What do you think?
Rate this book
Do Butlers Burgle Banks?
Do Butlers Burgle Banks? features the hither to fortunate owner of Bond s Bank, who find himself in a spot of trouble so serious that he wants someone to burgle the bank before the trustees inspect it. Fortunately for him, Horace Appleby, currently posing as his butler, is on hand to oblige. For Horace is, in fact, not a butler at all but the best sort of gangster, prudently concealing himself in an English country house while hiding from his rivals. Looking for peace and safety, Horace is to discover before long that the hotspots of Chicago are a whole lot more restful than the English countryside. This is the lightest of light comedies, a Woodhousean soufflé from his later years.
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 1968
10 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
P.G. Wodehouse
1,680 books6,932 followersSir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE, was a comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success during a career of more than seventy years and continues to be widely read over 40 years after his death. Despite the political and social upheavals that occurred during his life, much of which was spent in France and the United States, Wodehouse's main canvas remained that of prewar English upper-class society, reflecting his birth, education, and youthful writing career.
An acknowledged master of English prose, Wodehouse has been admired both by contemporaries such as Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by more recent writers such as Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend.
Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song Bill in Kern's Show Boat (1927), wrote the lyrics for the Gershwin/Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).
An acknowledged master of English prose, Wodehouse has been admired both by contemporaries such as Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by more recent writers such as Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend.
Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song Bill in Kern's Show Boat (1927), wrote the lyrics for the Gershwin/Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
January 3, 2015
In realtà il mio voto sarebbe 3/4 su 5.
L'ironia di questo libro non provoca incontrollabili risate, ma è leggera, elegante e sorprende con sarcastici commenti velati di serietà.
La trama è originale, sostenuta da una serie di equivoci e fraintendimenti che ruotano intorno alla piccola banca locale che ha visto tempi migliori.
I personaggi sono meravigliosi: nonostante ricreino tipologie ben note al lettore sorprendono per modi espressivi e per reazioni inaspettate alle più sbalorditive situazioni. Non si può evitare di affezionarsi, infine, ad Horace Appleby, ladro gentiluomo con una sincera avversione per le armi.
Wodehouse ricrea con mano elegante e sapiente, carica di ironia, modi, colori e costumi dei piccoli centri in cui si muovono i suoi personaggi.
L'ironia di questo libro non provoca incontrollabili risate, ma è leggera, elegante e sorprende con sarcastici commenti velati di serietà.
La trama è originale, sostenuta da una serie di equivoci e fraintendimenti che ruotano intorno alla piccola banca locale che ha visto tempi migliori.
I personaggi sono meravigliosi: nonostante ricreino tipologie ben note al lettore sorprendono per modi espressivi e per reazioni inaspettate alle più sbalorditive situazioni. Non si può evitare di affezionarsi, infine, ad Horace Appleby, ladro gentiluomo con una sincera avversione per le armi.
Wodehouse ricrea con mano elegante e sapiente, carica di ironia, modi, colori e costumi dei piccoli centri in cui si muovono i suoi personaggi.
February 12, 2023
This is one of Wodehouses later books, so I wasn't expecting it to be one of his finest. But it was enjoyable, as almost all of his books. And I liked it a lot more than a number of his earlier books. This is a stand alone book with a fun set of criminals and some likable main characters all converging around a bank and its potential burgling.
March 23, 2017
Sweet, charming and amusing tail of mistaken identities, burgled banks and hilarious mistakes that all turn out right in the end. Wodehouse is king of the mistaken identity with a touch of bad luck and terrible coincidence thrown in. But that's one of the reasons we all love him so.
August 4, 2015
Horrace Appleby is the brains behind a criminal organization known as the Appleby Gang. They've eluded police on both sides of the Atlantic and are about to embark on their latest scheme. Thanks to a tip about a Worcestershire bank, Appleby installs himself as butler in Mallow Hall, home of Mike Bond, of Bond's Bank. Mike's uncle Hugo was a generous benefactor and Appleby is convinced the bank is ripe for picking. However, that's before he meets the lovely Ada, Mike's secretary and before Mike's aunt's nurse Jill discovers what is distracting Mike and keeping him from proposing marriage and before one of the gang backs out for the most unlikely reasons.
