Wake Up, Sir!: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Wake up, sir. Wake up," said Jeeves..." (more)
Key Phrases: seersucker jacket, escape pod, medical marijuana, Rose Colony, Sharon Springs, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ames's (My Less Than Secret Life) latest over-the-top offering concerns a week in the life of Alan Blair, a 30-something novelist and booze hound coasting along thanks to a fall on the ice that netted him a hefty lawsuit payout. Said quarter-million means that Alan can avoid employment and hire a valet named Jeeves, who inhabits the spare bedroom in the modest Montclair, N.J., home of Alan's uncle and aunt ("the old flesh and blood"). After Alan refuses to go back to rehab, Aunt Florence and Uncle Irwin have no choice but to oust him, so Alan and Jeeves hit the road, heading for an artists' colony in Saratoga Springs where "careworn" Alan might finish his second novel, a roman à clef based on an elderly playwright he'd roomed with in Manhattan years ago. Varied ruminations on human sexuality (mostly Alan's obsession with homosexuality) and the nature of men's room wall graffiti follow. One night, looking for a good time, a very drunk Alan calls a number scribbled in a gas station phone book and gets mightily punished for it, but he arrives at the Rose Colony in one piece. Surrounded by the nutty residents at the picturesque retreat (" 'It's glorious, Jeeves,' I said. 'Like Brideshead' ") Alan tries to write, but excessive drinking and passionate lovemaking to sculptor Ava steals his time away. An accusation of theft and a bout with pubic lice complicate matters, but good-natured Jeeves escapes unscathed with his reliable retort: "Very good, sir." Ames's tale zips along, brimming with comedy and wild details, proving him to be a winning storyteller and a consummate, albeit exceedingly eccentric, entertainer.
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From The New Yorker

Alan Blair is a ne'er-do-well New Jerseyite who has failed to follow his first novel, "I Pity I," published seven years ago, with a second. At thirty, he's alcoholic, afraid of confronting the bellicose uncle with whom he lives, and would be penniless but for an accident settlement. His most treasured possessions are a collection of dubious sports coats and a valet, who just happens to be named Jeeves. As you'd expect, Jeeves is circumspect, judicious, and ready at hand; what he may not be is real. Ames's inventive romp follows its hero into very un-Wodehousian territory—an artists' colony in upstate New York (based, in withering detail, on Yaddo), where the action revolves around art, sex, and larceny. But Jeeves remains faithful throughout; no amount of bad behavior can wring from him a sterner rejoinder than "Very strange, sir."
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (June 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743230043
• ISBN-13: 978-0743230049
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,772 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hilarious Ride, September 21, 2004

By	Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jon Ames' Wake Up, Sir is very, very funny and in the end, I have to say, it is the humor of the novel that makes me recommend it. Alan Blair, the novel's narrator, is a 30-year old in-denial alcoholic goofball mooching off his aunt and uncle in Montclair, New Jersey and he may or may not have a valet named Jeeves (I'll let you decide that one for yourself). Alan has worn out his welcome with his family, and just as they are about to kick him out, embarks on a little journey to New York state--Sharon Springs, followed by Saratoga Springs. Alan is an intelligent Princeton grad and a writer of one published novel, but clueless about many of life's essentials. It is his cluelessness, combined with his wry observations of life that make this novel so funny. Ames' dry humor is unique--I can't think of another novelist to compare him with (perhaps because so few are talented enough to make a reader laugh out loud, to still remember witticisms days after reading them), so if you are looking for a humorous novel, Wake Up, Sir is an excellent choice. The one thing I found lacking in the novel was the lack of any real plot--the novel is more like an extended road trip. That shortcoming is pretty minor, especially because this is such an intelligently written comic novel. Enjoy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, September 1, 2004

By	Glenn Miller (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. When I wasn't laughing out loud, I was, at least, chuckling or smiling. As a true fan of Wodehouse and his Wooster/Jeeves creation, I went into this book somewhat skeptically. But Ames does a perfect sendup with Alan Blair and his "companion," Jeeves. There is one humorous vignette after another within this book, and, as in Wodehouse, no true overriding action. But action is not the point... it's the silliness of the antics, situations, and conversation that Blair gets into that makes this a pleasure to read.

This book belongs in the genre of helpless first-person lead male characters, who are able to somehow rationalize their troublesome actions to themselves, if not to others. Read Tim O'Brien's "Tomcat in Love" and Michael Frayn's "Headlong" for other excellent contributions to this category.

I suppose it would be too much to ask Ames for a sequel... I suspect he's got his literary sites set on higher goals than repeating oneself would allow for. But if you haven't yet read this book, you've got a treat in front of you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pee in your pants funny!, October 4, 2005

By	alleycat66 (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wake Up, Sir!: A Novel (Paperback)

This novel is a pleasure on all levels-extremely well written and hilarious. The characters are both ludicrous (as people are) and believable at the same time. Mr. Ames is successful in capturing the unique essence of each of his (wide array of) odd characters. I was impressed by the overall product, but chose to write the review because this book was so FUNNY. The main character's neurosis, aggravated by an alcohol problem, is tempered by his optimism and desire to be liked; his nervous interactions with others and his histrionic reactions to the world around him will make you squeal. The author so captures the mindset of this well-intentioned alcoholic that his observations might well be of use to the medical profession. Something honest about all of us is distinctively revealed in these pages and Mr. Ames' style makes every moment worthwhile.