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P.G. Wodehouse Volume 2: The Blandings Collection
Audible Studios presents the second volume of the best-selling PG Wodehouse collection. In this volume, Stephen Fry lends his voice to the Blandings stories.
This collection contains:
Summer Lightning
Heavy Weather
Blandings Castle and Elsewhere
Lord Emsworth and Others
Uncle Fred in the Spring Time
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and all-round national treasure. Whilst at university, Fry became involved with the Cambridge Footlights, where he met his long-time collaborator and friend, Hugh Laurie. As half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. Fry’s acting roles include Blackadder, Kingdom, Bones, V for Vendetta, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Hobbit trilogy. He has written and presented several documentary series and as a proudly out gay man, the award-winning Out There, documenting the lives of lesbian, bisexual gay and transgender people around the world is part of his 30-year advocacy of the rights of the LGBT community. Fry has written four novels: The Liar, The Hippopotamus (made in to a feature film in 2018), Making History and The Stars’ Tennis Balls. Translated into many languages, they have never been out of print. The most recently published works are Mythos, Heroes and Troy, a trilogy retelling the Greeks myths from the Creation to the aftermath of the Trojan War.
Length: 45 hours and 27 minutes
Public Domain (P)2021 Audible, Ltd
This collection contains:
Summer Lightning
Heavy Weather
Blandings Castle and Elsewhere
Lord Emsworth and Others
Uncle Fred in the Spring Time
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and all-round national treasure. Whilst at university, Fry became involved with the Cambridge Footlights, where he met his long-time collaborator and friend, Hugh Laurie. As half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. Fry’s acting roles include Blackadder, Kingdom, Bones, V for Vendetta, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Hobbit trilogy. He has written and presented several documentary series and as a proudly out gay man, the award-winning Out There, documenting the lives of lesbian, bisexual gay and transgender people around the world is part of his 30-year advocacy of the rights of the LGBT community. Fry has written four novels: The Liar, The Hippopotamus (made in to a feature film in 2018), Making History and The Stars’ Tennis Balls. Translated into many languages, they have never been out of print. The most recently published works are Mythos, Heroes and Troy, a trilogy retelling the Greeks myths from the Creation to the aftermath of the Trojan War.
Length: 45 hours and 27 minutes
Public Domain (P)2021 Audible, Ltd
46 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2021
34 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
P.G. Wodehouse
1,547 books6,955 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).
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 8, 2024
Summer Lightning is one of my favorite of the Blanding Castle books. I'm reading it along with the Close Reads podcast. Picking up this Blandings collection read so wonderfully by Stephen Fry brings home once again how brilliant P.G. Wodehouse's writing is. Just beautifully expressed, delightfully zany, and - more than anything - hilarious.
July 30, 2023
This was enjoyable to listen to. Like with all collections I enjoyed some stories more than others. I also took breaks when it got too repetetive on similar characters and plots. However, it was really nice to have these stories grouped together as I don't think I would've delved into his writing any other way.
So highly recemmend, if you are interested in the author or like listening to Stephen Fry.
So highly recemmend, if you are interested in the author or like listening to Stephen Fry.
August 15, 2021
While the novels about Blandings castle and its potty, as the Duke of Dunstable puts it, or, more benevolently put, eccentric inhabitants never entertained me quite the way Bertie Wooster and his antics do, I did thoroughly enjoy this collection of Blandings stories, lovingly narrated by Stephen Fry (whose love for the author and his works, in fact, got me started on Wodehouse). This collection contains:
Summer Lightning ~ 3 stars for the story
Heavy Weather ~ 3 stars for the story
Blandings Castle and Elsewhere ~ 3 stars for the stories
Lord Emsworth and Others ~ 3 stars for the stories
Uncle Fred in the Spring Time ~ all the stars in the world for the story
Luckily for me, this last one happens to me my favorite Wodehouse book (so far), and one of my all-time favorite books, so I will always return to this collection for it alone. The narration did more than make up for the stories I enjoyed less than others, and all in all 45 and a half hours well spent!
