Classics Corner: The World of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse; Winning Funny Stories About A Goofy Dilettante And His Helpful Valet

Classics Corner: The World of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse; Winning Funny Stories About A Goofy Dilettante And His Helpful Valet




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: You may be having a sense of deja vu as you look through the blog lately. I am reviewing some books that were reviewed when I first began. The main reason that I am doing this is that these were among the first reviews that I did. You know how it is, when you look at your original works and think how you could have done them differently. They were okay, but could be better especially when the work was so good. You want to give the book the full attention that it deserves.

So I am giving more detailed reviews of some of my favorite books.


I always say that Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Bertie Wooster short stories are the cure for what ails you. From the moment that Wodehouse introduced the pair in the story, “Jeeves Takes Charge,” the wise valet and his foolish gentleman about town employer captivated their Readers with silly antics, humorous asides, and witty one-liners.


Every page is filled with hilarious situations with Bertie Wooster dealing with his love-lorn friends, scheming relatives, and madcap situations. Bertie and the others usually solicit the help of Jeeves to get them out of whatever trouble they are in.

Wodehouse’s writing and Bertie’s first-person narration stands out. Bertie constantly waffles in his description and misquotes or forgets literary quotes. (“If you give them a what's-his-name, they take a thingummy!”) Bertie makes a fool of himself when he tries to command Jeeves but often acquiesces in the end (usually involving Bertie’s fashion faux pas or Jeeves’ desire to travel).

Many of the passages are laugh-out-loud hilarious even after multiple readings and are perfect for a beautiful spring day or a not-so-beautiful stressful winter day or any day that is beautiful or not-so-beautiful.

There are many favorite stories but these in particular stand out (I will also include favorite quotes from each story):


1. “Jeeves Takes Charge”
The historic first meeting of the duo sets the stage for things to come. Bertie first meets Jeeves when after a wild previous night with the members of his gentlemen's club, The Drones, Bertie is hung over the next morning. Upon arrival as a new valet, Jeeves creates a mixture that instantly perks up Bertie's “old bean.”

This story creates many of the tropes found in the other stories: unsuitable fiancees, goofy gentlemen, eccentric older relatives, bratty kids, and elaborate schemes which Bertie gets talked into. This time. Bertie's temperamental fiancee, Florence Craye wants him to steal his Uncle Willoughby’ s manuscript before it gets published because it details Willoughby's wild youth with Florence’s father

The situation is set up as Bertie waffles about how to steal the manuscript and what to do with it once he has it in his possession. This also shows his early reluctance and snobbishness against confiding in Jeeves. He later learns that much of the situation would have been resolved quicker if he had put him in his confidence sooner.

Quote
Bertie: Oh Jeeves about that checked suit?
Jeeves: Yes sir?
Bertie: Is it really frost?
Jeeves: A trifle too bizarre in my opinion, sir.
Bertie: But lots of fellows ask me who my tailor is.
Jeeves: Doubtless in order to avoid him, sir.
Bertie: He's supposed to be one of the best men in London!
Jeeves: I am saying nothing against his moral character, sir!
Bertie: Alright Jeeves, you know give the bally thing away to somebody.
Jeeves: Thank you, sir. I gave it to the under gardener last night, a little more tea sir?


2. “Scoring Off Jeeves”/”Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch”
Some of the stories are so tied together, that they might as well be one. These are a pair of those stories and they introduce probably Bertie's most prominent antagonists: Sir Roderick Glossop, analyst or as Bertie refers to him “janitor of the loony bin”, Glossop's daughter, Honoria, a pushy bright young woman who is built like a wrestler, and Agatha Gregson, Bertie's snobbish mean aunt.

The story, “Scoring Off Jeeves” also shows what happens to Bertie when Jeeves isn't around. He usually gets into more trouble. In this instance, Jeeves is away on vacation and Bertie helps his love sick friend, Bingo Little win the heart of Honoria Glossop, who harbors a not-so-secret crush on Bertie. Without going into great detail, things get messed up and Bertie finds himself engaged to Honoria.

The next story “Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch”, Jeeves resolves this situation thanks to some coincidences involving three stray kittens, a misplaced hat, a dead fish, and Bertie's trouble making cousins, Claude and Eustace. The story involves characters assuming different things and the wrong things happening at the right time. It also shows how much Jeeves is willing to do to get his employer out of these situations.

Quote:
Bertie: I've told you how I got engaged to Honoria Glossop in my efforts to do young Bingo Little a good turn. Well on this particular morning she had lugged me around to Aunt Agatha's for lunch and I was just saying, “Death where is the sting?” when I realised the worst was yet to come.


