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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good StuffBut Not the Best Jeeves and Wooster, April 4, 2002
This review is from: Jeeves And The Tie That Binds (Paperback)
The Jeeves and Wooster books generally follow the same template: the young, wealthy airhead Wooster or one of his upper-crust pals gets in some sticky social situation, and it is up to his genius butler Jeeves to devise an ingenious solution to the quandary. Often the stories involve some manner of deception, misunderstanding, or often, mistaken identity-and sometimes, Jeeves' scheme backfires, resulting in even greater hilarity (although as with every comic tale, all is set right by the end). The books can fairly be compared to contemporary TV sitcoms, as they to reply on recurring (often over the top) characters, a rarefied setting, a single type of humor, and recurring situations. Simply put, if you like one Wooster tale (and don't get sick of them), you're going to like them all. Much of this can be explained by Wodehouse's mastery of the language and constant deft turns of phrase, period slang, and comic timing. This entry in the canon (a direct sequel to Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves) is a little disappointing in comparison to others, mainly because for once, Wodehouse overuses some of his gags. Throughout the story, Wooster fumbles for words and phrases, a device which quickly loses any of its scant charm. Similarly, Jeeves' erudition is overdisplayed, as quotes from Shakespeare, Burns, Worthsworth, and numerous Romans are crammed in-as are Biblical references and Wooster's reminiscing about winning a school prize for Old Testament knowledge. Still, the story of a local election, a purloined silver pot, the missing journal of the Junior Ganneymeade Club, Spode, and various ladies eager to marry Bertie, all set amidst Aunt Dahlia's mansion, is sure to please what Wodehouse refers to as "the old sweats." Those who deride the shallow subject matter and milieu of the Jeeves and Wooster series need to recall the context in which these stories appeared. Only a few years removed from the horrors of World War I-an event that is never alluded to in the series, despite the loss of an entire generation of British young men-the stories can be viewed as a bandage of sorts, an attempt to transport the reader to a world far removed from the traumatic recovery from the Great War. Not to mention Wodehouse's clear depiction of the upper classes as wastrels and idiots of the highest order when compared to the street savvy of the servants (as exemplified by Jeeves). Of course, one doesn't read Wodehouse for social commentary or as a salve these days, but for his dry wit and keen command of the written word.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, But Not Quite Up to Snuff, May 12, 2001
This review is from: Jeeves And The Tie That Binds (Paperback)
I first discovered P.G. Wodehouse through his mostly-true autobiography, "Bring on the Girls," in which he adroitly recalls his theater days with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern. But Wodehouse is most famous for his "Jeeves" books, featuring the wise and unflappable butler who extricates Bertram "Bertie" Wooster from all manner of ridiculous conundrums. The wonder of these farces is that Wooster himself narrates the story, presumably unaware of his foolish prattling and numerous faux pas. In the Jeeves books, Wodehouse manages to write similar plots that are soothingly familiar and yet still ingenious. Wodehouse typically sets the bumblings and posturing of the "social betters" against Jeeves' clever, no-nonsense, "psychology of the individual" solutions. Wodehouse is nimble, nuanced, and both smilingly and laugh-out-loud funny. This is a good, but somewhat disappointing (by the very elevated Wodehousian standards) work. For one thing, Wodehouse's humorous devices are somewhat redundant, centered too often around Wooster's difficulties with words and phrases. Wodehouse dips into this well just a little too often: "Ceasing to expostulate then, if expostulate is the word I want," and "What's the word I've heard you use from time to time--begins with eu?" "Euphoria, sir." While perhaps a minor complaint, Wodehouse's vitality and invention are somewhat enervated by this reliance on linguistic stumbling. The plot involves (as usual) fiancees on the brink, Wooster accused of pilfering, and assorted foolish/nasty characters gathered at his Aunt Dahlia's house. This time around, the butlers'club journal (in which the butlers record the less commendable actions of their employers) is stolen by one of its members with a mind for political blackmail. A wonderful engine for a story, but I thought Wodehouse lost some opportunities in not exposing any of the club book's contents, and paying just fleet attention to an apparently uproarious political debate. It's true that Wodehouse is a master of understated humor, but I've read other books in which he better exploited an episode's comic possibilities. Still, Wodehouse is always a treat: "she guffawed more liberally than I had ever heard . . . If there had been an aisle, she would have rolled in it," and "He . . . gave the impression, as Esmond did, of being able, if he cared to, to fell an ox with a single blow. I don't know if he had ever actually done this, for one so seldom meets an ox . . . " Wodehouse's nuanced humor and farcical elements are always enjoyable, especially in Wooster's scenes with Jeeves and with his aunt. I just think that the initiate might better begin with a different, perhaps more humorous "Jeeves" book, such as the excellent "Code of the Woosters." I hope you'll give P.G. Wodehouse, "the Master," as he is known by his many fans, a try, you'll be very pleased indeed.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
90th birthday! -- but still amusing, predictable Wodehouse !, April 25, 2005
This review is from: Jeeves And The Tie That Binds (Paperback)
To be alive and kicking at age 90 ain't bad, but to be writing books worthy of one's younger efforts is indeed admirable. This entry in the Bertie and Jeeves long-running Wodehouse series is pretty much up to form -- silly plot for sure, but the delightful antics of Wooster, his butler/valet Jeeves, the "aged relative" Aunt Dahlia, and a half dozen goofy friends comprise the typical romp in the countryside so typical of these stories. And, as oft the case, Bertie's ex-girlfriends (he seems to have no end of them, yet ironically rarely a current one) make several appearances, and as their current romances flag, turn to back to Bertie, to his horror, with matrimonial intentions!
In "Tie That Binds", Bertie and Jeeves have traveled to his aunt's country cottage to help support a friend of hers, Ginger Winship, running for the House of Commons. Bertie's unwitting first canvassing call was upon Winship's opponent, a robust woman who, needless to say, takes the wind out of his sails and makes Bertie wonder if Ginger has a chance. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, his aunt is scheming to waylay a rich guest (L.P. Runkle) to solicit money for a young man wanting to marry, whose father had been somewhat cheated out of some inventor's riches by the rich guy. She winds up stealing a silver ornament from Runkle as part of a ploy to gain leverage, only to see Bertie blamed for the pilferage and stand to go to jail. Meanwhile, some other characters let loose on our hero, including his ex-'s, whom he tries to dodge at every turn. All we need are the Three Stooges and our farce would be complete!
This book was published in 1971 on the author's 90th birthday. His prose still amuses and his characters, usually shallow at best, entertain with their twisted personalities and hilarious comings and goings. One should not look for much more than an hour or so of smiling while reading Wodehouse, but to be able to find that every time for sure, not bad, eh?
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