Summer Lightning ~ 3 stars for the story
Heavy Weather ~ 3 stars for the story
Blandings Castle and Elsewhere ~ 3 stars for the stories
Lord Emsworth and Others ~ 3 stars for the stories
Uncle Fred in the Spring Time ~ all the stars in the world for the story
Luckily for me, this last one happens to me my favorite Wodehouse book (so far), and one of my all-time favorite books, so I will always return to this collection for it alone. The narration did more than make up for the stories I enjoyed less than others, and all in all 45 and a half hours well spent!
October 17, 2023
I always feel a little bit cheated that a collection like this only counts as ONE book on GoodReads when actually it's lots and lots of books. Then I remember that GoodReads targets don't actually mean anything, Tansy, don't overthink these things!
This is a fabulous audiobook. I've been listening to it on and off for the last month or more. Stephen Fry's narration is lovely, not least because a) no one is more English! and b) it's a more subtle read than I might have expected, what with all the character voices, so it definitely felt like it was more of a celebration of Wodehouse's text than it was a Stephen!Fry!Performance! if that makes sense.
The books!
I enjoyed Summer Lightning very much, in a similar mode to the first couple of Blandings novels I'd read elsewhere, but with new characters I became quickly attached to, especially poor old Sue Brown, and the marvellous Gally Threepwood (who in my head is Leslie Phillips).
I wasn't expecting Heavy Weather to be such a close sequel, and was pleased for the adventures to basically carry on into a whole new volume.
But then, the short stories! I'd delved into the Blandings TV series too soon, and didn't realise how much of it really WAS based on the books until I got up to Blandings Castle & Elsewhere, which had some wonderful, funny, character-rich stories and very much formed THE Blandings I saw in the TV show. (I had wondered a bit why there weren't more chorus girls)
I will admit, I mostly skipped the stories from the 'elsewhere' part of the book, as I was very much set on the whole Blandings thing and not open-minded enough to trot anywhere else. I'll return to these another time!
Ditto "Lord Emsworth & Others" which only had one Blandings story but it was the EXCELLENT "The Crime Wave at Blandings" which I enjoyed heartily.
I wasn't sure about the whole Uncle Fredness of it all with the final "Uncle Fred in Springtime," but after witnessing poor old Pongo chase his terrible confidence trickster uncle around Blandings and, well, elsewhere, I am all for this series and will be chasing down the other stories at full speed.
I particularly liked getting to meet poor old Bosham, stuffy older brother of Freddie, whom I'd never seen on the page before as he was only ever referred to in previous stories. What a lamb! Fascinating character, the sort that could easily be written off as an idiot, but hampered by being slightly more intelligent than everyone expects. I enjoyed him great.
And that's it... I collapse. Blandings stories read by not-Stephen Fry are going to be a terrible disappointment in future, I fear. But I press on! (COMPLETIONIST)
This is a fabulous audiobook. I've been listening to it on and off for the last month or more. Stephen Fry's narration is lovely, not least because a) no one is more English! and b) it's a more subtle read than I might have expected, what with all the character voices, so it definitely felt like it was more of a celebration of Wodehouse's text than it was a Stephen!Fry!Performance! if that makes sense.
The books!
I enjoyed Summer Lightning very much, in a similar mode to the first couple of Blandings novels I'd read elsewhere, but with new characters I became quickly attached to, especially poor old Sue Brown, and the marvellous Gally Threepwood (who in my head is Leslie Phillips).
I wasn't expecting Heavy Weather to be such a close sequel, and was pleased for the adventures to basically carry on into a whole new volume.
But then, the short stories! I'd delved into the Blandings TV series too soon, and didn't realise how much of it really WAS based on the books until I got up to Blandings Castle & Elsewhere, which had some wonderful, funny, character-rich stories and very much formed THE Blandings I saw in the TV show. (I had wondered a bit why there weren't more chorus girls)
I will admit, I mostly skipped the stories from the 'elsewhere' part of the book, as I was very much set on the whole Blandings thing and not open-minded enough to trot anywhere else. I'll return to these another time!
