The first Wodehouse story I read was "Fate" in The Drones Omnibus, and I remember being very confused by "Sugar Daddies being Discovered In Love Nest as Blizzard Grips City". It brought all sorts of strange and wonderful images to mind (I was seven). That's why I chose the Drones, because it was my first Wodehouse... Otherwise I think I might have plumped for Jeeves in the Offing.
Anyway, I loved those stories, even though I couldn't possibly have appreciated them fully, then. I've reread them many times over the years, as well as most of the Jeeves stories, and every time I enjoy them more. I like the snappy dialogue, the unflattering descriptions of people like Oofy Prosser and Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bertie's waffling, witty narration... Wodehouse is the only writer I have come across so far who can get away with using the same stock situations and character traits again and again. In fact, I've come to enjoy knowing more or less what to expect in terms of basic plot when I pick up a new Wodehouse (and there are lots, which is great, too).
Perhaps I always go back to reading Wodehouse because a lot of the books I read are quite sombre, all the painful and embarrassing events in Wodehouse are filtered through humour and surrealism. The characters are so stereotypical that sometimes they're more like collections of words than people, but Wodehouse makes the types his own. I like to think that his books are timeless, because they're so human, and yet so unlike real human life. They're easy to read, they're never dull, they're great books to take travelling with you.
I will now stop gushing about Wodehouse.
And oh - your icon is appropriate for this challenge, I think. But I'm afraid I've only read Vile Bodies and Decline and Fall.
I've never really cared for the Jeeves books, but I absolutely adore Psmith--he is one of the most clever and fascinating characters I know; a sort of Wodehousian Mr Ripley, in a way. And I have to admit I strive to emulate him, when I find myself in circumstances that seem to warrant it.
I've read one of the Psmith books... I don't remember the title, but I remember not enjoying it. Perhaps I chanced on a stinker. Could you recommend one to start with?
The only one worth reading, as far as I know (I haven't read all four--in fact I didn't even know there were four until recently, when we were discussing Psmith on another forum) is Leave it to Psmith.
Anyway, I loved those stories, even though I couldn't possibly have appreciated them fully, then. I've reread them many times over the years, as well as most of the Jeeves stories, and every time I enjoy them more. I like the snappy dialogue, the unflattering descriptions of people like Oofy Prosser and Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bertie's waffling, witty narration... Wodehouse is the only writer I have come across so far who can get away with using the same stock situations and character traits again and again. In fact, I've come to enjoy knowing more or less what to expect in terms of basic plot when I pick up a new Wodehouse (and there are lots, which is great, too).
Perhaps I always go back to reading Wodehouse because a lot of the books I read are quite sombre, all the painful and embarrassing events in Wodehouse are filtered through humour and surrealism. The characters are so stereotypical that sometimes they're more like collections of words than people, but Wodehouse makes the types his own. I like to think that his books are timeless, because they're so human, and yet so unlike real human life. They're easy to read, they're never dull, they're great books to take travelling with you.
I will now stop gushing about Wodehouse.
And oh - your icon is appropriate for this challenge, I think. But I'm afraid I've only read Vile Bodies and Decline and Fall.
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