Wodehouse cracks me up discussion

One of the great things about P.G. Wodehouse is the fact that he didn't stick to just one or two collections of characters. He had a whole world's worth! And sometimes they even paid visits to each other. To name but a few examples, Jeeves and Wooster, Blandings Castle, the Psmith stories, the tall tales of Mr. Mulliner, the golf adventures featuring the Oldest Member and the various school settings where cricket is played and teachers are ragged. What's your favorite?

I think I speak for many when I say that I like the Jeeves and Wooster series best (it's Bertie's narration that sells it for me!), but the more obscure Mulliner stories are equally funny, and certainly loaded down with everything we love about Wodehouse.

The Jeeves and Wooster books introduced me to Wodehouse but I prefer the Blandings Castle series. I think the plots have more variety and are more intricate.

Dan wrote: "The Jeeves and Wooster books introduced me to Wodehouse but I prefer the Blandings Castle series. I think the plots have more variety and are more intricate."

What?! Blandings over Jeeves/Wooster? Your preferences are incorrect, sir, and your talk is of the crazy variety! ....I kid of course, but I am surprised to hear you say that, I guess only because I've loved the Jeeves and Wooster stories I've read so very much and have only read one Blandings story. Guess I need to fix that.

Even though I don't play golf, the oldest member stories are probably my favourites at the moment.

For me, the Blandings books are the Wodehouse style taken to the next level. While I miss Bertie as a narrator, the ensemble cast makes up for it.

In terms of books rather than stories, I just couldn't choose between Blandings and Bertie. It probably depends on which I last read :D.
I love the fact that you can buy the short stories in omnibus form now. Having all the Mulliner stories, or all the oldest member stories gathered into one volume is just magic.

I'd have to vote for the Jeeves stories, and I think it's partly because I first read them at about the age of twelve, and have been re-reading them ever since. I didn't come across Emsworth until later. My father introduced the Jeeves stories to me, and I've passed on the favour by introducing my daughters to them, and they love them too (or they tell me they do). As a golfer, my next pick would be the Oldest Member's tales. With players distracted by the noise of butterflies in an adjoining field, or who are held up by the 'Wrecking Crew' playing up ahead, he homes in repeatedly on the beautiful absurdity of the game. Only John Updike in 'Golf Dreams' comes close.

I must say I love Wooster and Jeeves, of course!!! But I love me some Blandings!!!! I mean, how nutty can you get?? lol

So right now I am focusing on reading all of the Jeeves and Wooster stories in what I believe is close to chronological order. What series would you all recommend I start collecting next?

I LOVE the Blandings books!!! They are so crazy! And there is a huge cast of nutty characters to choose from!!!

Alex: Try Psmith, Mr. Mulliner or The Oldest Member (golf stories; first volume is called "The Clicking of Cuthbert"). Blandings is good too, but as it's a somewhat expansive series you might want to start with something shorter.

Before you leave Jeeves & Bertie, read Whimsy & Soda!

I would condemn you as a spammer if this didn't sound so hilarious. The only other Wodehouse parody collection I'm aware of is Scream for Jeeves.

I'm half a spammer. But there's a great story behind this collection: The Wodehouse Estate tried to stop me from publishing it. I prevailed, though! So now one and everyone can enjoy... well, I'll leave it at that.

It's funny; I heard about your book's legal battle, and about a week ago the Wodehouse estate announced that they'd commissioned some chappie to write an authorized Jeeves sequel! Now I wonder what made them realize there was a market for non-Wodehouse Wodehouse...

I read about that too (of course), Allie. And I got a good bit of email from friends and others asking, "What does this mean for you/W&S?"

The answer is: Nothing (unless the renewed/additional interest in PGW and B&J sends people looking for more to read). But it's exactly because the Estate wants to be able to decide who can [*ahem*] carry on where PGW left off that they need to police parodies. That said, parody is notoriously difficult to curb. And my stories are unquestionably parodic.

I wrote a piece about my legal wrangling with the Estate: "I Beg to Differ, Sir."

I guess I'm lucky I didn't go forward with Psmith, Detective then.

Allie, do you happen to have a link to the Wodehouse estate's announcement of an authorized Jeeves sequel?

Dan wrote: "I guess I'm lucky I didn't go forward with Psmith, Detective then.

Allie, do you happen to have a link to the Wodehouse estate's announcement of an authorized Jeeves sequel?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/...

"Jeeves and the Wedding Bells", though! Good grief, is Bertie finally going to get hitched? That sounds stranger than the situations in "Whimsey and Soda" by about ten million miles.

Thanks, Allie.

IIRC, Bertie married Bobbie Wickham in the Jeeves biography by C. Northcote Parkinson.

If the Wodehouse estate authorizes more, I'd love to see a crossover novel where Bertie goes to Blandings to swipe something and lets the Empress loose for some reason.

Dan wrote: "Thanks, Allie.

IIRC, Bertie married Bobbie Wickham in the Jeeves biography by C. Northcote Parkinson.

If the Wodehouse estate authorizes more, I'd love to see a crossover novel where Bertie goes ..."

I always knew it would be Bobbie, if anyone.

Honestly, I wish Wodehouse had written more Psmith. I understand he married the monocled madman off to get him out of the way, but the addition of Eve wouldn't have been a hindrance to Psmith's adventures; the girl can scheme with the best of 'em!

Definitely more Psmith!

The Blandings books.

Hard to choose, but I'd have to say the Jeeves and Wooster series, probably because (a) these are my two all-time favorite characters, and (b) nobody can tell a story like our Bertie. But I also love the Blandings series and the Mulliner series. And of course, the Uncle Fred Saga. And then there's Psmith---Psmith is a hoot! Wonder if Psmith ever encountered Bertie at the Drones? If so, it'd be interesting to know what the two of them talked about and what were their impressions of each other...?

Blandings books are my favorite. The characters are all hysterical and the setting is glorious.

Definitely the Mike and Psmith books.

Bertie Wooster and Jeeves.Blandings Castle is a distant second and I'm not fond of Psmith.