P.G. Wodehouse Books

All the Jeeves short stories in one place. What more do you need to know?

P.G. Wodehouse shows why Jeeves and Wooster are his most loved characters by readers in his compilation of short stories entitled The World of Jeeves. You will fall immediately in love with all of Wodehouse's characters; all of whom I know no one like, but I completely understand their personalities. Bertie Wooster is a person you wish you could be sometimes because of the lavish lifestyle he lives and his social Einstein for a valet, Jeeves. Jeeves is the person everyone wishes they knew because of his cunning in escaping from pickles. Bertie's Aunt Agatha is the member of the extended family that everyone has who they love to hate. It seams like she always has someone new to stay with Bertie or a new woman to potentially settle Bertie down with in married life. Whether it's Cyril Bassington Bassington or Wilmot Malvern who overstay there welcome (and especially in Motty's case), Jeeves always finds a way to get them moving on their way out of Bertie's flat. This however does lead to the only flaw in the book. Although it is exciting in every story to see how Jeeves solves the problem, it can get somewhat repetitive because you know that Jeeves will eventually solve it and everything will turn out fine in the end. But to anyone looking for something that is actually fun to read; a getaway from the serious literature out there, especially about the 1920's such as F. Scott Fittzgerald, then this is the book for you. Fitzgerald chooses to take the wealthy class during the 1920's seriously while Wodehouse chooses to make fun of their pinstripe suit wearing and obscure sock, hat, and tie styles, which is far more fun to read about.

P. G. Wodehouse definitely can tell a funny story. The interaction between Bertie Wooster and his gentleman's gentleman, Jeeves, always bring the smile to one's face. The problem is, once one has read a handful of the over thirty stories in this collection alone, everything else is simply repetition.

Wodehouse's characters are two dimensional at best. These stories are definitely intended as very light reading, as a glance through the "other books written by" page in this volume suggests: There are 93 books by this author. 93! That doesn't include the omnibuses.

Wodehouse's writing is complete fluff, yet charming fluff at that. I certainly couldn't read more than two or three of these short stories at a sitting. This is definitely library or used book material.

This book is at once both an excellent introduction to, as well as an outstanding compendium of the outrageous "Jeeves" stories by PG Wodehouse. This collection of short stories is the pinancle of parody of the stereotypical British elite, as seen though the eyes "the perfect manservant" to a "1920's bachelor on the run".

I admit that I was biased when I began this book, at the incessant recommendation of my siblings. I was certain that I would not enjoy it, and resisted its wickedly incisive humor with all my might as I turned page after page ... after page. I finally gave in to Wodehouse's unbeatable combination of an incredibly accurate, ironic, insightful view of the world and an always well-turned phrase. I dare you to spend an evening with it - you'll find yourself hooked! The good news is that there are many more fine "Jeeves" stories to enjoy after these.

You really should enjoy at least one Wodehouse "Jeeves" book - at this is the perfect place to begin, if you ask me.

Do enjoy - Cheerio!

What better introduction to the wonders of P.G. Wodehouse's writing than a collection of stories about the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his repeated rescue by Jeeves? This volume includes all the stories - thirty-three narrated by Bertie and one by Jeeves. None is less than good; most have had me laughing out loud.

In addition to Bertie and Jeeves, you'll meet such memorable characters as Bingo Little and his wife Rosie M. Banks, Tuppy Glossop and his uncle Sir Roderick, Bertie's aunts Agatha and Dahlia, and, in "Jeeves and the Old School Chum", Rosie's friend Laura Pyke.

If you like to laugh and like good literature, this collection is for you. If you've never read any Wodehouse, I envy you the pleasure awaiting you.

The volume begins with Bertie taking a trip to the doctor for some spots. The visit ends with the doctor reccomending that Bertie get away from the busy city life and relax in the county--it could be a matter of life or death. And so Bertie tries to escape to the quiet life--except life has something else in mind. He finds himself in the midst of his Aunt Dahlia's gambling over local horses; Simola and Potato Chip.

Potato Chip has grown deeply attached to a local cat and is unable to race, due to his melancholy if the cat is absent. Bertie, trying his best not to get sucked into his aunt's machinations over throwing the race, naturally does. It's funny and light hearted, not some of my favorite characters, but still its lovely Wodehouse and what more do I need?

P.G. Wodehouse's best stories are invariably those that involve the butler Jeeves helping the scatterbrained and easy-living Bertie Wooster escape from the fickle hand of fate and his own pranks. The Cat-nappers focuses on Bertie being at the wrong place at the wrong time and being constantly in the soup because of what others do. He valiantly launches forward and needs less help than usual to remain the carefree bachelor about town.

The Cat-nappers starts off innocently enough as Bertie finds himself with disturbing pink spots on his chest. Seeking out a physician's counsel, Bertie gets more than he bargained for when he bumps into Vanessa Cook (who had turned down his marriage proposal the year before) and O.J. (Orlo) Porter (former dorm mate at Oxford who favored left-wing causes) as they lead a protest march that stalls Bertie's car. Porter hops in the car to escape the Bobbies and sells Bertie some life insurance. Porter turns out to be in love with Ms. Cook and is very jealous of anyone who might have an interest in her. At the doctor's office, Bertie runs into Major Plank who had once tried to have Bertie arrested. Fortunately, Plank cannot remember who he is . . . but it's a narrow escape. The doctor tells Bertie the spots will go away, but Bertie's health needs are not being met. He suggests a trip to someplace quiet in the country.

Naturally, Bertie thinks of his Aunt Dahlia and the wonderful meals he always enjoys when he visits her. But she's off visiting elsewhere. She does offer to take a cottage for Bertie so he can visit with her.

Once there, things go badly downhill. Naturally, Bertie does it to himself to some extent. Ignoring Jeeves's advice, he takes a wrong turn and ends up with a nasty scare. From there, the complications build to their humorous conclusion as thieves, bettors, lovers, churchmen and angry horsemen blunder about in silly circles that provide much delight to the reader. Naturally, Bertie's always at the wrong place at the wrong time . . . but at the right place at the right time to make us laugh!

One of the special charms of this story is that Bertie tries very hard to do the right thing . . . and finds it exceptionally difficult to do so.

As the book ends, Bertie notes that the problems with the world boil down to the comment that "Aunts Aren't Gentlemen" which is the book's original English title.

Peace is what you carry with you.

My first Wodehouse read, and I was not let down. This tightly written novel, unlike so many others, manages to put comedy on virtually every page. With plenty of dry-humor, and many funny turns-of-phrases, the well-drawn characters and playful dialogue steal the show. I strongly recommend looking for this slim volume and then enjoying the escapades of Jeeves and Bertie.

We somehow missed PG Wodehouse on our reading menu growing up, but recently discovered this little gem. Apparently last in a dozen or so books (from a bibliography of over 80 novels!) about a gentile bachelor named Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves (no doubt the origin of "Ask Jeeves"!), it's refreshing to occasionally indulge in a light story that manages to amuse and entertain with no sex, no violence, and few toils and troubles! The plot sees Bertie taking a vacation in the country to get some fresh air and improve his health habits, using a cottage arranged by his "aged relative" Aunt Dahlia. His aunt gets involved in a scheme to wager on an important horserace, when it occurs to the bettors to kidnap a cat befriended by the opposing horse and critical to his good behavior. Bertie unwittingly gets in the middle of this mess, and ere it's over, a former girlfriend proposes, a former explorer is chasing him, and a former college pal first threatens then befriends him as they all take bit roles in this laughable series of events.

Wodehouse turns a good phrase and Bertie's frequent queries to Jeeves for just the right word is a charming ploy to unearth elegant and often funny phraseology. Assuming "'Nappers" is representative of his work, we plan to seek out more of his stories when we're not out for thrills and chills, but rather just passing a couple of pleasant hours with the digressions of Bertie & Jeeves. Enjoy!

Previous: Jeeves and the Tie that Binds (Much Obliged, Jeeves)

This book, like Thank You, Jeeves, appears to be out of print, though I can't fathom why it should be. A bit shorter than the rest, and with a different setting, it is still much of the fare we are used to-Bertie's Aunt Dahlia has gotten herself into the soup with an ill-judged wager, and it falls to Bertie and Jeeves to get her out. Meanwhile, Bertie runs into a former flame named Vanessa (Florence Craye on steroids), whose rocky relationship with her revolutionary boyfriend spells trouble for Bertram. Add to this a cat that shows up at the most inopportune moments and a certain Captain Plank, who is still under the misapprehension that Bertie is Alpine Joe, and you have a hilarious little tale that fully lives up to the Jeeves and Bertie standard. A far cry better than Jeeves and the Tie that Binds, it is a worthy way to end a wonderful series, and one of the best of the lot.

A great collection of stories that do not involve my perennial favorites Bertie and Jeeves. I'm especially enamoured with Wodehouse's way of naming club members either Bean, Crumpet and Egg, or (as in Buried Treasure) after their drinks. Highly recommend for Anglophiles everywhere.

I very highly recommend this book. It's very funny and entertaining. I'd give it more stars if I could. I really enjoy all of P.G. Wodehouse's books. In my opinion , this is one of his very best.

This collection of short stories begins with one about the title character, Lord Emsworth, a constantly befuddled old man who only wants to putter away his time if only his energetic relatives would let him. Though not my favorite Emsworth saga, this one is excellently written and endlessly hilarious. All the other stories are similarly well done, but they all begin to meld together somehow. I would have preferred more variety in the approach. If you read this (and you should!), I recommend one story at a time, and allow some good space between stories. Use an episode perhaps as a palate cleanser between each of those long lugubrious novels you insist on reading. That way you'll get the max out of the book, and every story will remain distinctive.

Mix yourself a hot Scotch and lemon and dive in. Emsworth is at his finest when confronted with the horrific possibility that he may be forced to take The Efficient Baxter on as his secretary again. Also there is a Mulliner tale, 3 golf stories as related by the the Oldest Member and 3 Ukridge stories. Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge has as usual tried everything to raise a few quid -- including renting his aunt's house while she is away in Hollywood, training Battling Billson the prize-fighter and pawning his aunt's diamond brooch. The funniest is the Emsworth story, while the others seem more like unfinished sketches that Master Plum (Wodehouse) was toying with.

This is an exceptional collection of Wodehouse's short stories. He hits a grand slam immediately with "Crime Wave at Blandings," which tells the hilarious tale of what happens when a senior citizen with a tendency toward nostalgia gets his hands on an air gun for the first time since his childhood. Wodehouse is the greatest when it comes to light-hearted stories that poke gentle fun at our human foibles. If you want to laugh out loud, buy this book!

