Friday, February 29, 2008

Wandering Through Wodehouse

Lately my spare moments have been spent before the small (computer) screen. I've been charmed by Wodehouse's giddy tales of English bachelor scrapes, witty butler's schemes, fastidious Aunts, and all the situations in which they find themselves.
I laugh out loud at the way one, in polite society, would tell one's nephew to go jump in the lake. This passage from Right Ho, Jeeves had me chuckling through a math and science lesson:

"Then I wonder if you would mind doing something for me."

"Give it a name."

"It won't take you long. You know that path that runs past the greenhouses into the kitchen garden. If you go along it, you come to a pond."

"That's right."

"Well, will you get a good, stout piece of rope or cord and go down that path till you come to the pond----"

"To the pond. Right."

"--and look about you till you find a nice, heavy stone. Or a fairly large brick would do."

"I see," I said, though I didn't, being still fogged. "Stone or brick. Yes. And then?"

"Then," said the relative, "I want you, like a good boy, to fasten the rope to the brick and tie it around your damned neck and jump into the pond and drown yourself.

So far, I've had rip-roaring reads through My Man Jeeves, A Damsel in Distress, and Right Ho, Jeeves. I'm laughing at the dialogue, the scenes, the inspired characters, the way I would enjoy a Carol Burnett skit or an Erma Bombeck book.

I'm looking forward to enjoying more. I believe some of these Wodehouse works have been adapted to the stage. That would be something to see.

4 comments:

Gina said...

Wodehouse is a riot! Between good ole PG and Evelyn Waugh, I crack up every time.

Cheryl said...

I've never read Wodehouse. Sounds like I need to check it out! (In all my spare time . . . )

Jan/lost-strayed-or-stolen.blogspot.com said...

PBS did a series of Wodehouse stories some years ago, starring the same guy who now stars in House (can't think of his name right now) as Bertie. Hilarious!

Genuine Lustre said...

I have several of these books on my "to be read" pile. Hope to get into them one of these days.