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Psmith and his friend Mike are sent by their fathers to work in the City. But work is the last thing on Psmith's mind; surely there are more interesting things to do with the day than spend it in a bank? Unfortunately the natives aren't conducive to his socialising within work hours, but all's fair in love and work as the monocled Old Etonian, with a little grudging help from Mike, begins to rope in allies in order to reform the bank manager and make him A Decent Member of Society.
A major mix-up at Blandings Castle, in which Galahad introduces yet another imposter to Lord Emsworth's residence and the Empress of Blandings gets sloshed in her sty. Formidable comic characters designed to interrupt Lord Emsworth's peace include his overbearing sister Lady Hermione Wedge who comes complete her own meddling secretary, and Dame Daphne Winkworth who has her eye on becoming the next Countess. As ever the stage is set for Gally to try and restore order to the ensuing chaos!
Galahad Threepwood is causing scandal again...this time by deciding to NOT publish his potentially humiliating high-society memoirs. His decision causes rifts in the ranks at castle Blandings and all involved split into three camps: those who want the book suppressed, those who want it published, and those, who for some reason or another, that have been sent to steal it.
"My Man Jeeves" is a collection of short stories by the master of British comedy P. G. Wodehouse, published in 1919. The stories all feature the author's most well known characters: the extremely intelligent manservant Jeeves and his dimwitted but kind employer Bertie. As always, Jeeves will be stretched to his utmost in the performance of his protective duties against manipulative stratagems, nosy relatives, shady scams and all kinds of goings on, most often aimed at taking advantage of Bertie's kindness and cluelessness... As always: pure gold for the listener!
Once again we find ourselves at that idyllic country seat, Blandings. This time it's debonair charmer, Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, fifth Earl of Ickenham (known to most as 'Uncle Fred') who has been lured to the castle by affable Lord Emsworth. His lordship requires an expert in human behaviour to prevent the egg-throwing Duke of Dunstable from stealing Emsworth's treasured pig, Empress of Blandings. The plot's eccentricities naturally include love and romance and, crucially, three imposters.
Uncle Fred, or to give him his full title of Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, fifth Earl of Ickenham, is considered by some as a splendid gentleman - a sportsman to his fingertips. Mr. Twistleton, nephew to the Earl, and otherwise known as Pongo to his friends, has a differing view. He simply describes his uncle as being loopy to the tonsils. But when the eccentric and well-loved Uncle Fred plays Cupid to Lord Emsworth, his old friend at Blandings Castle, little did he know that he would be known as Impostor A and the Lord’s beloved pig, the Empress, as Impostor B....
Psmith and his friend Mike are sent by their fathers to work in the City. But work is the last thing on Psmith's mind; surely there are more interesting things to do with the day than spend it in a bank? Unfortunately the natives aren't conducive to his socialising within work hours, but all's fair in love and work as the monocled Old Etonian, with a little grudging help from Mike, begins to rope in allies in order to reform the bank manager and make him A Decent Member of Society.
A major mix-up at Blandings Castle, in which Galahad introduces yet another imposter to Lord Emsworth's residence and the Empress of Blandings gets sloshed in her sty. Formidable comic characters designed to interrupt Lord Emsworth's peace include his overbearing sister Lady Hermione Wedge who comes complete her own meddling secretary, and Dame Daphne Winkworth who has her eye on becoming the next Countess. As ever the stage is set for Gally to try and restore order to the ensuing chaos!
Galahad Threepwood is causing scandal again...this time by deciding to NOT publish his potentially humiliating high-society memoirs. His decision causes rifts in the ranks at castle Blandings and all involved split into three camps: those who want the book suppressed, those who want it published, and those, who for some reason or another, that have been sent to steal it.
"My Man Jeeves" is a collection of short stories by the master of British comedy P. G. Wodehouse, published in 1919. The stories all feature the author's most well known characters: the extremely intelligent manservant Jeeves and his dimwitted but kind employer Bertie. As always, Jeeves will be stretched to his utmost in the performance of his protective duties against manipulative stratagems, nosy relatives, shady scams and all kinds of goings on, most often aimed at taking advantage of Bertie's kindness and cluelessness... As always: pure gold for the listener!
Once again we find ourselves at that idyllic country seat, Blandings. This time it's debonair charmer, Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, fifth Earl of Ickenham (known to most as 'Uncle Fred') who has been lured to the castle by affable Lord Emsworth. His lordship requires an expert in human behaviour to prevent the egg-throwing Duke of Dunstable from stealing Emsworth's treasured pig, Empress of Blandings. The plot's eccentricities naturally include love and romance and, crucially, three imposters.
Uncle Fred, or to give him his full title of Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, fifth Earl of Ickenham, is considered by some as a splendid gentleman - a sportsman to his fingertips. Mr. Twistleton, nephew to the Earl, and otherwise known as Pongo to his friends, has a differing view. He simply describes his uncle as being loopy to the tonsils. But when the eccentric and well-loved Uncle Fred plays Cupid to Lord Emsworth, his old friend at Blandings Castle, little did he know that he would be known as Impostor A and the Lord’s beloved pig, the Empress, as Impostor B....