The ninth of Wodehouse's "Blandings" series is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the master of the light comic novel. Once again, we meet the mild and much put-upon pig fancier Lord Emsworth, as his 52-room ancestral abode is descended upon by all manner of family, pushy neighbors, mountebanks, and assorted hangers-on. The titular pelican is Lord Emsworth's younger brother Galahad, whose membership in London's Pelican Club propels him into all manner of misadventures, often involving various godsons. That's the case here, as one of these godsons prevails upon him to advance his case for marriage to the niece of another guest, an odious Duke. Galahad is also involved in a complicated scheme to swap a painting in the gallery before the Duke can sell it to a lovelorn American. The usual Wodehousian complications are unleashed on two sets of young lovers, and Galahad is prevailed upon to sort out all the imposters and guide events to a happy conclusion. As usual, an entirely enjoyable bit of fun.

I do not agree with some of the other reviewers that "A Pelican at Blandings" is subpar for P.G. Wodehouse. It is true that it does not have one scene, as some of Wodehouse's novels have ("Leave it to Psmith," for example), in which everything comes together in inspired mayhem. But for a carefully worked-out, complicated plot, wonderful characters, and above all, Wodehouse's inspired comic writing, this novel is right up there. Wodehouse is the only writer I have read who consistently makes me laugh out loud. This one certainly did that.

The reading by the late Frederick Davidson (also known as David Case) is superb. Davidson was so good at all types of books, but had a wry manner ideal for Wodehouse. And as usual for him, he animated each character with a distinctive voice and accent. The opposite gender provides the greatest difficulty for most readers, but Davidson did women extremely well. His only weakness was Americans, and there are two in this novel. But that is a very minor blemish on an audio experience you are bound to enjoy if you are one of those lucky few whose funnybone is perfectly within the sights of P.G. Wodehouse.

Blandings Castle in Shropshire is known for two things. First, Clarence, the ninth earl of Emsworth, has a prize pig, the Empress of Blandings, upon whom he devotes all of his limited skills and attention. Second, imposters are always trying to sneak into Blandings Castle to further either their romantic adventures or their wallets. In both cases, Clarence's very proper sister, Constance (Connie to the family), is on the lookout to thwart both activities. Things usually sort themselves out, but that sorting out usually requires the skill and tact of Clarence's brother, the Honorable Galahad (Gally) Threepwood, who learned how to have fun and get the most out of life as a young man when he belonged to the old Pelican Club.

In A Pelican at Blandings, Clarence has been living peacefully with his pig for two years after Connie married an American and moved to New York. Suddenly, Connie is back and begins ordering Clarence around and filling Blandings Castle with her guests. Along the way, she plans a little matchmaking that goes awry. One of the guests has a niece who wants to marry Gally's God son while the uncle is opposed. Before the book ends, there are wedding bells and Clarence is able to go back to his pig.

But in the meantime, there are the sorts of misunderstandings, plots and counterplots of the sort that make Wodehouse reading so enjoyable in their parlor comedy way. Unfortunately, this book pales in comparison with other books about Blandings Castle so I graded it down accordingly. If you only read one of these books, I recommend Pigs Have Wings instead.

I listened to the audio version by Frederick Davidson and enjoyed his reading. It was a five stars effort!

Typical of the Castle Blandings series, Wodehouse serves up a dose of wacky mahem. The story this time centers around a painting purchased by the Duke of Dusntable and a troubled romance. In the beginning, Lord Emsworth is troubled by the news that his sister Connie, a dragon of a woman, is returning to Castle Blandings for a visit. The troubled Lord Emsworth calls on his brother Gallahad Threepwood, a member of the Pelican club and the Pelican mentioned in the title, to provide him moral support in the face of his sister. Before going to the castle, Gallahad finds out that his godson is engaged to the neice of the Duke of Dunstable, which his sister Connie has invited to the castle. However, the engagement goes bad, and Gallahad must think of a way to get his godson into the castle to mend the relationship. Pure Wodehouse.

This story is a good read, but not the best of the series. However, if you're a Wodehouse fan, you probably should pick this up.

No, there are no fish-eating avians at Lord Emsworth's crenellated castle. There are, however, a plethora of plots involving two lovesick damsels and their beaux, a porcine pig-fancier, a walrus-mastachioed duke, the usual crocodilian sister, and, of course, the very obliging Galahad Treepwood. Oh, and there are numerous impostors, including a fake painting.

There are, in fact, so many subplots that the aging Wodehouse left a couple of them hanging. One character (the ferret-like Chesney) seemingly exists only to push the Duke of Dunstable and Johnny Halliday down the Earl's grand staircase. And there is the obligatory theft (actually two: one successful and one not). There's a chauffeur named Voules who tootles a harmonica -- but of all there is the Empress of Blandings, multiyear winner in the fat pig division of the Shropshire County Fair.

The story begins when the Empress, for the first time in recorded memory, refuses a potato proffered by the doting Earl. Before one knows it, Blandings Castle fills up with invited and quasi-invited guests and begins that delightfully Wodehousing grinding of the mill of the gods that leaves us all laughing, the crocodiles unsatisfied, and good to triumph over all.

There may be better Wodehouses, and there are probably worse, but even a middling Blandings story is far better, dash it all, than 99.9999% of the cripple-crapple to be found on bookshelves. And you will feel better reading it. Dead certain, in fact.

