Customer Reviews

Lord Emsworth & Others (Blandings Castle Comedies)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though Jeeves is the most famous of Wodehouse characters, the character I love the most is Lord Emsworth. This poor earl, when all he needs is some peace and some time with his precious pig, "the empress of blandings", is always dragged into family affairs, which are of no interest to him by his ever dominant "sisters". This book has one of the best stories about Blandings Castle, "Crime wave at Blandings". You will split your sides laughing with this story. All the other stories are equally good and "The Efficient Baxter", secretary to Lord Emsworth makes a comeback here. This book is an absolute must to any Wodehouse fan and absolutely the most recommended book for readers new to Wodehouse. This was the first book I read of Wodehouse and I read it 20 times before putting it aside. A book definitely worth collecting.

This collection of short stories begins with one about the title character, Lord Emsworth, a constantly befuddled old man who only wants to putter away his time if only his energetic relatives would let him. Though not my favorite Emsworth saga, this one is excellently written and endlessly hilarious. All the other stories are similarly well done, but they all begin to meld together somehow. I would have preferred more variety in the approach. If you read this (and you should!), I recommend one story at a time, and allow some good space between stories. Use an episode perhaps as a palate cleanser between each of those long lugubrious novels you insist on reading. That way you'll get the max out of the book, and every story will remain distinctive.

This is an exceptional collection of Wodehouse's short stories. He hits a grand slam immediately with "Crime Wave at Blandings," which tells the hilarious tale of what happens when a senior citizen with a tendency toward nostalgia gets his hands on an air gun for the first time since his childhood. Wodehouse is the greatest when it comes to light-hearted stories that poke gentle fun at our human foibles. If you want to laugh out loud, buy this book!

Mix yourself a hot Scotch and lemon and dive in. Emsworth is at his finest when confronted with the horrific possibility that he may be forced to take The Efficient Baxter on as his secretary again. Also there is a Mulliner tale, 3 golf stories as related by the the Oldest Member and 3 Ukridge stories. Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge has as usual tried everything to raise a few quid -- including renting his aunt's house while she is away in Hollywood, training Battling Billson the prize-fighter and pawning his aunt's diamond brooch. The funniest is the Emsworth story, while the others seem more like unfinished sketches that Master Plum (Wodehouse) was toying with.

I love P.G. Wodehouse. His detail, humour, so much fun! One of my favorite readers of books on tape is Nigel Lambert, he is a master voice actor. Although I am fond of Jonathan Cecil's readings of Jeeves and Wooster, Nigel Lambert manages to hold his own here. Lambert brings out the droll wit of Wodehouse, and makes me feel like I am right there with Lord Emsworth popping old Baxter with the air rifle. What a great romp!

A great collection of stories that do not involve my perennial favorites Bertie and Jeeves. I'm especially enamoured with Wodehouse's way of naming club members either Bean, Crumpet and Egg, or (as in Buried Treasure) after their drinks. Highly recommend for Anglophiles everywhere.

I very highly recommend this book. It's very funny and entertaining. I'd give it more stars if I could. I really enjoy all of P.G. Wodehouse's books. In my opinion , this is one of his very best.

Crime Wave at Blandings, although only one of the shorter stories, for me typifies the uniqueness of the Wodehouse touch. It combines the sentimental with the absurd, uniting them in language which is a luxury to read. Although tecnically speaking it is comic literature, it expresses a touching view of getting older which many others have tried and failed to achieve with supposed serious writing. I strongly recomend this story as a perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Wodehouse and especially the unique brilliance of the Blandings Castle series. Pip! Pip!

While the "Wooster and Jeeves" collections are perhaps best known, some of the most enjoyable and funny Wodehouse "tales of woe and mirth" are contained in this collection. Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle will quickly become one of your favorite characters of Wodehousian humor. The poor soul is overwhelmed by most everything in life and yearns only to be left alone so he can garden and nurture his pride and joy; The Empress of Blandings, a quite large pig. Sadly, he is tormented by his sisters to behave in a manner befitting his title, a task of which he is incapable. You will find yourself empathizing and sympathizing with this poor soul as he is thrust into situations he simply has no ability to control or cope with. I have the hardback book of this collection and wish they would produce the Kindle editions of all the "Blandings Castle" stories so I have them readily available as I travel.

I just loved Lord Emsworth and Others - such a great bunch of stories!!! But then again I am such a sucker for Wodehouse, and will never stop reading his books, (or watching some of the Jeeves and Wooster on DVD), you are going to enjoy this one too, and you are going to laugh. But that's not all, you get great word play, you get comedy, you get farce, but you also get human emotions and last but not least, you get a look back in time - not really that far back only 100 years or so, give or take, but at a time that we can remember but without cell phones, where newspapers came out two or 3 times a day, where telegrams were sent like we email and where you could still get away with a clever impersonation! Enjoy! And if you are looking for some more Wodehouse fare, these are a few rare but VERY funny books that you will enjoy every last page of......

The Pothunters: A British Humor Classic
The Politeness Of Princes: A British Humor Classic
The Man With Two Left Feet And Other Stories: A British Humor Classic
The Man Upstairs: A British Humor Classic
The Little Nugget: A British Humor Classic

Enjoy your summer with Mr. Wodehouse!