This isn't Wodehouse at his best. It took me a very long time to get into. Most of the book is the set up for the titular action. The dialogue is charming in spots and the plot cute in spots but not all together above par for Wodehouse. The plot moves too slowly and the falling action is wrapped up so quickly and unbelievably. The romances come out of nowhere and are not believable. The plot surprised me though because it was rather different from Wodehouse's usual love triangle plot.
The characters are flat and bland, except for Appleby. He's an interesting and complicated character. He is a very unusual butler, even for Wodehouse. I love the way he speaks and how he's the mastermind behind the gang. He's a thinker not a do-er. The rest of the gang and straight up parodies of gangster film characters. They make the story actually amusing, especially Basher. The women in this story are horrible. There's the tyrannical aunt laid up in bed; her nurse and confidant who has brains and uses them for her own advantage, and the sweet but not pretty secretary. Mike wasn't very fleshed out either. He appears only briefly here and there in the story.
If Wodehouse wasn't the master at comedy, I would probably rate this higher.
This isn't Wodehouse at his best. It took me a very long time to get into. Most of the book is the set up for the titular action. The dialogue is charming in spots and the plot cute in spots but not all together above par for Wodehouse. The plot moves too slowly and the falling action is wrapped up so quickly and unbelievably. The romances come out of nowhere and are not believable. The plot surprised me though because it was rather different from Wodehouse's usual love triangle plot.
The characters are flat and bland, except for Appleby. He's an interesting and complicated character. He is a very unusual butler, even for Wodehouse. I love the way he speaks and how he's the mastermind behind the gang. He's a thinker not a do-er. The rest of the gang and straight up parodies of gangster film characters. They make the story actually amusing, especially Basher. The women in this story are horrible. There's the tyrannical aunt laid up in bed; her nurse and confidant who has brains and uses them for her own advantage, and the sweet but not pretty secretary. Mike wasn't very fleshed out either. He appears only briefly here and there in the story.
If Wodehouse wasn't the master at comedy, I would probably rate this higher.
July 16, 2013
This has to be one of the catchiest Wodehouse titles around. The alliterative phrasing aside, it’s a question which not a lot of Indians would relate to for sure since the domestic help here sure has made a veritable business model out of taking off with their master’s belongings and riches. British butlers, apparently, are not quite like that. Their nobility is so unquestioned, that when one of them does go down the crime lane and busting banks, it is an event big enough to publish a book on.
And hell, I am not complaining that they have a book on it. Especially since it is authored by Plum.
The book is about a syndicate of thieves, headed by the wily, though not so fit, Horace Appleby who decides to take a detour from his usual modus operandi of stealing jewels and decides to plunge into a new line of business of burgling banks. And once Appleby gets his cronies on the line for the plan of action, he sets off to the Bond residence to establish a base to study and formulate and execute his plans and takes over as a temporary butler. Of course that’s where the plot just starts.
Michael Bond, the inheritor of the Bond Bank, who ends up employing Appleby as his butler, is not quite in the pink of health. With his love life flagging away into nothingness, he has business worries that any owner of a bank would. And maybe his worries go a shade deeper than the usual amount.
Appleby realizes that this one operation is not going to be as smooth as his previous achievements. He has his arch rival, the Chicago Gunman, hounding him to clear past dues. And then he has a love life of his own that he has to sort out.
In this little gem of a book, both the victim and the villain are actually the heroes of the story. And between the aims of Appleby to burgle the bank and Michael Bond to run it smoothly are thrown in several characters who make the plot as mixed up as a heap of spaghetti. There are trustees trying to sort out the bank owner’s and by extension their own problems. The secretary and the love interest of Mr. Bond help in every way they can. And then where you have burglary and gunmen, there are cops as well. And from Scotland Yard, no less!
