Thank you, Jeeves(1934) by P. G. Wodehouse, Genre: Humor, Pages: 263, 4/5

Bertie has offended Jeeves in a number of ways. His mustache, his gaudy shirts and his choice of girls have always left Jeeves’ sensibilities rattled. Here, the quintessential gentleman’s gentleman is left cold by Wooster’s far from perfect handling of the banjo. So, in the very first chapter of the book, Jeeves gives notice to Wooster and the employee employer bond is severed.

Bertie, meanwhile, is invited by his old friend Chuffy to spend time in the countryside. He gladly accepts thinking that he would be able to play the instrument unimpeded. Jeeves ends up being hired by Chuffy.

Chuffy is a shy giant and is unable to profess his love to the lady of his dream who happens to visit him along with her father for purchasinging Chuffy’s palatial house.

The Woosters, as Bertie keeps on repeating, can go to any length for their friends. Upholding this age old tradition, Bertie thinks of a hot plan to make Chuffy confess to the girl he loves, Ms. Pauline. He decides to kiss her so as to make Chuffy realize the foolishness of procrastination. However, she happens to have been previously engaged to Bertie and all hell soon breaks loose creating a truly knotty situation which only Jeeves can resolve.

I have exhausted my vocabulary praising Wodehouse. I don’t think his genius can be analyzed threadbare. Suffice it to say that this is another winner in a truly distinguished writing career.

Wodehouse makes me feel giddy and glad. I become giddy savoring the way he uses English. His choice of words and the style in which they are arranged to describe even the most mundane incident in a novel and hilarious way has seldom disappointed. I am glad because I know the language. His work is one which, in my humble opinion, cannot be translated, either into a different language or for the big screen. The series Bertie and Wooster is not a patch on the books.

If you want to be transported into a different, better and funnier world, pick up a Wodehouse book today. This is unalloyed joy and has to be read to be believed.

Very Good, Jeeves (1930) by P.G. Wodehouse, Genre: Humor, Pages: 297, 4.5/5

Have you seen the movie “40 days, 40 nights”? For the unfortunate few who have missed out on the charms of this testosterone fueled comedy, it is about a guy who takes a vow to not have any sexual activity for the aforementioned number of days. At the end of the period, he experiences a volcanic release. That is the kind of orgasmic joy which the reader would get from every episodeof this splendid collection of Wooster and Jeeves tales.

This collection has eleven stories out of which at least five, for me, are among the best that Wodehouse has written. 

Jeeves takes the cake in the appropriate titled “Jeeves and the song of songs” when he arranges far too many performances of a song which is much favored by the bathroom singers, in front of an unappreciative crowd. Then there is the tale of the impending doom wherein a cabinet minister is marooned on an island without a boat and the sea is infested with foul tempered swans. Aunt Agatha’s dog MacIntosh also makes a memorable appearance in what turns out to be a harrowing experience for Wooster. 

“The inferiority complex of Old Sippy” tells the tale of Sipperley, Wooster’s friend and an editor, who cannot gather courage to propose the girl of his choice. He also cannot say no to the articles from the principal of old school days which are inappropriate for his magazine. “The love that purifies” is a very funny tale which has its main protagonist Thomas, the son of Aunt Agatha who decides to become good when he gets to know that a prize has been set for good behavior.

It has been nearly a month since I last tasted Wodehouse’s works. I didn’t know how much I was missing him until I devoured this. There are sentences which are pure magic and would leave you cackling.

My favorite line in the book was when Wooster says he went out and came back so fast that he nearly met himself going out.

Wodehouse cannot be praised highly enough. The sheer twists he is able to give to standard screw ball stories is breath taking. What I love most about the Jeeves’ books is the way they are narrated by the dim Wooster. The language, man! The characters. Only the stone hearted can be inured from the charm of this fantastic duo. The sheer joy which his words give is something which has to be experienced to be believed. 

His books can take you higher than a good joint. They are more addictive than the most habit forming drugs.

 At the end of every Wodehouse book, I feel both delirious and slightly depressed. The reasons for my happiness have been described above. I become somewhat sad because I know now there is one less book of his left to read and there would come a time in the future when I would run out of Wodehouse.