Oct 15, 2011 05:04 PM
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(Updated Oct 15, 2011 05:49 PM)
‘Something Fresh’ is not my first tryst with the writing of great comic writer P G Wodehouse. It was, infact, his lesser known work ‘The Essence of Kay’ that I started with, and I almost felt dejected after reading it, infact left it midway. It’s okay okay kind of work and in no way qualified PGW to be the greatest humorist writer as we know him to be. Then, one fine day, in a discussion with Deepak, @deepk27, guided me to the best book with which I should start PGW. ‘Something Fresh’ changed my opinion altogether and now I have no hesitation in calling PGW, “The Greatest Humor Writer”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (PGW) requires no introduction. He is the creator of famous series of Jeevesand Blandings Castle novels and short stories. Loved by all, PGW has his own class of writing which is very witty, very humors and very simple at the same time. God only know, how many people he might have helped in prolonging their lives with his humors writing. In a career spanning close to 70 years of successful writing PGW wrote many novels, short stories, plays, poems, songs and pieces of journalism. He is being named by many to be the greatest and most successful comic writer ever.
ABOUT THE STORY: Lord Emsworth, Earl of Blanding Castle is an absent-minded old man who is looking forward to marry his younger son Hon. Freddie Threepwood (Freddie) to daughter of Preston Peters. Preston Peters,father of Aline, is an American millionaire who after retirement has moved to London. He is a fanatic collector of Scarabs (Egyptian Hieroglyphs). He is suffering from constant dyspepsia that mostly keeps him annoyed. Aline Peters is Mr. Peter’s obedient daughter, who wants to keep her father happy; even if that means eating dull food prescribed, actually, to her father just to inspire him; or to marry the man of his choice though she loves someone else. George Emerson loves Aline truly-deeply-madly and is very determined to marry her, he knows she loves him too but is under the pressure of her father to marry Freddie. Joan Valentine - Aline’s childhood friend and Freddie’s past love interest – has had a hard life and is on lookout for a life changing opportunity. She writes for HOME GOSSIP and hates it and has just formed a friendship with Ashe. Ashe Marson, just like Joan, is a writer but of detective tales of Gridley Quayle and he hates his vocation too. He is also waiting to grab the very first opportunity to make it big in the big bad world. He likes Joan and is on the verge of falling in love with her. Hon. Freddie Threepwood (Freddie), a big fool of a man (but most interesting character in the book alongside Lord Emsworth), is marrying Aline but don’t know why. He thinks Joan still has his love letters, and using them might sue him for the case of Breach-of-promise that may result in broken marriage, so hires greedy R Jones to recover those letters.
Now, one fine day, on a lunch visit to Peters - wherein Mr. Peters’ to show Lord Emsworth his rare collection of scarabs – Lord Emsworth, due to his sheer forgetfulness, helps himself to a rare and valuable Scarab. Now Mr. Peters is under the notion that Lord has stolen the Scarab knowingly, but he can’t claim it openly as it might harm the marriage. So, Mr. Peters declares a prize of thousand pounds to who so ever help him to repossess his Scarab. Ashe and Joan, in their own way, come to know of this fact and take it as the opportunity they have been waiting for so dRajeev_Vermarately. They both turn up, as imposters at the marriage ceremony in Blanding Castle. George Emerson also finds a way to Blandings but his only determined intent is to win Aline, the DDLJ style (might be the one that inspired Aditya Chopra). R Jones, who somehow comes to know of the 1000 pound deal, is also at Blanding, very secretly, and has a brilliant plan at hand to steal the Scarab.
So, here we are at Blanding’s, on the occasion of engagement ceremony of Freddie and Aline. There are number of imposters, some known and some unknown even to the reader, to lift the precious scarab from the Blanding’s Museum. Here I think, Oh, How I can miss him! Mr. Baxter, the Excellent Rupert Baxterof the Blanding’s! They say ‘Nothing can move in or out of Blanding’s Castle’ without Mr. Baxter knowing of it’. He is the, intelligent, smart secretary of Lord Emsworth who is there to take care of everything in the Castle as if they are his own. He is the real challenge the imposters have to face to get hold of the Scarab.
So, do they succeed, under the very watchful eyes of Mr. Baxter? Will Emerson, who has nothing to do with Scarab business, win his love against all odds. Read ‘Something Fresh’ to get the answers along with an amazing experience filled with laughs, laughs and even more laughs.
ABOUT THE BOOK : Published first in 1914, ‘Something Fresh’ is the first major work of PGW and as said earlier provided him with name, fame and money at the same time. Along with the writing career of PGW, it’s also the beginning of series, affectionately called by author himself as ‘The Blandings Castle Saga’. It gave the world, unforgettable characters of Lord Emsworth, his son Freddie and others at Blanding’s.
Book is close to 240 pages long. It starts slowly, with initial 100 pages devoted to the build up of plot as well as the characters. I feel, the genius of PGW lies in the way he has covered up each of his character; in terms of their background, their habits and their attiMr_customtakeouters. Even those lengthy descriptions are filled with enough wittiness to keep you in a laughing mode. And once the launch pad is set, and all the characters gather at Blanding’s for the ceremony, ‘Something Fresh’ is a laugh riot, filled with more than enough coincidences and confusions, till the very last page. During all those laughing moments, PGW never loses the grip on the mystery factor and the reader who, just like Ashe and Joan, believes himself to be very much sure that they’ll succeed in stealing the Scarab; finds himself shocked and surprised when someone else turns out to be the doer. Two love stories, which run in parallel without disturbing the humor and mystery, add another interesting aspect to the tale.
There are some 15-20 pages, in between, that are completely devoted to the description of work force (chefs, servants etc) of the Blanding’s which, in way, distract the reader from the main plot. But nothing you can do, as that’s essential, as they play quite a role in the climax.
LAST WORDS: ‘Something Fresh’ is written in very simple and witty language with a plot that’s still very appealing. It has many interesting and well-formed characters and could be a good book for budding writers to learn how to introduce and build up characters in a story. It is filled with many funny moments and none of them ever seem out of proportion. And since it’s the first book by the author as well as the first one in the series of ‘Life at Blandings’; it’s a perfect one to embark on the journey in to the hilarious world of PGW. I strongly recommend ‘Something Fresh’. Freshness is guaranteed.
P.S. : Today - 15th October 2011 - marks the 130th Birth Anniversary of P G Wodehouse. This review is my tribute to the King of Humor on his special day. Well it’s a mere coincidence again that my date of publishing this review has come close to the DOB of the author. Fourth time in a year :)