3. “Aunt Agatha Takes the Count”
Bertie and Jeeves have a talent for getting in trouble no matter where they go and Monte Carlo is no exception. Bertie meets the beautiful and wild, Aline Hemingway and tries to help her and her parson brother, Sydney out of a jam much to Jeeves’ concern.

While as hilarious as the other stories, this one also focuses on mystery and crime as Bertie encounters con artists and stolen jewels. It is a nice change of pace in putting the characters in some real potential danger with shady figures rather than their usual comic misadventures.

There are also some really interesting moments in which we get some information from Jeeves’ past about a previous employer. Bertie also has a heroic moment when he finally stands up to his bullying Aunt Agatha.

Quote:
Bertie: I don’t know when I've had a more juicy moment. It was one of those occasions about which I shall prattle to my grandchildren-if I ever have any, which at the moment of going to press seems more or less of a hundred to one shot. Aunt Agatha simply deflated before my very eyes. It reminded me of when I once saw some intrepid aeronauts letting the gas out of a balloon….. I dug out my entire stock of manly courage, breathed a short prayer, and let her have it right in the thorax.


4. “The Aunt and the Sluggard”
There are a few stories that are set in New York, to explore Wodehouse's fascination with America (which he lived from time to time and wrote Broadway musicals with Guy Bolton). Wodehouse satirized America like he satirized England with his wit, hilarious situations, and stereotypes made funny. He depicted America's captains of industry, vapid chorus girls, Bohemian artists, and naive Midwesterners in his New York stories.

This particular story is a fine example of Wodehouse's gentle mocking of the U.S.A. Bertie's poet friend, Rocky Todd receives a letter from his Illinoisan Aunt Isobel to describe the New York nightlife. However, Rocky lives in the country and doesn't like visiting New York City unless he has to visit his editor. No problem, Jeeves says. Jeeves will describe the cabarets, parties, and celebrities and Rocky can write letters based on the descriptions. Unfortunately he does such a good job that Isobel has come to visit and assumes Bertie's apartment is her nephew's.

Besides playing into comic misunderstandings, this story also offers the Reader some humorous stereotypes. Rocky is the typical poet that can “look at a worm and wonder what it is doing for hours at a stretch,” almost a 1920’s version of a Beatnik. Rocky’s aunt is similar to the small town tourist who sees New York City as a Fantasy Land reprieve from their daily life.

The biggest joke is Jimmy Mundy, a parody of preacher, Billy Sunday. With Mundy, Wodehouse satirizes the American Hell-Fire-and-Brimstone pastors, who believe everything around them is a gateway to sin as well as their followers who hang onto the pastors’ every word.

Quote:
Bertie:” Dear Freddie,
Well here I am in New York. It's not a bad place. I'm not having a bad time. Everything's not bad. The cabarets aren't bad. Don't know when I shall be back. How's everybody? Cheerio!-
Yours,
Bertie
P.S.: Seen old Ted lately?”
Not that I cared about old Ted, but if I hadn't dragged him in, I couldn't have gotten the confounded thing on to the second page.


5.“Jeeves in the Springtime”/”Jeeves and the Little Woman”
Similar to “Scoring Off Jeeves”/Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch,” these two stories are better experienced together because they tell a continuous story both of which deal with Bertie's friend Bingo Little wanting to marry a waitress and he, Bertie, and Jeeves use the romance novels of Rosie M. Banks to soften Bingo's uncle, Lord Bittlesham.

While the first story has a very awkward conclusion, the second story builds on that in a most unlikely and surprising manner in a way that ends up changing Bingo's status throughout the remainder of the series.

Most of the humor in these stories are supplied by Rosie M. Banks’ maudlin romance novels with titles like Only A Factory Girl, Mervyn Keene, Clubman and The Woman Who Braved All. The books are intentionally melodramatic and corny as they make fun of the Romance novels of their day. They are probably recognizable by modern Romance Readers as well. Rosie M. Banks’ books are no doubt the type of books that make critics guffaw and Readers sigh. (Think of them as the Twilight of their day.)

Quote
Bertie(reading The Woman Who Braved All): “‘What can prevail’-Millicent's eyes flashed as she faced the stern old man.-’what can prevail against an pure and all consuming love? Neither principalities nor powers, nor all the puny prohibitions of guardians and parents. I love your son, Lord Windermere, and nothing can keep us apart. Since time first began, this love of ours was fated and who are you to pit yourself against the decrees of fate?’
The Earl looked at her keenly from beneath his bushy eyebrows 'Humph,’ he said.”..
….. Lord Bittlesham: I-I considered that I have been -er defied. Yes, defied.
Bertie: But who are you to pit yourself against the decrees of Fate? You see this love of theirs was fated since time began you know.
I'm bound to admit that if he'd said “Humph!” at this juncture, he would have had me stymied.