Ditto "Lord Emsworth & Others" which only had one Blandings story but it was the EXCELLENT "The Crime Wave at Blandings" which I enjoyed heartily.
I wasn't sure about the whole Uncle Fredness of it all with the final "Uncle Fred in Springtime," but after witnessing poor old Pongo chase his terrible confidence trickster uncle around Blandings and, well, elsewhere, I am all for this series and will be chasing down the other stories at full speed.
I particularly liked getting to meet poor old Bosham, stuffy older brother of Freddie, whom I'd never seen on the page before as he was only ever referred to in previous stories. What a lamb! Fascinating character, the sort that could easily be written off as an idiot, but hampered by being slightly more intelligent than everyone expects. I enjoyed him great.
And that's it... I collapse. Blandings stories read by not-Stephen Fry are going to be a terrible disappointment in future, I fear. But I press on! (COMPLETIONIST)
December 30, 2021
Stephen Fry is wonderful narrator. I love Wodehouse, but I didn't care for all the silly nephews.
August 2, 2022
4.5*
Not the complete Blandings series but much of it. Stephen Fry does a great job narrating (rivals my favorite Wodehouse narrator Jonathan Cecil!).
Not the complete Blandings series but much of it. Stephen Fry does a great job narrating (rivals my favorite Wodehouse narrator Jonathan Cecil!).
October 31, 2023
7 Aug 23: finished "Summer Lightning," the first story in this collection. BRILLIANT. Vies for "Code of the Woosters" as perhaps my favorite PGW of all time...
31 Oct 23: listened to "Heavy Weather," the next book in this collection. Also fantastic.
31 Oct 23: listened to "Heavy Weather," the next book in this collection. Also fantastic.
October 6, 2021
The performance of Stephen Fry is as usual top notch, pure delight and what will you. The mix of eccentric or downright potty characters and comedy of multiple errors in multiple layers is laugh out loud funny and the language is pure mastery making you actually really grateful that these sentences exist because they are bloody perfect.
The last book however has aged really badly. There is some very real discomfort in listening about blackface incidents told about so casually and oh so haha funny. There is real anger when you listen to a tale glorifying stalking as true romantic love of a hapless little chap sending detectives after his girlfriend because the said chap doesn't trust her. When the girl sent him packing (in no uncertain terms and with usual wodehousian flair I might add) I rejoiced quietly. This being Wodehouse a reunion is of course inevitable so...
Yes, I realize these were different times and the discomfort is actually giving reasons to slight hope for changes really happening; nonetheless it is discomfort and therefore 4 stars it gets, especially when compared with Jeeves volume.
The last book however has aged really badly. There is some very real discomfort in listening about blackface incidents told about so casually and oh so haha funny. There is real anger when you listen to a tale glorifying stalking as true romantic love of a hapless little chap sending detectives after his girlfriend because the said chap doesn't trust her. When the girl sent him packing (in no uncertain terms and with usual wodehousian flair I might add) I rejoiced quietly. This being Wodehouse a reunion is of course inevitable so...
Yes, I realize these were different times and the discomfort is actually giving reasons to slight hope for changes really happening; nonetheless it is discomfort and therefore 4 stars it gets, especially when compared with Jeeves volume.
August 6, 2021
Stephen Fry is the perfect narrator for P.G. Wodehouse. The characters, similar to those in the Jeeves and Wooster collection, are of their time and, I admit some of the situations made me wince a little, BUT The Empress of Blandings has to be one of the best, (non-speaking) characters in literature. I laughed out loud at the nonsense and chaos that wove about her as she remained serene. Loved it!
Read
February 2, 2022DNF. I actually returned this book on Audible. I preferred Fry's narration of the HP series over Jim Dale's, so it never occurred to me that I would have a problem with his Wodehouse narration, especially given that he played Jeeves in the TV series. Unfortunately, I found this version difficult to follow. I'm still interested in Wodehouse's Blandings books, but I'll focus on the offerings read by Jonathan Cecil or Frederick Davidson.