"Very Good Jeeves" is the third book to be 'completely' dedicated to PG Wodehouse's famous duo - Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. The book, first published in 1930, is a collection of eleven short stories that had previously been published in Strand Magazine.

The book features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

Bertie's fearsome Aunt Agatha plays a small part in some of the stories, but the consequences tend to be immense. Agatha, who regularly takes it upon herself to decide what's best for Bertie, holds her dog, Macintosh, in higher esteem than her nephew. It's not only Bertie's life she interferes with, though. Te story I enjoyed most centred on Bertie's Uncle George - who'd been prevented from marrying the love of his life (a barmaid) by Agatha many years earlier. Now, George has set his sights on marrying a waitress - and Agatha, once again, has decided this must be stopped. Needless to say, she decides to drag Bertie into it.

Tuppy Glossop also turns up in a few stories - Tuppy and Bertie were at school together, though following a prank at the Drones Club, Bertie is in the mood for a spot of revenge. However, Bertie's cousin Angela is very taken with Tuppy and, when the course of true loves doesn't run running smooth, Aunt Dahlia drafts Bertie and Jeeves to help. Tuppy is also a nephew of Sir Roderick Glossop, who holds the view that Bertie is insane - largely thanks to Bingo Little, it has to be said. Unfortunately, Sir Roderick turns up again in this book, and Bertie doesn't do much to improve Sir Roderick's opinion of him. (Bingo, now married, also appears in a couple of stories).

There are also a couple of appearances for Bobbie Wickham. Where Bertie regularly finds himself accidentally engaged, Bobbie is - very unusually - someone Bertie actually wants to marry. However, Jeeves doesn't approve - while she is a little free-spirited and something of a practical joker, I'm not entirely sure Jeeves was being entirely altruistic in 'rescuing' Bertie from her womanly snares. (There's also a brief appearance of another girlfriend - an artist called Gwladys Pendlebury. In this case, Aunt Dahlia joins Jeeves in disapproving. Luckily, Bertie also has to deal with a rival by the name of Pim).

A very easy and enjoyable read, certainly recommended.

No one does comic short stories better than P.G. Wodehouse, and the eleven offerings in "Very Good, Jeeves" are among his very best.

This book was all right. It was a nice little break from The Master and Margarita, the book I had read before it. It is very light reading in every sense of the word. It's easy and the material is as fluffy as meringue. Basically you have the extremely well off gentleman of the early 20th century in England--Bertie Wooster--and his multitude of acquaintances who are constantly getting him into hijinks. His "genius" of a butler, Jeeves, always helps him out of these situations, which he often attempts to solve himself only to go crying out to Jeeves when nothing works out the way he thought it would.
Bertie Wooster often complains of his aunt Agatha. She deems him a crime on humanity, and to be totally honest, I would agree with her. All Bertie Wooster does is sit on his bum all day and have people wait and serve on him and think totally of himself. His problems are always just "problems". It's amazing that Wodehouse managed to fill as many pages with the storyline as he did. While it was nice to read about something completely not serious for a bit, it got old after awhile and found myself rolling my eyes. I really began to dislike Bertie simply because he isn't all that great of a person in that he is totally self-involved. He is probably also one of THE most sheltered characters ever. So, overall, I would say the book was all right for the reading of one story every so often, but all at once really makes me want to gag.

While I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, I didn't generally find them terribly funny--though throughout it's always entertaining to hear Bertie Wooster's take on things--but there is at least one story, The Song of Songs, that is knock-down hilarious. I wouldn't want to give anyone too high expectations, but for days after reading the story I would think of it again and again, chuckling like an idiot. There's an ingenious situation, and Bertie's exchanges with Jeeves and his narration ("I commended my soul to God and went forth ...", "Well, they didn't rush the stage") are wildly funny. (That is, if you're into this sort of humor; if you don't like Song of Songs I doubt you'll like any Wodehouse.) Now I've read several of Wodehouse's novels, there are times when I'm not all that thrilled with the stuff, it seems almost formulaic, or clever but shy of brilliant, but Song of Songs is a masterpiece, than which it's hard for me to think of a funnier story or passage I've read anywhere.

BTW, among the Wodehouse I've read so far besides this, I guess I liked Code of the Woosters and some of the other Bertie-Jeeves stories best, did not like the Blandings, Psmith or Mulliner stories as much. If you're new to Wodehouse, I might recommend you first read one or two of the Bertie-Jeeves novels--my first was Code of the Woosters, which was great but has had the drawback that, so far anyway, few of his other works quite match that level of hilarity, at least for me.

Previous: Carry On, Jeeves

The third and last short story collection, this volume contains some of the very best Jeeves and Bertie stories, again, stand-alone and unrelated. My favorite in this collection-and my favorite short story overall-is the brilliant Jeeves and the Impending Doom. Not only is the plot wonderfully eccentric, Jeeves manages to get in a very subtle jab at Bertie's intelligence which is particularly well-timed and memorable. Notable also is Jeeves and the Song of Songs, which is outright hilarious. And notable primarily for the irony of the story is The Love that Purifies, in which the kids vow to live upright lives, while the adults go out of their way to corrupt them into bad behavior. Memorable and hilarious stuff!