You will have a roller coaster sort of a ride when you get through this book. And unlike the usual Wodehouse books where though the ending is happy, there is an eventual loser, it doesn’t happen so in this book, as the ending is happy for everyone. Well, almost. That said, the ending is a bit too forced in this book, and it does take away some of the shine off the book when you flip over the last page, though the story in itself is quite hilarious and will have you laughing from pretty much the starting. And I am all ok with that. As long as I get my two cupfuls of laughter, I can live with the contrived ending.
And yeah, don’t you try to imitate the bank burgling business at home. It isn’t quite as simple as Wodehouse house writes it to be. And be wary of your domestic help. If butlers can rob banks, your maid will definitely not have any qualms about flinching some money from your wallet.
And hell, I am not complaining that they have a book on it. Especially since it is authored by Plum.
The book is about a syndicate of thieves, headed by the wily, though not so fit, Horace Appleby who decides to take a detour from his usual modus operandi of stealing jewels and decides to plunge into a new line of business of burgling banks. And once Appleby gets his cronies on the line for the plan of action, he sets off to the Bond residence to establish a base to study and formulate and execute his plans and takes over as a temporary butler. Of course that’s where the plot just starts.
Michael Bond, the inheritor of the Bond Bank, who ends up employing Appleby as his butler, is not quite in the pink of health. With his love life flagging away into nothingness, he has business worries that any owner of a bank would. And maybe his worries go a shade deeper than the usual amount.
Appleby realizes that this one operation is not going to be as smooth as his previous achievements. He has his arch rival, the Chicago Gunman, hounding him to clear past dues. And then he has a love life of his own that he has to sort out.
In this little gem of a book, both the victim and the villain are actually the heroes of the story. And between the aims of Appleby to burgle the bank and Michael Bond to run it smoothly are thrown in several characters who make the plot as mixed up as a heap of spaghetti. There are trustees trying to sort out the bank owner’s and by extension their own problems. The secretary and the love interest of Mr. Bond help in every way they can. And then where you have burglary and gunmen, there are cops as well. And from Scotland Yard, no less!
You will have a roller coaster sort of a ride when you get through this book. And unlike the usual Wodehouse books where though the ending is happy, there is an eventual loser, it doesn’t happen so in this book, as the ending is happy for everyone. Well, almost. That said, the ending is a bit too forced in this book, and it does take away some of the shine off the book when you flip over the last page, though the story in itself is quite hilarious and will have you laughing from pretty much the starting. And I am all ok with that. As long as I get my two cupfuls of laughter, I can live with the contrived ending.
And yeah, don’t you try to imitate the bank burgling business at home. It isn’t quite as simple as Wodehouse house writes it to be. And be wary of your domestic help. If butlers can rob banks, your maid will definitely not have any qualms about flinching some money from your wallet.
November 10, 2020
With [waves generally in the air at 2020 and especially this last seven days] going on, I felt I needed something short and fun and so I reached over, grabbed a Wodehouse book nearly at random (I was aware of the title and was fine with a book of that title being in my hand, but it was also the first book I got to so it's at least semi-random) and ended up with a book about a down-in-the-luck rich dude that's a little under-complicated, his love trysts, and his smarter-than-him butler who ends up sort of helping out...and it's not, surprising as this is, in any way about Jeeves or Wooster. I mean, it has a overblown squawking character named Gussie and a demanding aunt... It's...confusing. If you told me this was a Jeeves and Wooster book but Wodehouse didn't want to involve Wooster in a) actually having a job, b) actually being romantically involved however badly he bungles it, or c) involved in what is technically a crime/heist novel, I'd believe it. You could be lying to me, but I'd still believe it. I'm trusting like that.
Generally speaking, and I guess this is a mild spoiler, I'm not sure if I've ever read a Wodehouse novel where a conspiracy to hire a gunman to shoot one of the main characters is a major plot point. There have been a criminal elements in his books, sure, but I can't really think of one involving a criminal enterprise involving armed American gangsters and actual plotting of said criminal activities. It's kind of fun to have these darker elements in a novel that is 100% Wodehouse [even if Wodehouse ends up turning them into mostly cotton candy fluff] because the various interweaving schemes and plots and bad criminal masterminding and friendly criminals makes it feel like a humorous proto-Elmore-Leonard novel.
You have Mike Bond, who has inherited a beloved bank from a beloved uncle, and issues with the bank's money and plots and plans to try and cover the losses and you have a gentleman criminal posing as a butler and two romantic plots (sort of three, I guess) and bumbling policeman and various other Wodehouse elements. It ends up being a fun time with some actually sort of tense moments and mostly well-written passages, though maybe not quite up to Wodehouse in his prime as far as wordplay and poetry-on-the page goes. You do get a few gems and a few very humorous set-ups even if it mostly plays to a kind of mild as far as deep cuts of literary reference and such.
Really, the only real downfall of the entire novel is the ending, which isn't one. There is that sort of Dickensian ending where everything is fine [this is not a spoiler unless you have never heard of Wodehouse] but really, is it? Without going into greater [more spoiler-y] detail, I can't explain it, but very little is settled at the ending and everyone is probably going to jail and then some...but you could at least pretend it's a happy ending, I guess.
Overall, weaker Wodehouse than usual, but I enjoyed myself.
Generally speaking, and I guess this is a mild spoiler, I'm not sure if I've ever read a Wodehouse novel where a conspiracy to hire a gunman to shoot one of the main characters is a major plot point. There have been a criminal elements in his books, sure, but I can't really think of one involving a criminal enterprise involving armed American gangsters and actual plotting of said criminal activities. It's kind of fun to have these darker elements in a novel that is 100% Wodehouse [even if Wodehouse ends up turning them into mostly cotton candy fluff] because the various interweaving schemes and plots and bad criminal masterminding and friendly criminals makes it feel like a humorous proto-Elmore-Leonard novel.
You have Mike Bond, who has inherited a beloved bank from a beloved uncle, and issues with the bank's money and plots and plans to try and cover the losses and you have a gentleman criminal posing as a butler and two romantic plots (sort of three, I guess) and bumbling policeman and various other Wodehouse elements. It ends up being a fun time with some actually sort of tense moments and mostly well-written passages, though maybe not quite up to Wodehouse in his prime as far as wordplay and poetry-on-the page goes. You do get a few gems and a few very humorous set-ups even if it mostly plays to a kind of mild as far as deep cuts of literary reference and such.
Really, the only real downfall of the entire novel is the ending, which isn't one. There is that sort of Dickensian ending where everything is fine [this is not a spoiler unless you have never heard of Wodehouse] but really, is it? Without going into greater [more spoiler-y] detail, I can't explain it, but very little is settled at the ending and everyone is probably going to jail and then some...but you could at least pretend it's a happy ending, I guess.
Overall, weaker Wodehouse than usual, but I enjoyed myself.
July 11, 2015
I didn't start with very high expectations for this book. I assumed it just came about because Wodehouse thought the alliteration of the title was funny and so he wrote a book to go with it. This is not how I expect literature to develop.
I don't know what the origin of the story really was. But, my surprise satisfaction is similar to when I dismissed the idea that a movie based on a Disney ride could be any good. But I really liked Pirates of the Caribbean. Surprise enjoyment for this novel is about what I had for the movie just mentioned.
The book isn't as good as the Jeeves and Wooster or Castle Blandings stories. But, I would say it is as good as Laughing Gas, which I liked a lot.
I thought the story was laid out very nicely but was wound up too abruptly. I expected a couple of more twists to happen to get the heroes even deeper into the soup which would have made the resolution more satisfying. It didn`t happen but is still a very good book.
I don't know what the origin of the story really was. But, my surprise satisfaction is similar to when I dismissed the idea that a movie based on a Disney ride could be any good. But I really liked Pirates of the Caribbean. Surprise enjoyment for this novel is about what I had for the movie just mentioned.
The book isn't as good as the Jeeves and Wooster or Castle Blandings stories. But, I would say it is as good as Laughing Gas, which I liked a lot.
I thought the story was laid out very nicely but was wound up too abruptly. I expected a couple of more twists to happen to get the heroes even deeper into the soup which would have made the resolution more satisfying. It didn`t happen but is still a very good book.