August 17, 2024
As a bit of fun and games, this second volume of P.G. Wodehouse's work isn't quite as good as the first one but still provided me with significant relief and entertainment on the tedious daily commute on the tube.
The new presence of the "Empress of Blanding", a prize pig, takes up many of the pages and the shennanigans are as entertaining as you would expect. Like watching a short comedy show this is great for a light laugh, if slightly dated and tedious after a while.
The new presence of the "Empress of Blanding", a prize pig, takes up many of the pages and the shennanigans are as entertaining as you would expect. Like watching a short comedy show this is great for a light laugh, if slightly dated and tedious after a while.
April 21, 2025
British humour at its finest. I chose this in audiobook as narrated by the wonderful Stephen Fry, who made this a five star. The stories were amusing, lighthearted, all centred around one large family who reside at Blandings Castle. Set around the 1920s and later. The stories were four star. Stephen Frys narration made it a solid five stars. It’s lengthy but worth it and if you enjoy this, you’ll really enjoy Stephen Fry narration of Jeeves and Wooster.
August 31, 2021
The narration is brilliant, but I found the collection a bit disjointed compared to the excellent Jeeves Collection. You can clearly see the influence of Wodehouse's time in Hollywood, and the break it caused in his Blandings stories. There simply isn't the natural flow of his other collections.
Worth a listen to once, but it's not a collection I will go back to time and again unfortunately.
Worth a listen to once, but it's not a collection I will go back to time and again unfortunately.
May 29, 2023
A collection of stories from the Jeeves and Wooster era with a few overlapping minor characters. Some are Blandings stories and they are probably the best of the bunch. Most center around some dandy or other trying to marry or get the attention of a woman. The story lines can get a bit tedious so I broke up listening over a long period of times between other audiobooks
February 27, 2024
This audio collection of six books by Wodehouse is a delight. The first books are Blandings itself, the next Blandings adjacent, and the last Blandings through other characters. Stephen Fry brings absolutely every character to life, and in his care the author’s language sounds ideal.
August 8, 2021
I wasn't familiar with these the way I was with Jeeves. the last story has blackface and there are other instances of dated racist language. overall it made good enough background
February 3, 2022
Good old Blanding Castle tales, marred by the intrusion of some unrelated short stories
January 30, 2023
I'm listening to this for the second time, Stephen Fry is perfect narrator for this collection,
March 28, 2023
It is hard to beat the awesome dialogue and clever situations that always humorously resolve with a great flourish. P.G Wodehouse is masterful.
December 9, 2023
The combination of Stephen Fry's narration and P.G Wodehouse's funny characters is magical
March 7, 2024
Silly fun. Listening to Stephen Fry is always a treat.
September 3, 2024
This will always be a comfort read for me. P G Wodehouse is always the gift that keeps on giving.
December 10, 2024
Just as good as Volume 1!
December 17, 2024
I just don’t like any of the characters! They lack Jeeves’ nobility and Woosters’ innocence.
October 24, 2025
A fabulous collection of entertaining stories narrated by Stephen Fry - what more could you want? Lots of fun stories with great characters - the 45 hours flew!
December 11, 2025
To quote the dear author himself- “A veritable storehouse of diverting anecdote!”
Such a delight to listen to Stephen Fry read these absolutely delightful and hilarious stories by PG Wodehouse.
Such a delight to listen to Stephen Fry read these absolutely delightful and hilarious stories by PG Wodehouse.
January 15, 2026
Four starts for Blandings Castle entries; only two for the Hollywood and golf stories
December 30, 2024
PG Wodehouse and Stephen Fry are a deadly combination. Sadly the Blandings stories are not as well-known as the Jeeves and Wooster stories. The TV show was fairly brief and not easy to find.
I'm not a fan of audiobooks generally, but with Stephen's beautiful voice in my ears, and images from the TV show in my mind, this one was a real pleasure.
I'm not a fan of audiobooks generally, but with Stephen's beautiful voice in my ears, and images from the TV show in my mind, this one was a real pleasure.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews