The Adventures of Sally

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Pretty, impecunious Sally Nicholas never dreamed a fortune could prove a disadvantage, until she became an heiress and watched in bewilderment as her orderly existence went haywire. Coping first with her brother's wild theatrical ambitions, then with the defection of her fiancé and his immediate replacement by a much more appropriate but strangely unattractive suitor, Sally finds that life in New York is becoming altogether too complicated, and a trip to England only makes the whole situation worse.

But just as Sally is concluding that she has disastrously misplaced her bets, it looks as if a piece of speculation about an outsider might just give her adventures a happy ending.

P.G. Wodehouse is in sparkling form, in a story set on both sides of the Atlantic in the Roaring '20s.

Right ho, Jeeves: don't miss more from P.G. Wodehouse.

(P)1997 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Good Story, Bad Performance

The story was good, light humor — what we’ve come to expect from P.G. Wodehouse, but the reader was hard to listen to. His voice characterizations were at times annoying, and some of his inflections didn’t seem to fit the content at all. All in all, I think I’d listen to the story again, if read by someone else. I’d avoid recordings made with this reader.

Great book

One of my favorites of PG Wodehouse. Not fond of the breathy female voices, though.

A wonderful cast of characters, in interesting circumstances

I love most of P. G. Wodehouse’s books, especially when they’re read by a British gentleman with a quite adjustable voice like this one. Most of all I love the characters in these books, and this one is a fine example! There are characters I fell in love with, and others I enjoyed despising. And to make it a real story and not just biographies, this book has interesting circumstances and surprises. All together a wonderful read that I’d suggest to anybody who likes old fashioned rom-coms.

Jerky, Choppy, Scrambling, Untidy. But I Like It.

“A jerky, choppy book. Mrs. Meecher's lodging house in New York is Dickensian. Several short story themes are tied up untidily together, and there is a scrambling of loose ends to finish up.”

Thus Richard Usborne, in his ubiquitous “Plum Sauce: A P. G. Wodehouse Companion”. And I suppose he’s right. Sally’s loyalty to those who shared her impecunious days at Mrs. Meecher’s does get a tad glutinous; in his early books, Wodehouse tends to make paragons out of his heroines—not surprising, as he made the shift from light romances to lighter comedy. And, like all great artists, PGW certainly recycled material. I even agree about the jerks and chops—from romance to humor to a shot at poignant tragedy (see Gerald Foster’s drunk scene), though I can’t say any of that has ever bothered me.

I say “ever” because this is probably the 15th or 20th time I’ve listened to this book. Doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or sipping a cocktail, chances are very good that I’m listening to Plum. I use Wodehouse like Butler Beach uses port—to steady the nerves and impart a genial glow. And, even granting all Mr. Usborne’s insights, I’ve come to appreciate the early work just as much as the masterpieces—mostly for those flashes of the mature style that burst out so unexpectedly (like a proposal of marriage to Sally interrupted by two waiters arguing in ersatz Italian). Though written around the same time as Wodehouse’s first great short story collections (The Clicking of Cuthbert, The Inimitable Jeeves) Sally is just a mildly funny, amusing romance that makes me smile. Of course, Frederick Davidson’s suave, nuanced reading helps it all go down easy, too.

total delight!

I only wish PJ W had written more books with a female lead! Sally is a gem and this book an old favorite.

Witty and sweet

I liked this book. The main character is kindhearted and always helping others which leads her on adventures and mishaps. The plot has many twists and turns but is slower moving than more modern books. Stick with it because it is worth it. There are also lots of little insights and wisdom about life throughout the story. I was annoyed that a book about Sally, a woman, is read by a man. He did do the best that he could though.

Ought to be a play

PGW sprinkles humor all around in most books but it’s more concentrated in the dialogue here. Plot progression is simple and recognizable. Hence, could be a stage production, even a high school drama club could do it. 100 or so intervening years of culture change is problematic. How could this be updated?

Excellent narrator

Frederick Davidson reminds me od voice od David Case narraring “Longshot” my favorite. Dick Frances. Thoroughly. enjoying both.

long live wodehouse

While the story is clasic Wodehouse (post 'school stories' and pre-Wooster), the narration by Frederick Davidson leaves much to be desired. His rendition of American accents is stilted yet robotic, which unfortunately distracts the listenter from savoring the comedy that Wodehouse is known for. Four stars for the story, but only one for the audiobook narrator.

Hard to follow

Confusing at times, too many characters. Need a map of names to follow. Never finished.