Strange things are happening at Belpher Castle. For starters, the Earl's sister is intent on pairing off her stepson, Reggie, and niece, Lady Patricia (known as Maud). Maud, however, is in hot pursuit of Geoffrey Raymond, and she is also being pursued by the unacceptable composer, George Bevan.
The house party at Chateau Blissac, Brittany, features a rather odd array of guests this year. Mr. J. Wellington Gedge is hoping for some peace and quiet while his wife takes herself off for a while. She, however, has invited numerous visitors to the chateau, to whom he will have to play reluctant host. Senator Opal and his daughter are expected, and so is the chateau's handsome owner, Vicomte de Blissac.
The Collected Blandings Short Stories. Blandings Castle is the home of Lord Emsworth, who likes nothing better than to potter at home in his enormous castle garden. But his rural idyll is once again set to be disturbed in these nine hilarious fables. No peace is possible when his sister Constance is let loose, and she is constantly trying to reorganise the household and its inhabitants! Without great success…
Meet Psmith, with a silent 'P' as in psychic. A gallant, charming individual, Psmith has a gift for getting into awful scrapes, and when he takes over a gentile journal known as Cosy Moments with the aid of Billy Windsor, its sub-editor, he turns it into a radical publication...with alarming and hilarious results.
Most of the big money belongs to Torquil Paterson Frisby, the dyspeptic American millionaire--but that doesn't stop him wanting more out of it. His niece, the beautiful Ann Moon, is engaged to "Biscuit", Lord Biskerton, who doesn't have very much of the stuff and so he has to escape to Valley Fields to hide from his creditors. Meanwhile, his old school friend Berry Conway, who is working for Frisby, himself falls for Ann--just as Biscuit falls for her friend Kitchie Valentine. Life in the world of Wodehouse can sometimes become a little complicated.
It takes a lot of effort for Jimmy Crocker to become Piccadilly Jim – nights on the town roistering, headlines in the gossip columns, a string of broken hearts and breaches of promise. Eventually he becomes rather good at it and manages to go to pieces with his eyes open. But no sooner has Jimmy cut a wild swathe through fashionable London than his terrifying Aunt Nesta decides he must mend his ways. He then falls in love with the girl he has hurt most of all, and after that things get complicated. In a dizzying plot, impersonations pile on impersonations....
The hideous Walsingford Hall is home to an odd assortment of coves…The vile premises belong to Sir Buckstone, who is in a little financial difficulty. So for a little monetary help he puts a roof over the heads of people like (among others) Tubby Vanringham, the adoring slave of cold-hearted Miss Whittaker. His brother Joe has fallen head over heels for Sir Buck’s daughter, Jane. She, however, only has eyes for Adrian Peake, who has already formed a liaison with the terrifying - but superbly wealthy - Princess Dwornitzchek. Is there no end to the confusion?
This title includes not only the entire audiobook of Right Ho, Jeeves, but also all of the P.G. Wodehouse titles in the current Classic Tales library. It also includes a Jeeves short story only available in the collection: "Extricating Young Gussie". The complete running time is over 15 hours. All titles have been remastered, and have never sounded better!
For George Finch, one of "Nature's white mice" and probably the worst artist ever to put brush to canvas, there are many obstacles to overcome. Undoubtedly the greatest is his beloved Molly's fearsome stepmother, Mrs. Waddington, who has her eye on an eligible English lord for a son-in-law. Luckily, George has an ally in sharp-witted Hamilton Beamish, an old family friend of the Waddingtons.
"Love Among the Chickens" is a comedic novel by British master of the genre, P. G. Wodehouse. The novel is narrated by Jeremy Garnet, an author and old friend of Ukridge. Seeing Ukridge for the first time in years, with a new wife in tow, Garnet finds himself dragged along on holiday to Ukridge's new chicken farm in Dorset. The novel intertwines Garnet's difficult wooing of a girl living nearby with the struggles of the farm, which are exacerbated by Ukridge's bizarre business ideas and methods.
Three perplexing puzzles - and three inimitable Wimsey solutions - told with wit, humor, and suspense. Narrator Ian Carmichael, the quintessential Lord Peter, provides great entertainment with his talented performance of these three stories. In "Striding Folly", a frightening dream provides a haunting premonition. A house numbered 13 is in a street of even numbers, and a dead man was never alive in "The Haunted Policeman." And "Talboys" sees Lord Peter's own children accused of theft.
In the Angler’s Rest, drinking hot scotch and lemon, sits one of Wodehouse’s greatest raconteurs. Mr. Mulliner, his vivid imagination lubricated by Miss Postlethwaite the barmaid, has fabulous stories to tell of the extraordinary behavior of his far-flung family.... One of them concerns Wilfred, who lights on the formula for Buck-U-Uppo, a tonic given to elephants to enable them to face tigers with the necessary nonchalance.
