A Damsel in Distress (Collector's Wodehouse) [Hardcover]

P.G. Wodehouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2003 | Series: Collector's Wodehouse

Overlook is proud to present four more antic selections from comic genius, P.G. Wodehouse. A Damsel in Distress is an early novel about the aristocratic Marshmoreton family-a precursor to the Blandings series. Leave It to Psmith is a comedy adventure involving crime and gunplay, and Mulliner Nights is a series of stories about the inimitable Mr. Mulliner. Meanwhile, Lord 'Chuffy' Chuffnell borrows the services of Jeeves in Thank You, Jeeves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Good gad! Belpher Castle is a-dither with romance and intrigue. Wodehouse's usual twits are in full cry as they leap about the manicured landscape . . . Reader Frederick Davidson portrays each character perfectly, sorting them out for the listener. His portrayal of [George], the wealthy and earnest American composer, is wonderful, and the women--ingenues and aunts--are very sweet or dragonish, depending.'' --AudioFile

''This might be nearly eighty years old, but the humor is still darned funny, ranging from snickers to giggles to an occasional laugh-out-loud guffaw . . . Beautifully read, semivoiced by Davidson, each character takes on depth and identity with just the right pace and tone.'' --Kliatt --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) was born in Surrey, educated in London, and spent much of his life in Southampton, Long Island, becoming an American citizen in 1955. In a literary career spanning more than seventy years, he published more than ninety books, twenty film scripts, and collaborated on more than thirty plays and musical comedies.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (July 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585674303
• ISBN-13: 978-1585674305
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Early Wodehouse, July 17, 2004

By 

Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Damsel in Distress (Collector's Wodehouse) (Hardcover)

"A Damsel in Distress" was published in the U.S. on October 4, 1919 by George H. Doran, and then in the U.K. on October 17, 1919 by Herbert Jenkins, and it is a splendid example of early Wodehouse. This edition is part of The Collector's Wodehouse series being released by The Overlook Press (in the U.K. it is The Everyman's Wodehouse series from Everyman's Library).

As with many Wodehouse classics, this one includes a collection of colorful characters, a complex love story involving many characters, and of course the happy ending where everything works out. It is the story of an American Composer, George Bevan, who falls in love with Maud (The Earl of Marshmoreton's daughter). Maud is already in love with another American, Geoffrey Raymond, who she met in Wales the previous year. Her brother and aunt, Lord Belpher and Lady Caroline Byng oppose her getting involved with the American and want her to marry someone from her social class. There are more characters as well, including some servants, Lady Caroline's son Reggie, Lord Marshmoreton's secretary Alice Faraday, and an acquaintance of George's Billie Dore who is in the Chorus of George's latest musical comedy.

As with most Wodehouse stories, the plot is very complicated, and attempts to describe it in detail would fail to do it justice. It does involve a case of mistaken identity, a pool among the servants on who will marry Maud, and several characters finding their loves. Overall this is a very good example of a classic Wodehouse story, and it is well worth reading.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Screwball Comedy Wodehouse Style, August 14, 2003

By 

Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: A Damsel in Distress (Collector's Wodehouse) (Hardcover)

Just today I was making a list of the best-written bits in Wodehouse, and Damsel in Distress topped the list. Gracie Allen of Burns and Allen fame starred in an old black-and-white film based from this book and cast in the Billy Wilder screwball comedy vein. Arguably this book may not top the PGW cannon--nearly everyone would have a Jeeves, Mulliner or Drones book at the pinnacle of great reading--but it does contain some of the most delightful passages in Wodehouse.

The movie falls far short of the book simply because it was made when "All Singing, All Dancing"--(and no plot) was considered a good review for a movie. Any number of PGW novels critique and lampoon his experiences in Hollywood, but seeing the film first and then reading the book, one might be pleasantly surprised. For me, this novel holds up as one of the best non-Jeeves stories, others being French Leave and The Girl On the Boat.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love feast, February 17, 2002

By 

Jason Dejoannis (Boston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Damsel in Distress (Mass Market Paperback)

George Bevan, burgeoning young american musical composer, fancies himself a knight-in-shining-armor when in the middle of Piccadily Circus a fair maiden flings herself into his cab to escape the obese pursuit of the dragon - her brother Percy, heir to the family title and vigilant protector of the family name. Our hero's fair lady Maud does indeed live trapped within the tower of Castle Belpher to which he repairs in swift pursuit of happiness.

George will face grim prospects in scheming servants, an evil aunt, a kindly but aunt-dominated Lord Marshmoreton and worst of all the fact that Maud is in love with another. The whole setting has obvious similarities to Blandings for those familiar with the Lord Emsworth stories. I wasn't roaring with laughter, but I was attached to the characters and couldn't put the book down. It is hard to say which book is a good introduction to Wodehouse because they are all so good!