April 8, 2014
Do Butlers Burgle Banks is a stand alone narrative - not being a part of any of Wodehouse's series. The style of narration is the author's typical - flawless language and inimitable humour - and is a quick read. The story unfolds in the manner of a blooming flower and unravels rapidly thereon. The characters were crafted meticulously as was the author's wont. The plot gradually lands into a hilarious imbroglio as the story reaches a crescendo, taking the reader along all the way. The style is Wodehouse's classic, the story telling is what we're used to from the author, but beats me how it still stands out. Has to be the genius. If you're a Wodehouse fan you'll love it; if you're not a Wodehouse fan, well, become one!
Not Wodehouse's best, but a pleasant read. Recommended.
Not Wodehouse's best, but a pleasant read. Recommended.
February 5, 2023
This was my first ever Wodehouse read and I'd say it was a long journey to turn the last page.
The book in itself is not difficult to understand, but the language got some time to get used to while every new chapter had a new character introduced which often was difficult to keep up with.
I'm not sure in which genre to categorize this — a heist, a mystery, a humour, a romance, an historical fiction — as it had a little bit of everything. If you're up for some 20th century version of a sitcom where there is always comedy in errors, then you should give this book a try.
The book in itself is not difficult to understand, but the language got some time to get used to while every new chapter had a new character introduced which often was difficult to keep up with.
I'm not sure in which genre to categorize this — a heist, a mystery, a humour, a romance, an historical fiction — as it had a little bit of everything. If you're up for some 20th century version of a sitcom where there is always comedy in errors, then you should give this book a try.
April 23, 2018
Even absent any of his recurring characters, Wodehouse can work wonders-- bringing his typically word-perfect wit and economy to a burglary caper that's got one hilarious mix-up after another. The ending is arguably a little over-extended, but on the whole, this is a smashing Wodehouse yarn, and one of my favorite of his stand-alone novels.
June 30, 2024
The perfect comedic read after a harrowing week. Delightfully absurd and absolutely hilarious. It has a pie baking secretary who stops criminals via umbrella whacking and delicious cooking - need I say more?
September 14, 2023
A quick and wholesome read about old English country houses and crooks with hearts of gold. My rating is based entirely on how much I enjoyed reading it, this random book bought from a Wheeler's stall in 1988 and donated to our Institute library that I happened to pick up, looking for a feel good read. Wheeler's is this book store chain found in Indian railway stations and somebody must have been looking for a light train read. So anyway, it delivered.
May 18, 2025
Good times.
May 21, 2025
Fun and lighthearted.
Read
August 27, 2025The plot is stronger than the humour in this one but overall it’s still a 👍🏼
December 21, 2025
What can go wrong when Wodehouse introduces a burglar posing as a butler into the banker’s home?
I had a few laughs with this one.
I had a few laughs with this one.
October 21, 2009
Do butlers burgle banks? One does, since he just so happens to be a criminal mastermind in disguise. The bank in question is owned by Mike Bond, who recently inherited it from his uncle Horace. With Mike ignoring his erstwhile love, Jill Willard, and gang members falling victim to revival meetings, hijinks are sure to ensue.
To be honest, this one was a little odd. It was fun, fluffy in the typical fluffy way of Wodehouse. But there were several jarring moments where I suddenly remembered that this book was actually published in 1968. Somehow the odd bits of modernity that crept in didn't mesh with the bucolic landscape or the general sense that the story was actually set in a much earlier era. And Mike doesn't have the appeal of either a Bertie Wooster or a Psmith, which does tend to handicap things a bit. A fun read, but probably not worth your while, unless you're a particularly devoted Wodehouse fan.
Book source: my school library
To be honest, this one was a little odd. It was fun, fluffy in the typical fluffy way of Wodehouse. But there were several jarring moments where I suddenly remembered that this book was actually published in 1968. Somehow the odd bits of modernity that crept in didn't mesh with the bucolic landscape or the general sense that the story was actually set in a much earlier era. And Mike doesn't have the appeal of either a Bertie Wooster or a Psmith, which does tend to handicap things a bit. A fun read, but probably not worth your while, unless you're a particularly devoted Wodehouse fan.