Freddie is engaged to marry the daughter of a wealthy American who is a passionate collector of ancient Egyptian relics. When one treasure goes missing and a thousand-pound reward is offered for its return, Blandings becomes a madhouse as friends turn rivals in the scramble to retrieve the object.
"Wodehouse is the greatest comic writer ever." (Douglas Adams)
"For Wodehouse there has been no fall of Man...the gardens of Blandings Castle are the original gardens of Eden from which we are all exiled." (Evelyn Waugh)
As a long-time Wodehouse fan, I've read many of his books, watched most episodes of Jeeves & Wooster, and listened to a whole lot of the radio dramas and audiobooks. And this particular audiobook isn't one of the best.
<i>Something Fresh</i> isn't a bad novel - though with less laugh-a-minute potential than some of the other Blandings-series stories - but Frederick Davidson's very affected vocal style isn't really suited to longer novels like this, with so many different characters. It's fine when he uses a very effete, almost effeminate voice for Bertie Wooster (who doesn't appear here), but he doesn't have a whole lot of range.
All the men under 30 sound like fruity idiots; all the women sound like airheads (quite literally); all the older men sound uniformly gruff; and the various American accents are neither accurate nor consistent.
More problematically - and again, I realize this is sometimes a matter of personal taste - Davidson seems to miss jokes all the time. Most of Wodehouse's hilarity lies in knowing just how to say a line like "Percy's always been a bit of a nut - I say, what?" for maximum effect, and Davidson doesn't seem to have the knack.
Overall, if you're thinking of an audio version of <i>Something Fresh</i>, I recommend going with the Jonathan Cecil version instead of this one - Cecil just seems better at interpreting Wodehouse on a consistent basis.
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
I bought this because I have only recently discovered Wodehouse's 'Blandings saga' and wanted to listen to them all. I can't tell much about the quality of the book itself because the audio version is so painful to listen to. You get to hear every gasp for breath, and Davidson doesn't seem to understand Wodehouse - or to be enjoying himself. I wish I had read the other reviewer's advice - instead of buying this version, look for another reader!
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
Would you try another book from P. G. Wodehouse and/or Frederick Davidson?
The story is slow to start with uninteresting dialogue. Quite unlike Wodehouse's usual fast, snappy starts. Also, regrettably, Davidson reads this slow start with a bored, disinterest that makes paying attention almost impossible. I love Wodehouse usually, but I'd return this one pronto if I could.
What didn’t you like about Frederick Davidson’s performance?
His reading has a disinterested, supercilious air that, coupled with a slow plot, makes the book a yawner.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Not really. I wish it had because I love Wodehouse usually.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Such a pleasure to listen to, Wodehouse is the only writer I've found who's as funny as Mark Twain, and Frederick Davidson (aka David Case) is the best comic narrator ever. I was concerned after reading the first reviews complaining of the narrator but I don't share their views. I wish he had narrated all these books. 'The Inimitable Jeeves' is also a classic read by the same guy.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
In the intro to the book, PG Wodehouse tells us that this was his first big sale. He and his wife felt quite comfortable with their savings of $175, then he sold this book to (IIRC) The Atlantic for the unbelievable fortune of over $3000! He goes on to help aspiring writers of serial novels by telling them some lessons he learned (be vague about dates and locations - if you're still writing 50 years later you don't want the characters to be centenarians who live too far away from London to come up for a day trip.)
The story concerns the residents of Blandings Castle, pre-Empress, with (as usual) imposters visiting in order to steal something. The Earl, though absent minded and none-too-bright, is not the anti-social idiot we've come to know and love. His sister Ann is serving as chatelaine, and unlike his other sisters, is of an extremely retiring nature, seldom leaving her room and her voluminous correspondence. Baxter is there, determined to get to the bottom of things, as well as assorted pairs of mismatched lovers.
It will surprise no one to learn that, as always, skulduggery and love triumph at Blandings.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Cute and quaint if you are in the right mood, if not then read something else.
Very enjoyable story and performance lifts these experience to something close to greatness. Listen and enjoy
I'm a huge fan of the Jeeves and Wooster stories and novels. This novel had an excessive number of characters and wasn't as funny as what I'm used to. The narrator was okay. I found his accent too "plummy" at times, but he was better than the narrator on the other version of this book. He did well with the different voices, including American accents that sounded accurate (and, sadly, somewhat unpleasant) to my American ear.
This is the first book about the now legendary Blandings Castle, and introduces such characters as Lord Emsworth, Hon Freddie Threepwood, The Efficient Baxter, and Beech the Butler.
It's not as mind-bogglingly complex as some of PG Wodehouse's plots but it has all the tongue-twisting rich language that he is known for. This more gentle love-story based plot is still witty and interesting, and includes some early women's lib ideas. This version includes an introduction written by Wodehouse, which includes some interesting titbits.
Frederick Davidson gives his usual excellent reading. His languid tones seem made for Wodehouse's words.
All in all, an excellent version of an excellent book.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This is is the first in the Blandings Saga and a great place to start (although not completely necessary to do in chronological order). The narration is good and the story that was published 100 years ago is both funny and cracking in pace. A most enjoyable listen.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful