6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jeeves & Bertie #10, September 12, 2002
This review is from: How Right You Are, Jeeves (Paperback)
Previous: Bertie Wooster Sees it Through (Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit)
Despite a few disappointments, this book is a wonderful read and a worthy successor to the top-notch Bertie Wooster Sees It Through. The tried and true formula is here-romantic entanglements gone awry, stolen objects, a friend in need-as is the wonderful, clever writing. While there are not as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the previous book, there are plenty (we mustn't be greedy, after all). How Right You Are, Jeeves finds us once again at Brinkley Court, that haven of rest-or, in this case, like something out of Edgar Allen Poe. Add to the usual mix a certain Bobbie Wickham, a former dreaded headmaster with a grudge, a kleptomaniac playboy who reads poetry and rescues drowning dachshunds, and the loony-doctor Sir Roderick Glossop incognito as a butler named Swordfish, and you have a tale of true genius.
The primary disappointment is the lack of Jeeves, who is only present for a very small fraction of the book, depriving us of the delightful interaction between the two principals that we have come to treasure so much. However, Bobbie Wickham's exasperating sense of humor and Bertie's new friendship with Sir Roderick make this one a pure gem. And most significantly, the writing is Wodehouse at his best-and that, after all, is what we love about him.
Next: Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I don't know if you know the meaning of the word 'agley,' but that is the way things have ganged.", August 23, 2007
This review is from: How Right You Are, Jeeves (Paperback)
With this play on lines from Robert Burns, Bertie Wooster, the aristocratic and and dithery protagonist of P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" novels, expresses his dismay at the way matters of love and quiet country life have "ganged" since his arrival at his aunt Dahlia's country estate. Shortly after his arrival, he is surprised to read in the newspaper that Roberta "Bobby" Wickham is engaged to marry him. Bobby, upon her arrival, quickly sets him straight--she is in love with his best friend Reginald "Kipper" Herring, and because she knows her parents find Herring unsuitable, has made them believe she will marry Bertie, whom they dislike even more. She believes that their discovery of the truth will be a relief.
At the same time, Aunt Dahlia persuades Bertie to try to break up the budding romance between Phyllis Mills and the American Willie Cream, also staying at the estate. Phyllis's mother, Aunt Dahlia's friend, does not like "Broadway Willie." Tact is necessary in dealing with this matter since Willie's father is a wealthy man negotiating important business deals with others at Aunt Dahlia's country estate. Jeeves is on vacation, and Aunt Dahlia, needing a butler of her own, hires Sir Roderick Glossop, a well known psychiatrist, to act as butler, his real job being to spy, purportedly, on Willie Cream to uncover unsavory details which can be used to break up his romance with Phyllis. During Bertie's stay, a piece of valuable antique silver, a creamer in the shape of a cow, disappears--perhaps a result of Willie Cream's "kleptomania."
As always, Bertie engages in word play and puns, the coining of new words, and quotations from well known works. He sometimes massacres English words, and he delights in misquoting in foreign languages. As always, he must rely on Jeeves, called back from a fishing vacation, to rescue him from the complications which result from his meddling.
The intricacy of the plot, the overlapping relationships of the characters, the use of irony and gentle satire, and the sparkling dialogue keep the reader engaged, despite the predictable outcome of the plot. First published in 1960, this type of mannered novel is now dated, and many readers will expect more from the novel than "just" entertainment. Wodehouse, however, is as good as it gets in providing clever, light entertainment, with delightful wordplay--while poking fun at the English countryhouse life which has now largely disappeared. Mary Whipple
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A classic Wodehouse, August 23, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: How Right You Are, Jeeves (Paperback)
This is a complete Jeeves and Bertie novel. I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but, then again, who can pick a favorite?!?! If you know and love Wodehouse, buy this book. If you're looking for an entertaining read and classic British humor, buy this book. Cheerio.
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