Book source: my school library
January 10, 2025
First of all, let it be known that I read almost all of this book while catapulting through the skies in a metal tube.
As for the book itself, I've never read P.G. Wodehouse before, but his style and sense of humor thoroughly charmed me. While I cannot condone burglary as such in reality, I'm somewhat of a sucker for thieves of the gentlemanly variety in fiction. Despite being crooked men, Horace Appleby and his two right hand men are as straight as they (thieves in general, that is) come. All in all, it was a lovely little story with a delightful cast of characters (umbrella wielding and generally imperturbable secretaries? yes, please) and also one of those good, everything-turns-out-just-peachy endings. Perhaps, I'm easily impressed, but this one is getting five stars, and I look forward to reading Wodehouse's more famous works.
As for the book itself, I've never read P.G. Wodehouse before, but his style and sense of humor thoroughly charmed me. While I cannot condone burglary as such in reality, I'm somewhat of a sucker for thieves of the gentlemanly variety in fiction. Despite being crooked men, Horace Appleby and his two right hand men are as straight as they (thieves in general, that is) come. All in all, it was a lovely little story with a delightful cast of characters (umbrella wielding and generally imperturbable secretaries? yes, please) and also one of those good, everything-turns-out-just-peachy endings. Perhaps, I'm easily impressed, but this one is getting five stars, and I look forward to reading Wodehouse's more famous works.
June 19, 2016
One of Wodehouse's late novels, from a period when his work was losing lustre. Chuckle-worthy but never uproarious, PGW seems to be merely going through the motions in this tale of a young banker in hot water and the gentlemanly gangster who comes to his rescue. Most of the jokes read like retreads, and his roundabout way of saying things seems (dare I say it) a little plodding. And yet, despite the tiredness of the writing style, this farce is superbly plotted, full of outrageous twists and turns.
Good fun.
Good fun.
February 5, 2019
What can I say about wodehouse books... he always amazes me... I usually feel any books of wodehouse which don’t contain jeeves or blandings characters may just be okish but it always proves me wrong.
Do butlers burgle banks was hilarious with a very good story line and a moral of how true love changes a man for good.
This book had all the ingredients of comedy usually found in wodehouse books , would highly recommend it to all
Do butlers burgle banks was hilarious with a very good story line and a moral of how true love changes a man for good.
This book had all the ingredients of comedy usually found in wodehouse books , would highly recommend it to all
June 24, 2017
A rather tired effort from Wodehouse about a gang trying to rob a bank that is deep in the red. Some of the characters are sketched out in depth, especially the butler of the title. But the storyline becomes a little unbelievable towards the end, even for a Wodehouse novel, and the book barely salvages it.
August 10, 2011
I like Wodehouse. This one isn't quite up to standard. His Jeeves and Wooster books are much better. Two and a half stars.
January 12, 2013
A very light, entertaining morsel. I've never read any Wodehouse; this won't be my last. Chicago fans, take note: two Chicago gangsters play parts in this farce.
February 4, 2015
Not top-notch Wodehouse in my opinion but still laugh-out-loud material. Wonderfully ludicrous. :)
February 27, 2019
Un romanzo corale divertentissimo, con lo stile di una commedia degli equivoci anni '20 (anche se è uno degli ultimi romanzi di Wodehouse), ambientato nella campagna inglese del Worcestershire, ma con personaggi che starebbero bene ovunque.
Horace Appleby è a capo di una piccola organizzazione di ladri che pianificano i colpi grazie alla sua abilità di trasformarsi in... un maggiordomo. Lui riesce a farsi assumere in grandi dimore signorili al posto del maggiordomo titolare, corrompendolo e spacciandosi per il di lui cugino, poi si prende un po' di tempo per fare il punto della situazione in casa, dopodiché fa entrare in azione i suoi complici, che svaligiano la casa dei gioielli più preziosi, di cui conoscono minuziosamente la dislocazione (grazie alla soffiata del maggiordomo).
Questa volta, però, il colpo non dovrà avvenire in casa, bensì nella banca del suo datore di lavoro, Mike Bond.
