A Centenary of My Man Jeeves

My Man Jeeves was published 100 years ago in May 1919. Jeeves--my man, you know--is really a most extraordinary chap. So capable. Honestly, I shouldn't know what to do without him. On broader lines he's like those chappies who sit peering sadly over the marble battlements at the Pennsylvania Station in the place marked "Inquiries." …

Happy P.G. Wodehouse Day!

What Ho, and Happy P.G. Wodehouse Day everyone! That’s what I’m calling Valentine’s Day this year. And why not? It’s a good day for it. Saint Valentine can’t expect all the attention for himself. Nor can he bally well object -- as the Patron Saint of affianced couples, love, and marriage -- to us celebrating …

The Romances of Bertie Wooster

“Bertie, it is imperative that you marry." "But, dash it all..." "Yes! You should be breeding children to..." "No, really, I say, please!" I said, blushing richly. Aunt Agatha belongs to two or three of these women's clubs, and she keeps forgetting she isn't in the smoking-room.” The Inimitable Jeeves Once again, Plumtopia is celebrating …

The romances of Bingo Little: Charlotte Corday Rowbotham (by Ken Clevenger)

'Oh, Great Scott!' I said. 'Don't tell me you're in love again.' He seemed aggrieved. 'What do you mean-- again?' 'Well, to my certain knowledge you've been in love with at least half a dozen girls since the spring, and it's only July now. There was that waitress and Honoria Glossop and--' 'Oh, tush! Not …

P.G. Wodehouse reading guide

So you'd like to give P.G. Wodehouse a try, but don't know where to start. Or perhaps you've read the Jeeves stories and want to explore Wodehouse's wonderful wider world.  You've come to the right place.

Right Ho, Gaukrodger

Noel Bushnell contemplates what might have been, if Wodehouse had gone to see Lancs v. Worcs instead of Warwickshire play at Cheltenham.

The Traveller

I was basking in the autumn sunshine, mellowing fruitlessly, when an unbidden thought drifted into my cerebellum: what if Jeeves had not been called Jeeves? What if another cricketer’s name had caught P.G. Wodehouse’s ear and the gentleman’s personal gentleman who made his entrance on 18 September 1915 had been called something else? Would Jeeves now be a metaphor for members of the butlerine genus everywhere, or for sources of infallible information on any topic, but most especially in matters of correct dress for all occasions? I mean to say, what?

These be deep waters and, before I stick my toe in, perhaps I should recap the story so far.

It all started when the By The Way newsletter of The P.G. Wodehouse Society (UK) marked the centenary of Jeeves’ premiere with the lengthy and detailed opinion of Wodehouse authority Tony Ring that the un-surnamed Bertie in the first “Jeeves…

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Remembering Percy Jeeves

'Do cricket trousers matter?' you may ask.

I think we know Jeeves' answer to that one.

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse: a 20th Century Classic

The Code of the Woosters was one of Stefan Nilsson’s suggestions for including a book by P.G. Wodehouse in your 2016 Reading Challenge – as a 20th Century Classic. A classic it most certainly is, not just in the eyes of Wodehouse readers. The Code of the Woosters frequently pops up in literary lists of …

Jeeves & Wooster centenary: Extricating Young Gussie

Hot on the heels of the Blandings centenary in June comes the 100th anniversary of P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and Reginald Jeeves. The characters first appeared together in the story 'Extricating Young Gussie', published in September 1915 in the Saturday Evening Post. The centenary has been commemorated with a flurry of articles (try What ho! Celebrating …

Introducing Jeeves: saviour or snake?

Meet Jeeves, the world's most famous valet and P.G. Wodehouse's best known character. The name Jeeves has come to symbolise the epitome of efficient service to millions who've never even read Wodehouse. Among fans, he is spoken of with a reverence usually reserved for deities. And how many of us have wished for a Jeeves …