Customer Reviews

Life with Jeeves (A Jeeves and Bertie Compendium)

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This volume is rather an odd collection, consisting of the first twenty-nine Bertie and Jeeves stories (at least the first twenty-nine to be collected) plus the novel Right Ho, Jeeves. Wodehouse hit his stride in the 1920s (at approximately the age of forty!), and Right Ho, Jeeves, the latest work published here, dates from 1934, so these are works from the beginning of his greatest period, which, for my money, runs to the mid-1950s (Wodehouse lived until Valentine's Day 1975).

Wodehouse was that rare author who was a master of both the novel and the short story. These stories are wonderful. I'm particularly fond of Jeeves and the Old School Chum and Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch; others may well have different favorites, and who am I to differ? Every story is a jewel in its own way.

Right Ho, Jeeves isn't, in my opinion, in a class with The Mating Season, Summer Lightning, or Heavy Weather as one of the greatest of Wodehouse's novels, but that's a bit like saying that Symphony No. 25 in Gm isn't Mozart's greatest symphony. Symphony No. 25 is still a wonderful symphony, and Right Ho, Jeeves, is a great, funny novel.

Wodehouse has brought me more happiness than any other author; there are, I'm sure, thousands more who would join me in that opinion. If you've never read any Wodehouse, you could do far worse than to start with this book, and you're in for a rare treat.

As the title indicates, this volume is three books in one. "The Inimitable Jeeves" is a collection of episodes, chronologically arranged, each episode taking about 1-3 chapters. In "Very Good, Jeeves!" the episodes are shorter, about a chapter each. "Right Ho, Jeeves" is one long story.

Each episode follows the dependable formula of Bertie Wooster falling -- or being pushed -- into trouble and climbing out with advice or more direct help from Jeeves. Wooster's troubles are seldom simple; they usually involve many layers of complication and seem hopeless, while the Jeevesian solutions elegantly peel away the difficulties and make things right. Wodehouse's characters (all, not just these two) are wonderfully drawn, and the hilarity is frequent and intense.

"Right Ho, Jeeves," however, is different. The solutions are less elegant, Wooster and Jeeves seem a bit mean-spirited and the language and plotting seem forced. I strongly recommend you read the first two books, chapters in the second of which can easily be taken out of order if desired, and ignore the third. "The Inimitable Jeeves" and "Very Good, Jeeves!" are so wonderful and occasioned so many episodes of embarrassing public laughter or suppression of same that I have had to give the book top marks anyway.

By the way, as I'm not sure what effect my having seen the PBS "Jeeves and Wooster" productions had on my reading of the books, if you haven't seen these you might want to rent a tape before or during your first exposure to the stories in print. The stories can certainly stand alone, but as the settings are so bygone-days and Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are so perfect in their roles, the video experience could make the imagery even more effective. Wooster's verbal shuffling and conversational mode are unusual outside England of the '20s and '30s, so a cold reading might be a little difficult to "hear" correctly; an hour with a video could make it all go down more easily. And ease of reception, after all, is necessary for humor to do its best.

P.G. Wodehouse is truly a master of the English language. He has a unique ability to have you rolling on the floor with laughter w/ descriptions of even mundane daily activites. His genius lies in his choice of words and ability to make the words flow together. I have never encountered another author that can make me laugh out loud w/ every single page I read. I have read 10 of his novels, 2 books of short stories, and the newly published omnibus, "What Ho!". BTW - this omnibus volume is a great first Wodehouse purchase if you're a bit overwhelmed by the number of his publications; it combines all the best of Wodehouse.

It's enough that this collection has three masterpiece stories: "The Great Sermon Handicap," its pendant "The Purity of the Turf," and "Jeeves and the Impending Doom." Savor them, and, in between, enjoy the loves of Bingo Little and Tuppy Glossop ("Jeeves and the Song of Songs" is perhaps the best) and the irrepressible Roberta "Bobbie" Wickham ("Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit"). And the aunts, of course. Wodehouse knew aunts.

Wodehouse himself characterized his stories as "a sort of musical comedy without music." But they were a musical comedy of a time--"The Cocoanuts," perhaps, but not "Brigadoon." As the stories and novels slid out of the Twenties and toward the Fifties, the innocence slipped a bit away. But the stories in this collection are vintage: "Jeeves and the Impending Doom" was published first in 1927, and the collection "Very Good, Jeeves" came out about 1930.

Another way to look at the Jeeves stories is as whodunits or, rather, howhedunits: How will Jeeves save the day THIS time? But if that were why we read them, we'd read them once, and maybe again years later, when memory has faded. No, when it comes to reprise, better to open the volume at random and pick up where the language beckons. Because Wodehouse is a wit and a stylist of the first order. Bertie's characterization of Honoria Glossop--"a ghastly dynamic exhibit who read Nietzsche and had a laugh like waves breaking on a stern and rockbound coast"--makes her more than just another of the horsey set: it conveys the horror that one might have if one (1) is a young man of little brain and good heart and (2) had once been engaged to her.

