one that interested me a lot, can't remember why. I'm taking a break from reading Wodehouse as something else have been taking up much of my time and interest, but I miss that enjoyment and will have to make time for it.

 

[saulfan]

According to IMDB, she's the Stepmother-in-law of David Tennant....


As for age, my first television Jeeves and Wooster were, respectively, Dennis Price (6'2") and Ian Carmichael (5'10").

And how criminal it is that almost all of those recordings are lost forever.

I also grew up watching these and recall with fondness the enjoyment they gave.

Best Wishes,
David

 

[David Plantinga]

I'm not sure I could narrow my favourite Wodehouse to five. I adore the Jeeves stories and the Blandings are brilliant. I should get around to reading his golf stories, but since I have no interest in golf I'm not sure they would keep my interest.

You don't need to know anything about golf, just accept the premise that it's frustrating and inexplicably addictive to some.

 

[Bick]

By the by, I'm currently enjoying Mulliner Nights. It's a belter. I think I may enjoy his best short fiction more than any novel, though I'm comparing gold and diamonds, so it's a moot point.

 

[hitmouse]

The Mulliner stories are terrific.