Next: Thank You, Jeeves

I recently reread these stories and liked them even better the second time around. If you're reading them between episodes of Jeeves, Blandings, or Psmith, then the tone or theme of Ukridge might not please you as much. Instead of the usual running around chasing after love, farcial developments surrounding romance, and the protypical feckless young hero, these stories revolve around James Corcoran narrating and observing the incredible adventures of his exuberant and hilarious pal Ukridge. Ukridge is creative, unflappable in the midst of chaos, and prone to wild episodes of money making schemes.

So if you're looking for a book with the customary Wodehouse "love" theme, this book won't do it for you. But if you're ready for some madcap short stories - each beautifully done - these will fit the bill. They simply revolve around an alternate theme - one of struggling to make it big or land a financial windfall. And Ukridge's classic schemes are wonderful to behold.

At lunch recently I gave a friend a brief outline of the plot elements of several of the Ukridge stories, and he laughed outrageously at the telling. It wasn't because I was recounting the stories so well. It was because the basic plot elements of each story are hilarious, unique, and surpisingly memorable.

Although I'm as loyal a fan as anyone to the Jeeves/Drones/Blandings stories, I find myself thinking about Ukridge a lot even when I don't have the book in front of me. There is something timelessly cheering about the Ukridge tales. His stories are upbeat and uplifting, in an odd yet pleasing way. Classic fun. Classic funny. The plot elements work as well today as they did when they were first written.

Four stars, perhaps even five - this one's a winner.

No, these 10 stories are definitely not the cream of the Ukridge catalogue. In fact, you would probably not be far off in describing them as the worst (or least good) of the lot. In my opinion the later stories are much better. These were the very first 10 Ukridge short stories ever written, and they are markedly inferior to Plum's later efforts (where, incidentally, the stories are related by Ukridge himself; not by "Corky", who is less funny as a narrator).

The 3 stars are because, well, it's still Plum.

Reviewers of Ukridge seem to be diffident, and the discussion tends to center on their view of one Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, leading light and subject of said book. Missing the point, I'd say. When P.G.W. introduced this large and in charge Man of Affairs in Love Amoung the Chickens, he knew he was on to a good thing, and that they would travel many miles together. When, more brilliantly still, he hit upon Corky Pirbright as narrator and true blue friend of our dauntless hero, he laid a path that he himself would retread many times, in the Oldest Member, in Mr. Mulliner, in the unsinkable Bertie Wooster, and even in the occasional Drones Club Member.

He struck gold, I'd say, in these first sketches of the faithful but tempermentally at odds narrator who, for all his seeming passivity, is yet crucial to the plot. These early stories are a bit much taken together, but they read delightfully when sprinkled in anthologies or as an occasional hiatus for readers engrossed in Jeeves or Blandings novels. Taken that way, some of them are very good indeed, notably "Ukridge's Dog College" (early on done for television) and Ukridge's Accident Syndicate, which unleashes the blue blood of the sportsman that will play so much a part in the fortunes and misfortunes of Bingo, Uncle Fred, and others who like a little flutter, down to the most savvy of them all, the inimitable Jeeves. These stories stand alone, as do most of the earlier PGW bits, being largely written for serialisation or as one offs for magazines, particularly the Saturday Evening Post, but at least three of them tie together to tell the tales of Battling Billson, an early type of the pugilists who later would be so much a part of the world of Wooster, and these tales, especially, show young Wodehouse well on his way.

Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, that enemy of mankind, stars in ten brilliant short stories, all narrated by his long-suffering friend James Corcoran. Ukridge (pronounced "ook-ridge"), moocher of socks, shirts, and fivers, evader of creditors, bane of rich aunts, is another of Wodehouse's many great comic creations. Perhaps the best of these are about his management of soft-hearted fighter Wilberforce "Battling" Billson, but the stories are uniformly excellent and hilarious; full of unpredictable comic twists and the brilliant language and dialogue that make Wodehouse a full-fledged genius.

On the first page of the first story Ukridge offers Corocoran the rights to his life story for a hundred pounds down (quickly reduced to twenty-five). Corcoran, who foolishly lets the opportunity slip, may have lacked the big, broad, flexible outlook in this one instance, but P.G. certainly didn't.

The well-crafted, nice-looking edition is another winner in Everyman's excellent serires.

If you haven't met Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge yet, you've missed a treat. I think of Ukridge as a comic character virtually equal to Falstaff.

P.G. Wodehouse based the character on a school friend which adds extra poignancy to the many hilarious tales in this book.

The book has ten chapters, each of which is an entire short story. However, the stories are connected to one another so you have continuing development of characters and plots.

The story is told from the perspective of the long-suffering James Corcoran, an impecunious author who is one of Ukridge's favorite sources of money, clothes, lodgings and all other sorts of accommodations.

Ukridge is a great schemer . . . who doesn't bother to work out all of the details. He's confident that an abundant universe will take care of him. Sometimes he's right and sometimes not.

Most people will be thrilled by Ukridge's career as a boxing manager for Battling Billson, the most mercurial fighter the world has ever know. Three chapters are devoted to that story.

The book opens with a classic Ukridge scheme; he's going to make a mint by training dogs to behave at Ukridge's Dog College.

The second story, Ukridge's Accident Syndicate, shows that even if a scheme works, it may not pay off in the way you expected.

Ukridge tries his hand at being a political surrogate in The Long Arm of Looney Coote, with hilarious consequences.

In First Aid for Dora, Ukridge decides to help Dora recover from having lost her job . . . which she lost because of him. With help like his, one should probably seek out enemies instead! In Ukridge Sees Her Through, Dora gets more "help" from Ukridge.

