Wednesday Wrenches in the Works

[evelyn_b]

What I've Finished Reading

The Adventures of Sally by P. G. Wodehouse was delightful, unexpectedly sweet (even for Wodehouse) and a much more successful use of Comedy American tropes than poor old Psmith Journalist. Sally is a young American heiress who has just come into a large fortune and hopes to use it to benefit her friends and family.

Comments

[scripsi]

I admit that the alienation always irked me. Even at a Young age I wondered why Sir Percy just didn't sat down and talked with his wife properly

[evelyn_b]

Even at a Young age I wondered why Sir Percy just didn't sat down and talked with his wife properly.

I guess the reason he doesn't talk about his secret identity is supposed to be "Percy doesn't trust Marguerite not to denounce him immediately and there's no safe way to ask." Which is understandable if still a little unsatisfying, but doesn't really explain why he can't be nicer/less alienating toward her in his fop persona.

If you're going to be a melodramatic sop in private, and literally kiss the pavement someone walked on (but only when she can't see it! because you're Tragic!) then you can muster up the sacrificial energy to pay attention to her in real time once and a while, jeez. :(

(The movie also makes it clear that Marguerite didn't think he was the stupidest man in England when she married him -- the book is kind of ambiguous on this point).

Elizabeth McGovern as Margurite, who the costume desiger seems determined to make as unattractive as possible.Aww, poor Marguerite

[scripsi]

I guess the reason he doesn't talk about his secret identity is supposed to be "Percy doesn't trust Marguerite not to denounce him immediately and there's no safe way to ask." Which is understandable if still a little unsatisfying, but doesn't really explain why he can't be nicer/less alienating toward her in his fop persona.Sorry, I was a bit fuzzy. I meant the whole believing she had willfully betrayed those people. I don't know if I remember this correctly, but I believe Margurite really hates the aristocrat, but that she never meant that he and his family would be killed and she feels dreadful about it. But then Percy more or less accuse her and she gets mad at him and he ends up thinking she is cruel and callous

[evelyn_b]

I believe Margurite really hates the aristocrat, but that she never meant that he and his family would be killed and she feels dreadful about it. But then Percy more or less accuse her and she gets mad at him and he ends up thinking she is cruel and callous.

I don't have the book with me right now, but I think you're correct!
Yes, you'd think he could have gotten a little more information before jumping to conclusions and then acting all tragic about it. I don't know that I even hate the alienation/reconciliation plot in principle, but yeah. I found myself wondering if it would work better if the Marguerite/Percy alliance had begun as an arranged marriage or marriage of convenience, rather than a supposed love match that fell apart at the drop of a rumor.

Does Pimpernell Smith also have a stupid/frivolous persona? I would hate for Howard not to get a billion more opportunities to break out his Eyelids of Foppery. (Foppertunities?)

[lost_spook]

I read The Adventures of Sally earlier this year too (and I'm almost sure it was for the first time, but after enough Wodehouse reading it's very hard to be certain of that) & it is fun, isn't it? Which feels like an almost unnecessary thing to say about a Wodehouse novel. :-)

The only real drawback is having to listen to the Scarlet Pimpernel Song like twenty times. It's not that good a song, Percy!

Ahaha. Sorry. I'm just now wondering exactly what you're going to make of a particular First Doctor thing that I won't spoiler you for beyond giggling irritatingly over here.

[evelyn_b]

It's a lot of fun! And a nice change from the Woosters, in a way, with characters who actually have to worry (a little) about money along with worrying about aunts and schoolmates and their shenanigans. Not that it's a biting social satire, just a slightly different angle than I was used to from P.G.W., but still very lightly and enjoyably done.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE REGARDING SPOILERS (or your uninformative giggling, as the case may be) :)

[lost_spook]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE REGARDING SPOILERS (or your uninformative giggling, as the case may be)

Where are you up to now, btw? Or have you been too busy to get beyond Planet of Giants? (You seem to be packing in a lot of reading/watching here!)

[evelyn_b]

Creeping along! I'm in the middle of The Dalek Invasion of Earth!

(The Daleks have just revealed their terrible plan).