I turned to P.G. Wodehouse when I very quickly decided to give up trying to read something heavier, I just wasn’t in the mood for reading something I had to concentrate on. I already had Right Ho, Jeeves on my Kindle, if you want to have a go at it you can get it free here.
You know what’s coming, which of course is part of their charm. Bertie Wooster has been in the south of France, spending a lot of time with his cousin Angela. On his return to Blighty, Bertie pays a visit to Angela’s mother, his Aunt Dahlia. A couple of Bertie’s friends are included in the house party, Augustus Fink-Nottle and (gosh I’ve forgotten the other chap’s name, that’s Kindles for you! ) are both in need of help. Their love lives are not going well and Bertie is determined to sort them out. He advises them on how to win the hearts of their girls, you can imagine how well that goes!
Jeeves does his best to rein in his young master but of course Bertie thinks he knows best.
The BBC recently aired Wodehouse in Exile, with Tim Pigott-Smith playing the part of Wodehouse and Zoe Wanamaker as his wife. It was really well done and if you are interested in Wodehouse I think you’ll enjoy it.
I hadn’t realised that Wodehouse had neglected to leave his home in Le Touquet, France before the Nazis got there in 1940. The upshot of which is that he was sent to a prison camp, but when the Germans realised that he was a famous author they decided get him to broadcast talks on the radio which could be interpreted as being pro-Nazi.
It makes you think that Wodehouse himself resembled Wooster far more than Jeeves – how he could have been stupid enough to get himself into such a situation, and not even realise it, beggars belief – but he did. Anyway, you can view the programme below if you’re interested. I hope people outside the UK are able to view this too, but it might be blocked.
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever read Wodehouse. What better way to start than with a free book? Thanks for the link to the Project Gutenberg copy. đŸ™‚
Debbie,
Wodehouse isn’t for everyone, I hope you enjoy it but if not you won’t have wasted any money anyway.
I always think of Tim Pigott-Smith as the bad guy in The Jewel in the Crown – it would be so interesting to see him play something so different. I’ll have to look for Wodehouse in Exile – thanks!
Lisa,
I always think of him in Jewel in the Crown too, I just checked to see what else he has been in – quite a lot over the years, and he does a lot of narrating for documentaries. I saw that I had mis-spelled his name, it’s one g and two ts, I’ve corrected it. I take it that you were blocked when you tried to watch it on you tube – shame.
I never watched this. But funnily enough I have been rewatching my DVDs of the TV series featuring Fry and Laurie and thoroughly enjoying them as a diversion away from some awful programmes.
I will get round to reading more Wodehouse soon, I read a lot in my late teens, early twenties and shamefully gave the books away!
Jo,
I’ve given books away and lived to regret it too. I don’t know if it’s just a nostalgia thing but old TV programmes seem so much better than a lot of the stuff on TV now. I didn’t watch the Fry and Laurie at the time they were first on though, I seem to wait until they become ‘classics’.