Ukridge is prone to overstate his position to others. He lives to regret that tendency when it almost leads to unexpected matrimony in No Wedding Bells for Him.

In Ukridge Rounds a Nasty Corner, Ukridge falls in love and has to prove himself worthy of his love's family. Now that's a tough trick!

You can read each of these stories in less than an hour. I suggest spacing them out over time so you can enjoy their flavor longer.

Almost anyone will find the 9 short stories in this collection enjoyable. For golfers, this is a can't miss collection.

That being said, "Heart of a Goof" doesn't rate 5 stars. They are not quite on the level of Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Wooster" stories. Furthermore, I found the story's structures annoying after a while: In each story, a younger club member starts a casual conversation with the "Oldest Member," then fails to escape in time to avoid the old guy's narration of the story. This was a clever construction in story #1, getting old by story #5, and downright annoying by story #9.

It's clear that Wodehouse loved golf. But his game differs in some particulars from that which we play today. For example, his talk of "match play" vs. "medal play" might be unintelligible to some golf novices today, and a mention of a casual two-to-three hour 18-hole round will stupefy the modern player accustomed to trudging six hours on a weekend behind a foursome of cart-riders. [Irrelevant aside: I really miss the old names for clubs. Really, would you prefer to swing a 4-iron rather than a "mashie," or a "niblick," or, better yet, a "mashie-niblick"?]

But Wodehouse has it right (from the Preface): "When you turn in a medal score of a hundred and eight on two successive days, you get to know something about life." True.

While P.G. Wodehouse is well remembered for his many sterling novels about Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, adventures at Blandings Castle involving the Empress of Blandings and the humorous characters, Ukridge and Psmith, he also took on the honorable and noble game of golf as a source of his humor. Heart of a Goof is the second book of short stories he wrote on this topic and displays a more relaxed sense of humor than in any other of his books that I have read. He makes fun of writing about golf, himself for writing the book, his narrator and even those brave denizens of the golf course. I found the book to be hysterically funny in parts.

While I enjoyed all of the stories in the book, I recommend most highly the last three which involve the same characters in a series of stories that link to one another -- Rodney Fails to Qualify, Jane Gets Off the Fairway and The Purification of Rodney Spelvin. Jane Packard and Williams Bates are dedicated golfers who seem destined for one another, except for a romantic streak in Jane that takes her off to greener pastures from time to time. Rodney Spelvin is her continual tempter with his poetic career and artsy ways. Rodney's ignorance of golf proves to be his Achilles heel.

Each story is introduced by that old reprobate, the Oldest Member, who lies in wait around the golf course waiting for someone to let him bend their ear with another lengthy story. Every club has such a person, and readers will remember many occasions of arriving home hours late after having been waylaid by such a person at their golf club.

The Heart of a Goof is one of the funniest golf stories I have read. It captures the ironies of golf very well. Golf humbles even the mightiest of us, and our greatest failures may follow soon after our sweetest swings.

High Stakes looks at that favorite golfing activity, the bet, in a new light and builds a hilarious scenario around what a dedicated golfer will do to pursue his passions. Keeping in with Vosper continues the same story line and is a very funny look at the effects of an anti-Jeeves manservant.

Chester forgets himself explores a common Wodehouse theme, the fellow who tries to pretend he is better than he is and turns off his love's interest in the process.

The Magic Plus Fours will remind many readers of Dumbo's magic feather and its ability to influence his confidence, that most elusive of all golfing qualities.

The Awakening of Podmarsh looks at that most delicious of all golfing experiences, having a career round. It will bring back happy memories to any golfer.

Fore!

heart of a goof is vintage wodehouse, the language as perfectly controlled as a tiger woods putt, spicy with deadpan humor and priceless social commentary. unlike one reviewer i found the ensnarement at the beginning of each story, in which the Oldest Member deftly secures his unwilling audience, different each time, and very funny. the use of golf as a metaphor for life is nothing new but wodehouse had a perfect ear for dialog and a sense of character that carries these little stories beautifully into this century. i hate golf and i still loved this book.

When I read this book I had never played golf in my life. Nevertheless, I laughed and enjoyed it as I have all other books by Wodehouse. Later on I had a chance to learn this sport, and one of the reasons for my accepting this new way of relaxation and exercise was (what else?) remembering the hilarious situations that develop in the links dear P.G. takes us through. Walking along the golf course has made me appreciate even more the depth of Wodehouse's humor.

Nine golf stories by P. G. Wodehouse, the Bach of humor fiction. Wodehouse's golf stories are among his best, perhaps because, as a golfer himself, he understood the absurd passion one can have for the game. This is the best of his golf story collections because every one of the stories uses the framing device of being told by the Oldest Member. Which is not to say that you shouldn't search for The Golf Omnibus, which has all 31. But the almost mathematical elegance and consistancy of this collection set it apart.

This 1932 book by P.G. Wodehouse is a well written, if frivolous, farce, set in a chateau in a French seaside village. Several characters, including an hypocritical American senator and his daughter, undercover detectives posing as servants, professional burglars, French playboys, American football athletes turned up in the mansion, in a plot involving breaking into a safe in the house that has in it not only valuable jewels but a blackmailing letter. It's well written, reasonably funny and you can read it fast, despite not being a short book at all, but it is also a bit shallow.

One of the best... Completely whacky & Wodehousian. Jane Opal is one of my favorite PGW girls.