In all, a treasury, a word-hoard, a gift that keeps on giving . . .

I've been reading (and re-reading) Wodehouse for over 15 years now. I can't stay away for long. It seems no matter how often I read a Bertie and Jeeves, or a Blanding's Castle story, it is somehow fresh and pleasing. Scenes, lines, and even single words ("incredulous") keep popping unexpectedly into my mind and making me laugh out loud. If you have read him, read more! If you haven't, then for Heaven's sake start now and start often!!

I haven't seen the PBS series, and only came to Wodehouse via an article in the theological/political journal First Things (of all places). Probably the only other books that made me laugh out loud were Dave Barry's "Dave Barry Slept Here" and Steve Martin's "Cruel Shoes". Wodehouse's writing is hilarious - Bertie Wooster is absurdly simple (and yet Oxford-educated), and this simplicity combined with his indignation and being referred to as dull-witted, and his incessant attempts to do without Jeeve's assistance, are the reliable comic elements that rarely fail to elicit a chuckle.

One almost wishes that there were titled upper-class nimrods tooling around America in their roadsters and confounding the proletariat with their "What-ho's"

It is Wodehouse's mastery of upper-class English slang, and his wrenchingly descriptive language that really stand out. Particularly Wooster's many euphamisms for Aunt Agatha.

Overall, an excellent book that I am delighted to discover. I'm not sure how much Wodehouse I could take on a long term basis, but Life With Jeeves certainly leaves me wanting more.

Wodehouse's "Life With Jeeves" is a three-part volume containing "The Inimitable Jeeves", "Very Good, Jeeves!" and "Right Ho, Jeeves." The first two are collections of tales and the third is one long story. Bertram, or "Bertie," Wooster is a wealthy middle-aged man who continuously finds himself in incredible, complex messes that he is unable to solve. From the evil Aunt Agatha to the eternally in love Bingo Little, Bertie goes through it all. But just when things seem their worst, Jeeves comes through. Jeeves, "a bird of the ripest intellect, the source of all solace" time and time again devises an intricate plan that will not only rescue Bertie and his friends from the most terrifying situations but that will even benefit them.
In "Life With Jeeves," Wodehouse cleverly and hilariously pokes fun at the British aristocracy of the early 20th century. I find it funny that Bertie Wooster, an Oxford-educated man, must repeatedly request aid from his valet Jeeves. Wodehouse uses the fine art of literature to show the silliness of the British upper class. At one point in the book, Bingo, a friend of Bertie's of the same social status, dresses up as a member of lesser status for reasons I will not go into to avoid being longwinded. He eventually yells at his own uncle and Bertie: "There you see two typical members of the class which has down-trodden the poor for centuries. Idlers! Non-producers! Look at the tall thin one with the face like a motor-mascot. Has he ever done an honest day's work in his life? No! A prowler, a trifler, and a bloodsucker! And I bet he still owes his tailor for those trousers! And the fat one! Don't miss him. What has he ever done except eat four square meals a day? His god is his belly, and he sacrifices burnt offerings to it. If you opened that man now you would find enough lunch to support ten working-class families for a week." This not only comically summarizes the message Wodehouse is sending throughout the novel, but gives some insight as to what was going on at that time. The lower class was very worked up about the rich aristocracy, who generally just sit on their inherited wealth.

Although some might consider Wodehouse's works purely entertainment, I find that, while amusing, there is a significant underlying message. My only criticism of "Life With Jeeves" is that the stories tend to become somewhat predictable. They follow a certain formula: Bertie gets himself into trouble and Jeeves either advises or directly helps him, salvaging the mess that Bertie has created. Except for this one small complaint, I found "Life With Jeeves" highly entertaining and enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone interested.

This is a grand collection of stories that show Wodehouse at his prime. I think the appeal of this particular book is how well paced the stories are you find yourself almost racing through them because of the rapid fire wit and satire that Wodehouse throws out to the reader almost like as if one is playing tennis with the author.

This is the perfect book for the bath, commuting on buses/trains/planes or waiting for an appointment. It can be easily picked up or set down as time allows.

I kept a copy in my handbag for about two months and it was so relaxing to fall into the hysterical world of Bertie and his gentleman's gentleman.

You can't go wrong with any Wodehouse book, but if you're looking for an introduction to his work, this is your best starting point. The tome comprises three novels, two of which are really collections of stories with occasional, loose ties, and then a more traditional novel with a single (but much richer) plot. That third part may seem a bit slow after the quick pace of the previous two sections, but by the end you'll find you enjoyed it all the same.

This book was my first aquaintance (I'm a late bloomer, what ho) with Wodehouse. I made the mistake of reading the story which contains Gussie Fink-Nottle's speech to the students of the Market Snodsbury Grammar School while I was on an airplane from New York to London. My fellow travelers were trying not to stare at me and I was trying to be discreet, but I lost control at some point and just about exploded with tears of laughter and tummy aching.

I defy anyone to read this passage without making a complete and happy fool of themselves!

The stories are great and Wodehouse's use of language and British slang is perfect. The perfect antidote for whatever ails you!