6. “Without the Option”

One of the most popular images from the Jeeves stories is Bertie stealing a police officer's helmet during Boat Race Night, the annual race between Oxford and Cambridge. Many of the stories and novels call back to that moment and that image achieved popular culture status as other authors refer to it. The first episode of the Granada Jeeves and Wooster series has Bertie getting arrested on Boat Race Night before he encounters Jeeves the next morning.

This is the story in which the theft of the police officer's helmet is introduced as a plot point. Bertie, who has been arrested for the theft, gets off with a fine, but his friend Oliver “Sippy” Slippery is held for 30 days without the option. What’s worse is that Sippy has to visit the Pringles, friends of his aunt's. Jeeves suggests Bertie, who feels guilty about Sippy's arrest, impersonate Sippy and visit them instead.

Besides the policeman helmet fiasco, the story becomes even sillier when Bertie encounters the Pringles particularly Aunt Jane who hasn't forgotten that Sippy chased her cat as a child and never lets Bertie forget it and Heloise, who resembles a certain familiar face from Bertie's past.

Quote:
Jeeves: I would definitely suggest, sir, that you left London as soon as possible and remained hidden for some little time in some retreat where you would not likely to be found.
Bertie: Eh why?
Jeeves: During the last hour, Mrs. Spencer Gregson has been on the telephone three times, sir, endeavouring to get into communication with you.
Bertie: Aunt Agatha!
Jeeves: Yes sir, I gathered from her remarks that she had been reading in the evening's paper a report of this morning's proceedings in the police court.
Bertie: Jeeves, this is a time for deeds not words! Pack-and that right speedily.
Jeeves: I have packed, sir.
Bertie: Find out where there is a train to Cambridge.
Jeeves: There is one in forty minutes sir.
Bertie: Call a taxi.
Jeeves: A taxi is at the door sir.
Bertie: Good then lead me to it.

7. “Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit”
Even Christmas is not safe from Bertie's antics. In this story, we meet two new regulars to the Jeeves stories as Bertie visits the country for the holidays.

The first is Tuppy Glossop, Sir Roderick's nephew, a practical joker who once played a joke on Bertie at The Drones Club. Ever since then Bertie has sworn to get even.
The other character is Roberta “Bobbie” Wickham, a red-haired flapper whom Jeeves describes “as a charming young lady, but much too frivolous.” She is forever jumping headlong into schemes and putting Bertie right in the middle. In this story, she suggests that Bertie puncture Tuppy's water bottle in retaliation for his earlier prank. The results are not what Bertie expected but are amusement for the Reader.

Quote:
Bertie: The next thing that happened was a bit of a lull in the proceedings. For about three and a quarter seconds or more possibly more we just stood there, drinking each other in so to speak, the old boy still attached with a limpet-like grip to my elbow. If I hadn't been in a dressing gown and he in pinky pyjamas with a blue stripe, and if he hadn't glaring quite so much as if he were shortly going to commit murder, the tableau would have looked rather like one of those advertisements you see in magazines, where the experienced elder is patting the younger man's arm and saying “My boy if you subscribe to the Mutt-Jeff Correspondence School of Oswego, Kan. as I did you may some day, like me, become the Third Assistant Vice-president of the Schenectady Consolidated Nail-File and Tweezer Corporation.”


8. “Jeeves and the Song of Songs”

This story is another one that shows how far Bertie will go to help friends and family. Tuppy falls in love with Cora Bellinger, an opera singer, and seeks to impress Cora by singing at a “clean bright entertainment for Eastenders”. When Bertie learns that Tuppy broke up with his cousin Angela to get with Cora, Jeeves suggests Bertie also sing at the entertainment. The goal is to embarrass Tuppy in front of Cora and put him back together with Angela. 

The entertainment goes over as expected with Bertie and Tuppy choosing to sing the same song, a sappy number called “Sonny Boy” and getting attacked by a vegetable throwing crowd for their efforts.

We also meet Aunt Dahlia, Angela's mother who Bertie calls his “good aunt” to a point. Even though she is not as mean or as bullying as Aunt Agatha, Dahlia, also knows how to get Bertie to do exactly what she wants.

