An Experiment in Hilarity. Review on Very Good, Jeeves! - P.G.Wodehouse

It has been said of Hilaire Belloc, the great early-20th century British writer, that he spent the last few years of his life reading nothing but the novels of P.G. Wodehouse (pronounced ''Woodhouse'' for the unitiated). In fact, it is also said that he died from wounds inflicted while dozing on the floor in front the fireplace, a Wodehouse in hand (some burning logs rolled out of the fireplace on top of him). As one of my friends, a fellow Wodehousian said, ''What a way to go!''

Among the many memorable characters and places Wodehouse introduced us to in his 100+ novels and short story collections--Psmith, Monty Bodkins, Blandings, et al.--none rank higher than Jeeves the butler and his dim-witted charge, Bertie Wooster. Jeeves is a nearly godlike character; while not quite omnipresent, he certainly exhibits a fair degree of omniscience. The bumbling Bertie, a member of the Drones Club (a perfectly-described assembly of wealthy young wastrels, a sort of upper-crust Animal House, if you will), is constantly getting into trouble with the law (snatching policemen's helmets), gambling (betting, e.g. on the longwindedness of the village vicar--read ''The Great Sermon Handicap for more info), and above all women who are desperately trying to ensnare the eligible--but unwilling--bachelor. Jeeves, who knows a good thing when he sees it--living the leisure life of serving an affable, if idiotic master whom he can wrap around his little finger. He consistently exercises all of his brainpower in maintaining the status quo with Bertie, and all that he asks in return is that Bertie discard the abominable purple socks or fluorescent waistcoat that is so offensive to Jeeves' sensibilities.

The amazing thing about the Wodehouse novels and short stories is the seemingly effortless writing style. Over and over, one cannot help but be astonished by Wodehouse's incredible facility with the English language and his ability to turn a phrase in a decidedly comic direction. On the surface, the writings seem a bit shallow, since Wodehouse tends to write from the point-of-view (in this case, Bertie's) of one of the more lesser-witted characters. It is only through reading a number of his novels and short stories that one begins to realize what an accomplishment Wodehouse has wrought and how thoroughly he has incorporated the people, places, and culture of his times, wryly commenting on their foibles and eccentricities in a way that still seems thoroughly modern.

Very Good Jeeves, a collection of some of the best of the 30-odd Jeeves & Wooster stories is a good place to begin one's exploration of Wodehouse. Stories such as ''Jeeves and the Old School Chum'' (a brilliant commentary on the health food craze in which Bertie's friend Bingo Little has to endure the cuisine of his wife's school friend Laura Pyke), ''Jeeves and the Impending Doom'' (which introduces us to, among other things, a ''luminous rabbit'') and ''Jeeves and the Song of Songs'' (in which Bertie makes his public singing debut) are all trademark Wodehouse. His brilliance in setting up situations for which only the Einstein-like brilliance of Jeeves has the only solution is unsurpassed, and if you're like me, you will be gasping until the solution is presented.

I'll say it now: P.G. Wodehouse is one of the greatest writers in English in the 20th century. Run, don't walk to your local bookstore and pick up an armful of his books, because life is much too short to be lived without the brilliant humor of P.G.W.