A Pelican at Blandings (The Blandings Castle Saga) [Abridged, Audiobook, CD] [Audio CD]

P. G. Wodehouse (Author), Martin Jarvis (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008 | Series: The Blandings Castle Saga

With his overbearing sister, Lady Constance, and the ill-tempered Alaric, Duke of Dunstable, about to descend upon Blandings Castle, Lord Elmsworth calls in his brother, Sir Galahad Threepwood, for moral support. But when Dunstable shows up with a controversial portrait of a nude woman, Blandings erupts in chaos. Every eccentric guest seems to want the painting, and for very different reasons—Wilbur Trout because it looks like his ex-wife, and Lord Elmsworth because it's a ringer for his pet pig! How in the world will Gally sort this mess out?

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This timely work is an entertaining yet scholarly study of the life of Eva Peron. It reveals the woman behind the myth and discards dubious elements that crept into the musical drama and the recent movie. For instance, her role in the coup that returned Juan Peron to power was rather more complicated than is usually presented. In the 1940s, Argentina's power structure underwent a sea change; unions entered the picture for the first time. The Perons fanned the sparks of that revolution. In addition, the U.S. ambassador unjustly accused Peron of being a fascist, which was not the case. In the early days, Peron brought Argentina the most democratic government it had ever known. Only in the later days, especially after Eva's death, did Peron's government become a dictatorship. However, in the context of the era, Eva's activities could be compared to those of Eleanor Roosevelt. Her deeds were highly controversial at the time, particularly in a Latin country with macho traditions. Nadia May's otherwise adequate narration fails to capture all of Eva's contradictions. Expect strong interest generated by the recent film. For most collections.?James Dudley, Copiague, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

"Wodehouse is the greatest comic writer ever."
-Douglas Adams

"Overlook Press is publishing a set of clothbound collector''s editions of the master''s work. They''re beautiful books, much welcome."
-Bookforum

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD: 1 pages
• Publisher: CSA Word; Abridged edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934997048
• ISBN-13: 978-1934997048
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,290,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practically Perfect in Every Way, February 3, 1998

By 

Marjorie James (Kensington, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pelican at Blandings (Hardcover)

I don't think that Wodehouse wrote a book that I would not give a 10 to. Certainly none set at Blandings Castle. Blandings is the ancestral home of Clarence, ninth Earl of Emsworth, a scatterbrained man whose only true interest is his prize pig, the Empress of Blandings. The Pelican of the title is Galahad Threepwood, Lord Emsworth's younger brother and a former member of the Pelican Club. The Efficient Baxter does not appear in this particular book, but it does feature several impostors (which are common at Blandings), Lady Constance, the Earl's imperious sister, and two enormously complicated love affairs. Although that is more or less a description of any of Wodehouse's books (some have three or four love affairs) it doesn't make any of them less worth reading. He writes with wonderful humor and doesn't bother you with anything like social commentary.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Middling Wodehouse, But a Gem Nonetheless!, December 28, 2004

By 

James Paris "Tarnmoor" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pelican at Blandings (Paperback)

No, there are no fish-eating avians at Lord Emsworth's crenellated castle. There are, however, a plethora of plots involving two lovesick damsels and their beaux, a porcine pig-fancier, a walrus-mastachioed duke, the usual crocodilian sister, and, of course, the very obliging Galahad Treepwood. Oh, and there are numerous impostors, including a fake painting.

There are, in fact, so many subplots that the aging Wodehouse left a couple of them hanging. One character (the ferret-like Chesney) seemingly exists only to push the Duke of Dunstable and Johnny Halliday down the Earl's grand staircase. And there is the obligatory theft (actually two: one successful and one not). There's a chauffeur named Voules who tootles a harmonica -- but of all there is the Empress of Blandings, multiyear winner in the fat pig division of the Shropshire County Fair.

The story begins when the Empress, for the first time in recorded memory, refuses a potato proffered by the doting Earl. Before one knows it, Blandings Castle fills up with invited and quasi-invited guests and begins that delightfully Wodehousing grinding of the mill of the gods that leaves us all laughing, the crocodiles unsatisfied, and good to triumph over all.

There may be better Wodehouses, and there are probably worse, but even a middling Blandings story is far better, dash it all, than 99.9999% of the cripple-crapple to be found on bookshelves. And you will feel better reading it. Dead certain, in fact.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining Romp, October 3, 2005

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pelican at Blandings (A Blandings Story) (Paperback)

Typical of the Castle Blandings series, Wodehouse serves up a dose of wacky mahem. The story this time centers around a painting purchased by the Duke of Dusntable and a troubled romance. In the beginning, Lord Emsworth is troubled by the news that his sister Connie, a dragon of a woman, is returning to Castle Blandings for a visit. The troubled Lord Emsworth calls on his brother Gallahad Threepwood, a member of the Pelican club and the Pelican mentioned in the title, to provide him moral support in the face of his sister. Before going to the castle, Gallahad finds out that his godson is engaged to the neice of the Duke of Dunstable, which his sister Connie has invited to the castle. However, the engagement goes bad, and Gallahad must think of a way to get his godson into the castle to mend the relationship. Pure Wodehouse.

This story is a good read, but not the best of the series. However, if you're a Wodehouse fan, you probably should pick this up.