Quote:
Dahlia: Jeeves, you're a marvel.
Bertie: Jeeves, you're an ass
Dahlia: What do you mean he's an ass? I think it's the greatest scheme I ever heard.
Bertie: Me sing Sonny Boy at Beefy Bingham's clean bright entertainment? I can see myself!
Jeeves: You sing it daily in your bath, sir. Mr. Wooster has a light pleasant baritone-
Dahlia: I'll bet he has.
Bertie: Between singing Sonny Boy in one's bath, Jeeves and singing it before a hall full of assorted blood-orange merchants and their young, there is a substantial difference.
Dahlia: Bertie, you'll sing and like it!
Bertie: I will not!
Dahlia: Bertie!
Bertie: Nothing will induce -
Dahlia: Bertie, you will sing Sonny Boy on Tuesday, the third prox, and sing it like a lark at sunrise or may an aunt's curse-
Bertie: I won't!
Dahlia: Think of Angela!
Bertie: Dash Angela!
Dahlia: Bertie!
Bertie: No, I mean hang it all!
Dahlia: You won't?
Bertie: I won't.
Dahlia: That is your last word is it?
Bertie: It is. Once and for all, Aunt Dahlia nothing will induce me to let out so much as a single note.

And so that afternoon I sent a pre-paid wire to Beefy Bingham, offering my services in the cause and by nightfall the thing was fixed up. I was billed to perform next but one after the intermission. Following me came Tuppy and immediately after him came Miss Cora Bellringer, well-known operatic soprano.




9. “ Indian Summer of an Uncle”
Apparently, the young aren't the only ones getting romantic in these stories. The older characters do as well. This story features Aunt Agatha forcing Bertie to interfere with his Uncle George's marriage to a woman half his age.

There are some clever bits such as when Bertie encounters the woman's aunt, a talkative dizzy older woman that confuses Bertie so much that he practically forgets the reason he came. The story also resolves itself, thanks to Jeeves, in a way that is kind of sweet and pleases all parties involved.


Quote:
Bertie: The point to be considered now is what will Aunt Agatha do about this? You know her, Jeeves. She is not like me. I'm broad-minded. If Uncle George wants to marry waitresses then let him say I. I hold that rank is but the guinea stamp.
Jeeves: Guinea stamp sir.
Bertie: All right, guinea stamp. Though I don't believe that there is such a thing. I shouldn't have thought that they come higher than five bob. Well as I was saying I maintain that rank is but a guinea stamp and a girl is a girl for all that.
Jeeves: For a’ that sir. The poet Burns wrote in the North British dialect.
Bertie: Well for a’ that if you prefer it.
Jeeves: I have no preference, sir but it is simply that the poet Burns-
Bertie: Never mind about the poet Burns.
Jeeves: No sir.
Bertie: Forget the poet Burns.
Jeeves: Very good, sir
Bertie: Expunge the poet Burns from your mind.

Jeeves: I will do so immediately, sir.
Bertie: What we have to consider is not the poet Burns but the Aunt Agatha. She will kick Jeeves.
Jeeves: Very probably, sir.


10. “Bertie Changes His Mind”
This story gives us a chance to see what Jeeves really thinks of his employer. This is the only one told from Jeeves's perspective.

While not as hilarious as Bertie's narrations, Jeeves’ point of view has a dry almost sarcastic wit as he describes Bertie's shortcomings and how he gets past them. It also shows him a little more relaxed with his peers than he is with those on a higher social status than himself so we get another side to his character.

Jeeves is methodical as he helps Bertie through a plot that involves a wayward schoolgirl and a speech Bertie has to give at her school. While this isn't as intricate as many of Jeeves’ other plots, it shows that the valet is only human and sometimes even he has to rely on contrived coincidence and a bit of name dropping to aid his employer.

Quote:
Jeeves: Mr. Wooster is a young gentleman with practically every desirable quality except one. I do not mean brains for in an employer brains are not desirable. The quality to which I allude is hard to define, but perhaps I might call it the gift of dealing with the Unfortunate Situation. In the process of the Unusual, Mr. Wooster is too prone to smile weakly and allow his eyes to protrude. He lacks presence…… to Mr. Wooster it was plainly an ordeal with the worst description. He gave one look at the young ladies who were all staring at him in an extremely unwinking manner then blinked and started to pick feebly at his coat-sleeves. His aspect reminded me of that of a bashful young man who persuaded against his better judgement to go on the platform and assist a conjurer in his entertainment suddenly discovers that rabbits and hard-boiled eggs are being taken out of the top of his head.