Nov 04, 2005 08:19 PM
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(Updated Nov 04, 2005 08:20 PM)
What do you do when you are finally a respectable citizen, a someone important, and then suddenly one of your scandalous friends who has well crossed his middle age decides to write about all memoirs of your pranks misdeeds and scandalous episodes gone through but better forgotten?
Steal his pig, of course!
In Summer Lightning, the Honorable Galahad Threepwood has decided to write his memoirs and everyone is found diving for cover. Meanwhile, Lord Emsworth's prize pig is stolen and as is usual in P.G. Wodehouse's Blandings novels the castle is abuzz with imposters all pretending to be one another.
As is his peaceful nature, Clarence, ninth Earl of Emsworth, is at home in his castle in Shropshire where he is doing nothing other than dotting on his famous prize-winning pig, the Empress of Blandings. Having dispatched his earlier secretary, Baxter, Clarence is at perfect peace contemplating how his pig will win again. When he suddenly learns from his brother Galahad that the neighbor's pig man is offering 3:1 odds against the Empress and that the neighbor Sir Gregory Parsloe plans to steal the Empress mayhem ensues when the robbery happens!
(Say, how does one steal a PIG? The book doesn't really describe the technique so it seems safe to assume it must be pretty straightforward)
Now Parsloe lives in fear that Gally will publish old stories about his wild younger days in his new book of memoirs.
Of course Clarence's and Gally's sisters want to stop publication as well. The castle is populated with manuscript thieves as one or the other impostor!
At as side plot, it is spring and love is in the air - Clarence's new secretary, Hugo Carmody, is secretly in love with Millicent Threepwood, niece to Clarence. But they need to get some financial help to pull off the merger.
Meanwhile, Ronald Fish, another wealthy young man whose money is tied with Clarence, is also in love with one Sue Brown who is a chorus girl (eeks will scream the imperial aunt).
Will love win out? Of course, and as usual it doesn't matter!
It's a P.G. Wodehouse book.
So before love wins there will be lots of funny scenes and humor will take the day.
The whole thing begins a bit slowly (good for the old days when all you had was time and peace - grin!).
Character Development
Hugo kidnaps the Empress in an attempt to soften up Lord Emsworth.
The young lovers are nondescript as usual, but Pilbeam is a delightful character.
A jealous Ronnie punches waiters.
Sue arrives at Blandings impersonating rich Myra Schoonmaker.
Parsloe engages Pilbeam of the Argus Detective Agency to steal the Reminiscences.
Beach is tormented by his role in the kidnapping.
Baxter returns and falls for Sue.
Finally, Pilbeam climbs a water-spout - what more can I say if you aren't mad and raring to go already!
And yes, if you have sisters who are the imperial type and control everyone around them, you will know how Lord Emsworth feels!