It is refreshing to be able to escape Wooster, Blandings & Psmith for a while an excellent book which is much more complex than usual.

In his introduction to the Penguin paperback of Hot Water, Robert McCrum notes that little-known books like this one are every bit the equal of the better-known Wodehouse fare. Maybe not every bit the equal, but certainly rather close. So why four stars? I can't give every PGW book five stars, although if PGW doesn't deserve five stars, who does? My first take is that this novel is even more convoluted than the typical Wodehouse offering, and the plot, such as it is, as McCrum points out, would be impossible to describe.

So I won't try. Suffice to say that although you don't find Jeeves on holiday at St. Rocque, or Stiffy Bingham rendering the Chateau Blissac (which has burglars the way other houses have mice) unfit for man or beast, you do find a cast of hitherto unknown personnel engaging in similarly mischievous, conniving, and ultimately good-hearted antics, leading through the most unlikely turnings to one of those trademarked Wodehousian happy endings. In fact, the very absence of Drones, Crumpets, and the Oldest Member (and their assorted musings) make this 1932 French farce read like a stage play. Add a few songs and you've got a Guy Bolton-type musical. Even moreso than A Damsel in Distress, which hit the silver screen starring Gracie Allen (Burns), Hot Water is ready for the big time.

This is one of the many nearly-unknown PGW novels being brought into print in Overlook Press' new line of PGW hardbacks. That will delight those PGW collectors who want library quality editions (and sell to libraries). I, however, find these new Penguin paperbacks to be just the thing to stash in the pocket or the backpack, the literary equivelant of tea time, so as always to have this light refreshment close at hand. David Hitch's illustrations seem to me to strike just the right note, and I hope Penguin brings us the entire line of Wodehouse in these editions.

This is a simply delightful read. I laughed out loud at the silliness. Packy's never ending exploits are addicting! This is a sheer delight to read. Wodehouse has a wonderful command of the language.

...and I can't say exactly why. P'rhaps it's because Jeeves is absent for a good deal of the book. There are all the Usual Suspects, but their presence seems forced.

With this play on lines from Robert Burns, Bertie Wooster, the aristocratic and and dithery protagonist of P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" novels, expresses his dismay at the way matters of love and quiet country life have "ganged" since his arrival at his aunt Dahlia's country estate. Shortly after his arrival, he is surprised to read in the newspaper that Roberta "Bobby" Wickham is engaged to marry him. Bobby, upon her arrival, quickly sets him straight--she is in love with his best friend Reginald "Kipper" Herring, and because she knows her parents find Herring unsuitable, has made them believe she will marry Bertie, whom they dislike even more. She believes that their discovery of the truth will be a relief.

At the same time, Aunt Dahlia persuades Bertie to try to break up the budding romance between Phyllis Mills and the American Willie Cream, also staying at the estate. Phyllis's mother, Aunt Dahlia's friend, does not like "Broadway Willie." Tact is necessary in dealing with this matter since Willie's father is a wealthy man negotiating important business deals with others at Aunt Dahlia's country estate. Jeeves is on vacation, and Aunt Dahlia, needing a butler of her own, hires Sir Roderick Glossop, a well known psychiatrist, to act as butler, his real job being to spy, purportedly, on Willie Cream to uncover unsavory details which can be used to break up his romance with Phyllis. During Bertie's stay, a piece of valuable antique silver, a creamer in the shape of a cow, disappears--perhaps a result of Willie Cream's "kleptomania."

As always, Bertie engages in word play and puns, the coining of new words, and quotations from well known works. He sometimes massacres English words, and he delights in misquoting in foreign languages. As always, he must rely on Jeeves, called back from a fishing vacation, to rescue him from the complications which result from his meddling.

The intricacy of the plot, the overlapping relationships of the characters, the use of irony and gentle satire, and the sparkling dialogue keep the reader engaged, despite the predictable outcome of the plot. First published in 1960, this type of mannered novel is now dated, and many readers will expect more from the novel than "just" entertainment. Wodehouse, however, is as good as it gets in providing clever, light entertainment, with delightful wordplay--while poking fun at the English countryhouse life which has now largely disappeared. n Mary Whipple

Bertie Wooster is one of P.G. Wodehouse's greatest comic characters. He is normally balanced by the quick wit, aplomb and shimmering progress of Jeeves, his butler. But even butlers need a vacation. So Bertie bids good-bye to Jeeves for the year . . . and promptly faces all sorts of unexpected problems.

The troubles begin a most distraught telephone call to Bertie from Lady Wickham. She sobs between words as she demands to know if "this awful news is true." The awful news is in this morning's Times. When Bertie opens the Times, he finds an announcement of his engagement to Lady Wickham's daughter, Bobbie, a woman to whom he has tried to become engaged to in the past. Darned if Bertie can figure out what it's all about. Bobbie, although beautiful, is one of those women who want to improve their men, and Bertie isn't up for such improvements. The path to solving the challenge leads him to his aunt Dahlia's country home, Brinkley Court, to help her entertain Homer Cream, an American tycoon who is doing a deal with her husband, Tom, where Bobbie is also staying. Bertie's old headmaster is also in residence, which leaves Bertie quaking. But the lure of Anatole's delightful cooking draws Bertie to Brinkley.

Once there, events become ever wackier. Sir Roderick Glossop, who thinks Bertie is dotty, is posing as the butler to evaluate a fiancé.