Ma Mike ha dei problemi gravissimi da affrontare: suo zio Hugo (a cui è intitolato praticamente ogni edificio del villaggio) era tanto prodigale da aver elargito tutti i suoi fondi personali ed essersi spinto addirittura all'appropriazione indebita dalla sua stessa banca; la banca che ha ereditato da lui è al collasso, e adesso che stanno per arrivare gli ispettori da Londra, Mike teme di non poter affrontare la situazione e di dover finire in prigione.
Jill, l'infermiera della vispissima zia Isobel, costretta a letto per via di una gamba rotta dovuta a un recente incidente automobilistico (Miss Bond era una di quelle vecchie signore penetranti che ben presto riescono a scoprire tutto), è innamorata di Mike, e crede che anche lui ricambi, ma di recente lo vede turbato. Quando Jill scopre cosa è accaduto, ne informa Ada, la segretaria di Mike - che nel frattempo ha ricevuto una proposta di matrimonio da Appleby - e le due amiche decidono che la cosa migliore da fare è... svaligiare la banca (anche loro!)
Tra furfanti che si pentono e vengono presi dall'ardore religioso, gangster americani dal grilletto facile, saccenti rappresentanti di Scotland Yard che tormentano tranquilli sovrintendenti di campagna, ottusi amministratori di banca, il romanzo è una scoppiettante commedia, piena di colpi di scena e di personaggi esilaranti.
È il primo romanzo di Wodehouse che leggo, ma adesso ho proprio voglia di leggere la serie di Jeeves, che pare essere addirittura più divertente.
Horace Appleby è a capo di una piccola organizzazione di ladri che pianificano i colpi grazie alla sua abilità di trasformarsi in... un maggiordomo. Lui riesce a farsi assumere in grandi dimore signorili al posto del maggiordomo titolare, corrompendolo e spacciandosi per il di lui cugino, poi si prende un po' di tempo per fare il punto della situazione in casa, dopodiché fa entrare in azione i suoi complici, che svaligiano la casa dei gioielli più preziosi, di cui conoscono minuziosamente la dislocazione (grazie alla soffiata del maggiordomo).
Questa volta, però, il colpo non dovrà avvenire in casa, bensì nella banca del suo datore di lavoro, Mike Bond.
Ma Mike ha dei problemi gravissimi da affrontare: suo zio Hugo (a cui è intitolato praticamente ogni edificio del villaggio) era tanto prodigale da aver elargito tutti i suoi fondi personali ed essersi spinto addirittura all'appropriazione indebita dalla sua stessa banca; la banca che ha ereditato da lui è al collasso, e adesso che stanno per arrivare gli ispettori da Londra, Mike teme di non poter affrontare la situazione e di dover finire in prigione.
Jill, l'infermiera della vispissima zia Isobel, costretta a letto per via di una gamba rotta dovuta a un recente incidente automobilistico (Miss Bond era una di quelle vecchie signore penetranti che ben presto riescono a scoprire tutto), è innamorata di Mike, e crede che anche lui ricambi, ma di recente lo vede turbato. Quando Jill scopre cosa è accaduto, ne informa Ada, la segretaria di Mike - che nel frattempo ha ricevuto una proposta di matrimonio da Appleby - e le due amiche decidono che la cosa migliore da fare è... svaligiare la banca (anche loro!)
Tra furfanti che si pentono e vengono presi dall'ardore religioso, gangster americani dal grilletto facile, saccenti rappresentanti di Scotland Yard che tormentano tranquilli sovrintendenti di campagna, ottusi amministratori di banca, il romanzo è una scoppiettante commedia, piena di colpi di scena e di personaggi esilaranti.
È il primo romanzo di Wodehouse che leggo, ma adesso ho proprio voglia di leggere la serie di Jeeves, che pare essere addirittura più divertente.
