The Jeeves Collection

After realising I hadn't posted in months, I questioned what if anything I'd been reading. Then remembered that over the last six months I've read around 90 short stories and 15 novels from just two authors. This is one of those authors.

When I found myself looking for something a little more cheerful to read, I remembered some years ago when I had read the first volume of an omnibus of P.G. Wodehouse books - particularly from the Jeeves and Wooster collection. I have now read all 15 books featuring these characters that Wodehouse wrote between 1916 and 1974, stretching from when Wodehouse was 35 to a year before he died at 94.

The first four books feature collections of short stories originally printed in the Strand Magazine - alongside fellow alums Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Leo Tolstoy - following Bertie Wooster, a big-hearted if naive socialite, and his valet Jeeves, the latter of whom regularly rescues his employer from the numerous and farcical scrapes he stumbles into. The later books are longer, more surreal and absurd farces, typically centring around a gathering at a large country manor. All of the books are spectacular, absorbing and full of heart and humour.

I find Wodehouse’s turn of phrase delightful and charming, as Wooster “I say”s and “by jove”s at Jeeves’ often wild propositions, that often include theft, assault and kidnapping of dogs, in order to get Wooster out of “the soup”. In their first meeting, Jeeves breaks off his employer’s engagement - a theme of the series - with a woman who wanted to improve Wooster by having him read the works of Nietzsche.

“You would not enjoy Nietzsche, sir. He is fundamentally unsound.”

The books are silly, witty and ceaselessly engaging, and I couldn’t help but pick up the next one when I’d finished the last. For new readers, I would recommend starting from the very beginning with My Man Jeeves, but some of my favourites were the run of Joy in the Morning, The Mating Season and Ring for Jeeves.

As for me I think I’ll seek out the Psmith collection next. Where Wooster is oblivious to social issues, Psmith - a journalist - sounds a little more grounded in the real.