As usual, romance, plots to gain funds, weird collections and mistaken identities quickly twist the story into unexpected complications and directions.

The pages are filled with original similes and metaphors that will delight any student of the English language. This story has great fun with the fish theme. Bertie's great friend Reginald Herring has the nickname of "Kipper." At one point, Bertie says coldly that "I have every right to goggle like a dead halibut . . . ." Elsewhere, Bobbie's motives are described as, "She wanted you to see the big fish . . . you must have been surprised to see Kipper . . . ." Cream and cream pitchers are also done well in this story.

But the best schemes of Bertie and Kipper come a cropper, and Jeeves has to be called back to make a miraculous recovery for the causes of love and the old feudal spirit.

Right ho!

Poor Bertie Wooster. He's an amiable enough fellow and while not too bright, is smart enough to avoid creating trouble; unfortunately, trouble always comes to him, typically through friends and relatives. Fortunately, he has the ultimate butler, Jeeves, who is able to extricate Wooster from his problems and resolve all the messes. In Jeeves in the Offing, Bertie is yet again in the soup and it will require Jeeves to ladle him out.

This tale opens with Bertie entertaining his old friend "Kipper" Herring; Bertie and Kipper once attended Malvern House, a private school run by the rather totalitarian Aubrey Upjohn. That was years earlier, but the man still gives them nightmares. As Jeeves is getting ready to set off on his vacation, Bertie gets an invitation by his favorite relative, Aunt Dahlia, to stay at her home. Bertie, knowing he will be Jeeves-less for a while, decides to go and take advantage of Dahlia's top-notch chef, Anatole. Bertie, however, will not be alone at Brinkley Court.

Also visiting is Bobbie Wickham, a flighty young lady who has previously rejected Bertie's marriage proposals. That doesn't stop her from announcing their engagement as part of a ploy to make her parents accept her true fiance Kipper (who doesn't know of the plan). Bertie's occasional nemesis Roderick Glossop, the esteemed brain specialist, is there in the guise of a butler to observe Willie Cream (attending with his mystery writing mother), a potential deadbeat who is courting Dahlia's goddaughter, Phyllis. Finally, we have Phyllis's step-father, Aubrey Upjohn himself. Between Bobbie's schemes and Glossop's undercover work, complications ensue (especially when the notorious silver cow creamer goes missing), and Bertie is caught in the middle, requiring eventual intervention from Jeeves.

This is not the best Jeeves and Wooster story, but it is still fun to read. Occasionally, Bertie's narration is a bit too over-the-top even for him, but usually it is as delightful as always. Jeeves's absence for much of the book, however, may be necessary for the plot but still leaves the tale a little emptier. In an era where most humor (enjoyable as it may be) is typically dark, ironic and/or an inside joke, it's nice to read material that is more straightforwardly funny.

Missing the collected works of P. G. Wodehouse has not been a literary catastrophe of epic proportions for this discerning reader, who has finally decided to plunge into Wodehouse's quaint universe of madcap English eccentrics based on the praise he's heard from others, most notably a celebrated former teacher of his. Although Wodehouse's seemingly effortless witty prose runs wild throughout this short novel, I had much difficulty trying to understand the humor behind this mistaken identity tale about the carefree English bohemian Jimmy Crocker. Crocker seeks to find a new identity of sorts in America, after running afoul of the Fleet Street tabloids in London, having earned a roguish reputation of sorts as "Piccadilly Jim". I suppose if I want to laugh aloud, I'll have to take a look again at the literary classics written by the great Mark Twain himself, but judging from my brief exposure to Wodehouse, this isn't the sort of literary cup of tea I want to drink from again.

I very highly recommend this book. It has a great storyline and is very funny and entertaining. I'd give it more stars if I could. If you like the novel I also recommend the 1936 movie version staring Robert Montgomery.

I fell off my couch, laughing, when reading this one. The only reason I gave it four stars is that I've had a Wodehouse overdose. As with any Wodehouse book, you'll smile when you read this one. If you're never read a book by him before, Wodehouse looks at life from a different perpespective. He has a light, almost playful, way of looking at problems his characters face, exaggerating the problems ever so slightly to bring out the humor.

For anyone who likes the Jeeves stories, I recommend continuing with the Wodehouse oeuvre with this short novel. It's an embarrassing thing to laugh out loud in public, but I enjoyed every page of this quick-paced story.

The story involves Jimmy Crocker, who is a bit of a troublemaker. Always getting into scuffles in his home country of England (the papers call him "Piccadilly Jim" to his chagrin), he decides to go to New York. On the way, he meets a beautiful young woman, but later hears her talking to her family about what an awful person "that James Crocker" is. He decides in order to meet her, he will have to pretend to be someone else, one Algernon Bayliss (a name made up on the spur of the moment).

However, due to his uncanny resemblance to James Crocker (he is continually running into people who recognize him as Crocker), the girl plans to pass "Algernon" off as Crocker to their shared aunt. So Jimmy has to pretend to be Algernon pretending to be Jimmy, all the while trying to get this girl to fall in love with him. (They're really only step-cousins through a second marriage.)

This is a terrific story of mistaken identity (there are several other events involved including James' father masquerading as a butler and a rich couple's child who wants to be kidnapped in order to split the proceeds) but Wodehouse carries all the confusion perfectly, making sure we are able to follow the action, yet without insulting our intelligence, a great feat in itself.