A Few Quick Ones [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

P. G. Wodehouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

A collection of stories in which Wodehouse brings together some of his favourite characters for a party.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection, which first appeared in 1959, is essentially a grab bag: it contains a so-so Bertie and Jeeves story, some Mulliner fishing stories, a few Oldest Member golf stories, and several stories about the Drones. Wodehouse sustained an amazingly high level of comic invention throughout his long writing career, but not everything he wrote reaches his highest level. These works are examples of his middling writing-occasionally chuckle-producing but only rare uproarious moments and nothing particularly memorable. Five minutes after listening to the book, you may not remember anything in it. On the other hand, you will remember Jonathan Cecil's consistently inspired reading. A master of comic voices, Cecil is often more fun to listen to than the material itself. Not an essential addition for many libraries, but one that patrons with good ears for language should appreciate.
R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"With its sumptuously bound editions, Overlook has done the master proud."-Los Angeles Times --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754008487
• ISBN-13: 978-0754008484
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,496,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Wodehouse, P. G.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Sampler of Favorite Characters with Unexpected Twists, December 3, 2004

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Few Quick Ones (Hardcover)

In the Wodehouse novels, the plots are merely superstructure upon which to develop hilarious characters, ridiculous situations, side-splitting slapstick and delicious irony about the "upper" classes. In a short story, a Wodehouse plot plays a bigger role.

P.G. Wodehouse obviously had that point in mind when he designed and wrote the stories for A Few Quick Ones. To make the collection a treat, he has given you a sampler of his best characters. Unless you are a devoted Wodehouse reader, you probably don't know about some of these characters. I recommend that you become acquainted because you may discover many Wodehouse classics that you would otherwise have not met.

As a result, the stories will be the most fun for those who already know the stories well. Happy memories from other books and stories will help evoke chuckles where others may only grunt and smile.

But, that wasn't enough. What else could he do? Well, he could vary the way he plotted the stories so that it was less predictable what was coming next. In the process, he indulged himself in creating delicious ironies. At the same time, several of the stories contain as detailed a plot as occurs in any of his novels.

The book's opening story, The Fat of the Land, is an excellent example. Oofy Prosser, the Drone's club millionaire, is determined to win the fat uncles contest . . . and no amount of skullduggery and oiliness is too much for him. Will he succeed?

The Oldest Member stories are a treat for all those who love golf, but many people don't know the stories. Mr. Wodehouse included Scratch Man and Joy Bells for Walter which eloquently show how the divine game and love can go hand-in-hand . . . but not in the ways you expect. There can be danger, too!

The Right Approach develops a theme that Mr. Wodehouse repeats in the book; don't assume that you know what someone else is thinking. Much like Shakespeare's confused lovers, the addled male, Augustus Mulliner, finds himself faced with a horrible contretemps when he attempts to press his suit.

Jeeves Makes an Omelette is the book's only story involving the inimitable Jeeves, and Jeeves swings into action in an unmistakably effective way. The story is made more delightful by one of Aunt Dahlia's daffy schemes.

The inimitable Bingo Little also does his stuff in two stories involving his far from beautiful baby son, Algernon Aubrey Little. In both cases, Bingo's tendency to wager his last cent on a losing nag is the source of the problem. The first is The Word in Season which shows how timing can be everything. The other is Leave It to Algy where Bingo becomes a baby judge.

Big Business is one of the book's best stories. The book's theme relates to whether the male or the female of the species is the stronger and wiser.

A Tithe for Charity is a delicious bit of irony about that famously poor man, Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, in which he temporarily has some funds.

Oofy, Freddie and the Beef Trust is one of the best developed of the stories and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what might come next for days . . . even though you will read the story in minutes.

Unless you don't like to laugh, you should read this book!

By the way, I had to search a bit to find a copy. It was worth the tracking down I had to do.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short, but oh so sweet, March 5, 2010

By 

Sharilyn - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Few Quick Ones (Collector's Wodehouse) (Hardcover)

First published in 1959, this volume collects ten tales featuring many of Wodehouse's most popular characters.

Stories are:

The Fat of the Land -- Freddie Widgeon organises a Fat Uncles sweepstake at the Drones club.

Scratch Man -- The Oldest Member relates Harold Pickering's attempt to become a scratch golfer.

The Right Approach -- Mr Mulliner shares how is nephew Augustus wooed the girl of his dreams.

Jeeves Makes an Omelette -- To help out Aunt Dahlia, Bertie Wooster steals a painting.

The Word in Season -- Bingo Little needs ten pounds so his wife won't know he gambled away his baby son's birthday money.

Big Business -- Mr Mulliner tells the story of his nephew Reginald who was swindled by a retired financier.

Leave It to Algy -- Bingo Little judges a Bonny Babies contest in exchange for 5 pounds so e can get his gold cufflinks out of hock.

Joy Bells for Walter -- The Oldest Member helps Walter Judson hold his temper on the golf course.

A Tithe for Charity -- When a chance meetings keep Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge from backing a loser at the track, he resolves to give a tithe of his money to needy strangers.

Oofy, Freddie and the Beef Trust -- Offy Prosser and Freddie Widgeon hope to make a bundle on a wrestling racket.

There are few things more enjoyable that reading Wodehouse. A couple of these stories were new to me, but even the ones I'd read before had lost none of their charm.

4.75 stars.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining stories, May 7, 2010

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Few Quick Ones (Collector's Wodehouse) (Hardcover)

P.G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse has gone through something of a renaissance recently with the resurrection of his Jeeves and Wooster characters by ITV and Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. This Wodehouse book contains 10 of his great stories, involving all sorts of interesting Wodehousian characters - Drones, and golf-fanatics, and whatnot. Each finds himself in trouble, over love or money or both, and schemes to find a way out. And Jeeves and Wooster even put in an appearance in the story, Jeeves Makes an Omelette.

I did indeed find these to be some very entertaining stories. P.G. Wodehouse was a great at writing entertaining stories, full of entertainingly clueless characters, and outrageous situations. Do yourself a favor, unwind, open up A Few Quick Ones, and have a good time!