The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse • Hacker News Board

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#41

Post by mangamadaiyan » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 9:52 AM UTC

eeh wrote: post #13

raffraffraff wrote: post #7

Reset my password after a long time lurking just to say: the BBC radio plays of Jeeves & Wooster, with Richard Briers playing the role of Bertie Wooster, are the best way to experience these stories. Fabulous acting. Far, far better than the Hugh & Laurie series from the 90s. The heavily adapted BBC TV series Blandings is also hilarious.

Which story do you recommend first?

As others here have said, any is as good as the other. That said, the short story "Jeeves Takes Charge" in the collection "Carry On, Jeeves" is where it all begins with Bertie and Jeeves. If you're looking for a beginning, this would be it.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#42

Post by dghf » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 9:58 AM UTC

asimovfan wrote: post #35

Start with the Bertie Wooster series, read ALL of his books. Don't watch the fry & laurie series, im sure they're funny, but they cannot be better than the books

> Don't watch the fry & laurie series, im sure they're funny, but they cannot be better than the books

The early seasons are fine (but not as good as the books).

In later seasons, however, they decided to "improve" the stories by adding over-the-top stuff that would never have appeared in the books. E.g., at the end of one episode, Bertie and Jeeves literally jump overboard from a cruise liner to escape Honoria Glossop et al.: they arrive back in England eight months later, sun-burnt and bearded.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#43

Post by pale-hands » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 10:02 AM UTC

I've got about 50 of his 71 novels. For sure they're entertaining, well constructed and the use of language is delightful.

There's something you notice if you read a whole lot of Wodehouse in quick succession: I'd estimate that there are about 20 plots among the ones I've read -- that is to say, the same situations, characters and plot devices are reused often, and if you removed the redundancy, you'd end up with about 20 novels. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#44

Post by plonex » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 10:38 AM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #33

It seems I'm the only one who found Wodehouse's brand of humor insipid and not in the least bit funny.

I just started reading excerpts on the web and did not find it captivating either. The ones I read would need to be pronounced with an exaggerated British accent to be remotely funny.

My first impression was: Oscar Wilde (who is captivating after a single page) for the masses.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#45

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 10:49 AM UTC

robotmay wrote: post #38

dhosek wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, but first person offers so many wonderful opportunities for wit and voice that are impossible in third, and Wodehouse takes great advantage of that, with Bertie Wooster as the narrator of most of the stories (I can't remember if it's a single story or a whole book that are narrated by Jeeves) and providing a wonderful example of unreliable narration. I wish I'd remembered that when I was looking for good unreliab…

Don't get me wrong; I totally get the reasons for doing it, but unfortunately I have some weird problem with reading books written that way :( When I read fiction I barely notice the words on the page and instead (sort of?) see what's happening in my head. It's not like characters even have a properly defined look, but I am visualising everything. However when the book is written in first-person, it plays havoc with…

[deleted]

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#46

Post by Arnt » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 11:24 AM UTC

pale-hands wrote: post #43

I've got about 50 of his 71 novels. For sure they're entertaining, well constructed and the use of language is delightful. There's something you notice if you read a whole lot of Wodehouse in quick succession: I'd estimate that there are about 20 plots among the ones I've read -- that is to say, the same situations, characters and plot devices are reused often, and if you removed the redundancy, you'd end up with abo…

There's also only one chapter order, which the great man used in every single book: 2 follows 1, 3 follows 2, etc. I can't remember even a flashback? I don't think his interests extended to that. He wrote sentences, paragraphs, not much more.

I have 15-20, my favourite is an unusual one, I think: French Leave.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#47

Post by kinleyd » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 11:35 AM UTC

pseudolus wrote: post #15

eeh wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which story do you recommend first?

I will interject here and recommend "The Code of the Woosters". It's Wodehouse at his apex.

Yes, that would be an excellent entry point!

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#48

Post by billfruit » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 1:17 PM UTC

recursivedoubts wrote: post #3

"Mr. Wodehouse's idyllic world can never stale. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in." --Evelyn Waugh

Waugh is suitably comic himself in some of his novels himself, like 'Men at Arms'.

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#49

Post by mdlman » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 1:36 PM UTC

robotmay wrote: post #6

I love the 90s TV series with Fry and Laurie (as in the article image), but I've sadly never managed to get into the books as I have an extreme dislike of books written in the first person. There are a lot of good books I've missed out on because of this. My desire to try and get into the Wodehouse books is pretty high, though, so perhaps another attempt is warranted.

Out of curiousity, is your dislike for first person any different when you listen to a story instead of read it?

Re: The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse

#50

Post by mdlman » Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 1:42 PM UTC

raffraffraff wrote: post #7

Reset my password after a long time lurking just to say: the BBC radio plays of Jeeves & Wooster, with Richard Briers playing the role of Bertie Wooster, are the best way to experience these stories. Fabulous acting. Far, far better than the Hugh & Laurie series from the 90s. The heavily adapted BBC TV series Blandings is also hilarious.

Figured I'd add that Martin Jarvis is my favorite Wodehouse reader, and the audiobooks are usually available through my library (Overdrive/Libby) app.