The Inimitable Jeeves (Paperback)

by P.G. Wodehouse (Author)
Key Phrases: rummy thing, bally thing, second footman, Aunt Agatha, Sir Roderick, Uncle George (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Martin Jarvis brings the madcap world of Bertie Wooster and his brilliant valet Jeeves to life with canny comedic timing and wildly varied voices that capture the essence of each of the many characters. In P.G. Wodehouse's classic stories about a gentleman and his gentleman's gentleman, we follow the hapless but lovable Bertie from one misadventure to the next—accidental engagements, calamitous lunches with the terrifying Aunt Agatha, clashes with noted nerve specialists and run-ins with bizarre political parties—each imbroglio neatly put right in the end by the faithful Jeeves. Jarvis perfectly conveys the spirit and sheer joy of these beloved stories in an audio book that will delight both Wodehouse fanatics and newcomers to the author's work. An Overlook hardcover.(Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
Bingo has a big problem when it comes to love: He loves too much and too many. Leave it to lovable butler Jeeves to take matters into his own hands and cover all the bases, so to speak.

"P. G. Wodehouse at his shining best." --John Mortimer

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140284125
• ISBN-13: 978-0140284126
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #372,496 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wodehouse is a timeless treasure, February 25, 2002

By	A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

One of the earlier Jeeves and Wooster collections, this is a series of very loosely linked short stories generally following the same template: young, wealthy airhead Wooster or his pal Bingo Little gets in some sticky situation, and it is up to his genius butler Jeeves to devise an ingenious solution to the quandary. Here, the somewhat repetitious misguided amorous ramblings of Bingo make for the lion's share of troubles, although the high spirits of Bertie's cousins Claude and Eustace also make plenty of work for Jeeves. The stories 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 story (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. 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 barely 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.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great beginning, September 12, 2002

By	phantomfan (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

Published in 1923, this first volume in the Jeeves series is a collection of short stories, all loosely tied together. Most of the stories in this collection center on Bertie's old school chum Bingo Little and his extraordinary propensity for falling in love with `every second woman he meets.' Notable in this book is Jeeves's constant displeasure at some ill-chosen article of clothing belonging to the young master, and his haughty way of expressing his disapproval - and, of course, Bertie's constant giving in to Jeeves's wishes. Although not the funniest or wittiest of Wodehouse's books, it is a wonderful introduction to the characters and the unique humor and style of Wodehouse. The story that stands out to me in this collection, on the strength of its purely ingenious premise, is The Great Sermon Handicap, followed by The Purity of the Turf.

See next: Carry On, Jeeves

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best, July 27, 2006

By	Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Were you to read only one Wodehouse book (God forbid) which one might it be? I would suggest this one, although there are numerous contenders from the Jeeves, Drones, golf, Mr. Mulliner and Blandings stories, not to mention the one-offs and great unknowns.

Although this book has what might be called an overarching narrative, being that all the tales are told in the first person by one Bertie Wooster, the chapters nevertheless neatly fall out as short stories even if with somewhat "cliffhanger" endings, which is to say they don't resolve.

That almost perfect format will delight both short story fans and afficianados of the novel, and also spun off some of the best TV yarns in the Jeeves and Wooster and World of Wodehouse TV series.

My British edition (for copyright reasons not for sale in the U.S.) shows a cover photo op of Ian Carmichael as Wooster in the BBC series "The World of Wooster". As PGW noted, this was one of many instances where Bertie was overly mature and greyed; there seems a deliberate attempt to make Carmichael seem older-- whereas most readers, Wodehouse included, see him as somewhat youngish.

In Wodehouse Playhouse, which includes brief vignettes of PGW, he gives his imprimatur to the series for at least casting Bertie somewhat younger. Even better was the stellar performance in Jeeves and Wooster, in which "Pearls Mean Tears" "Comrade Bingo" and a number of these other chapters, expanded into episodes, appear. No wonder such a wonderful series was inspired by such a delightful read.