November 17, 2023
Mediocre late Wodehouse that is redeemed by a far more imaginative and better-executed plot than one usually finds in Wodehouse novels published after 1960. The titular butler is also the leader of a gang of robbers, though since it's Wodehouse they are gentlemanly thieves who don't use guns: usually they target country houses, but decide to expand to a bank. The twist is that the bank, owned by our protagonist, Mike Bond, is threatened with insolvency: a robbery would be just what it needs. Alternatively, Mike is up for a large insurance payout if he is shot but not killed: though less than enthusiastic about this option, he might be forced to adopt it. The smooth-talking butler-burglar makes for a nice change, and though the rest of the characters are mostly stock Wodehouse players the plotting is deft enough that it wouldn't be out of place in one of Wodehouse's best books. A rare late Wodehouse novel that I would recommend, though not until after you read all of the earlier ones, of course.
November 21, 2021
My November Challenge was 'A Comedy'. Wodehouse is the obvious choice, and was there even any other contender?! 😂😂
Something about this book struck me as different from others I have read by him, and I have read a lot by him so far, but definitely not yet scratched the surface. I think what felt 'different' was that this set of characters were all total strangers to me!! If you're familiar with Wodehouse's work, then you know that many of his stories have characters that cross other books and appear in other's stories. This was a complete stand alone for me, and I think that's what I felt was different!! 😂 Still the same enjoyable Wodehouse scenarios. New faces that will no longer be new, as I'm sure I will be rereading this again soon!!! 😁
Something about this book struck me as different from others I have read by him, and I have read a lot by him so far, but definitely not yet scratched the surface. I think what felt 'different' was that this set of characters were all total strangers to me!! If you're familiar with Wodehouse's work, then you know that many of his stories have characters that cross other books and appear in other's stories. This was a complete stand alone for me, and I think that's what I felt was different!! 😂 Still the same enjoyable Wodehouse scenarios. New faces that will no longer be new, as I'm sure I will be rereading this again soon!!! 😁
December 6, 2021
Do Butlers Burgle Banks? The short answer is, yes. For a longer answer, I would highly recommend spending time in the English countryside town of Wellingford, home to Bonds Bank, and the happenings in Mallow Hall, a short two mile away from Wellingford. Despite featuring misunderstandings between lovers, a somewhat overbearing Aunt, this is not a typical Wodehousean comedy, thanks largely to Horace Appleby, the butler with an impeccable character that you find yourself rooting for, while taking a dim view law enforcement, especially vacationing Scotland Yard detectives. As usual, Wodehouse succeeds in providing many a chuckle, and an occasional guffaw in Do Burlers Burgle Banks? even if the plot is far from having the usual complexity he typically knits.
May 2, 2020
A late Wodehouse, but a good fun read.
I missed the zinger one-liners, those wonderful similes that seemed so effortless in his great books. The plot, however, is the great joy; he didn’t lose the ability to create a whole realm of plots and sub-plots and keep all the plates spinning. I won’t try and summarise, others have done that, and it doesn’t convey the enjoyment. It did a little while to get all the prices in place, but from about page 80 onwards, it fairly zipped along. In reality, it’s a 3.5, but I had to round down as 4 stars would give the impression that it is a good Wodehouse, rather a weaker one. But then weaker Wodehouse is better than most.
I missed the zinger one-liners, those wonderful similes that seemed so effortless in his great books. The plot, however, is the great joy; he didn’t lose the ability to create a whole realm of plots and sub-plots and keep all the plates spinning. I won’t try and summarise, others have done that, and it doesn’t convey the enjoyment. It did a little while to get all the prices in place, but from about page 80 onwards, it fairly zipped along. In reality, it’s a 3.5, but I had to round down as 4 stars would give the impression that it is a good Wodehouse, rather a weaker one. But then weaker Wodehouse is better than most.
January 31, 2021
A late-stage work by P.G. Wodehouse, so this feels a little incongruous with references to FBI drama on television and the use of the word "damned" dotted throughout the text. Otherwise it's business as usual, with a Jeeves-style butler with a criminal background attempting to rob a bank. The slight story is made a lot more complex by a tight little cast of the usual quirky and well-rounded humorous characters, most of whom are quite lovable. Wodehouse spends his book getting to the 'heist' at the climax, and it doesn't disappoint, although it's tied up at the very end a little too neatly for my liking. It's not as good as his earlier classics but it's still a fun and likeable read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews