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Starting with Wodehouse.

So a friend/reader asked me today where he might get started with the works of P.G. Wodehouse. Here’s what I wrote:

Well, he has two primary series: Jeeves/Wooster and Blandings. Jeeves/Wooster is more famous, but I wouldn’t say it’s better, just different.

There’s a three-in-one set called Life With Jeeves that’s a great place to start with those stories. It comprises two collections of short stories, plus one entire Jeeves novel. It’s how I got started on Wodehouse, and since seven years later, I’m still enjoying his stuff, I’d say that worked out.

The first Blandings novel is Something Fresh and introduces the critical character, Lord Emsworth, who is something of a dingbat with an odd affection for his pig, the Empress. The book I mentioned in chat today, Galahad at Blandings, is much later in the series.

And if you just want to read a standalone book that’s not part of a series, I’m particularly fond of The Small Bachelor, a really funny book with some of Wodehouse’s best characters.

Filed Under: Literature

Comments

  1. Chris
    Sep, 5 2007 / 9:27 am

    Ironically, I just received the first season of the BBC Jeeves and Wooster with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie from Netflix this weekend. I remember watching a lot of them when they were first on in the early 90’s, and my wife had never seen them. She was under the impression that they were some sort of detective team, oddly enough. The shows are all about 50 minutes long, so they excised large parts of the original stories. They do an excellent job capturing their spirit, though, and Fry and Laurie are both terrific.