The Girl on the Boat

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Wilhemina 'Billie' Bennett, red-haired daughter of an American millionaire, loves golf, dogs, and Tennyson ¿ and is to marry Eustace Hignett, the weak, poetry-writing son of a famous English writer on theosophy. Enter San Marlowe, Eustace's tournament golfing cousin, and Jane Hubbard, Billie's big-game-hunting friend, and another romp in the inimitable Wodehouse style unfolds.

Right ho, Jeeves: listen to more from P. G. Wodehouse.

(P)1998 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Has many of the qualities of the author's more mature later novels (eccentric characters, clever farce, and inventive metaphors), as well as the additional charm of being a diamond in the rough....Frederick Davidson, as usual, adds to the fun with his energetic reading." (Library Journal)

A good listen

It's PG Wodehouse. What can I say. 15 minutes later you won't remember the plot or the characters, but the book moves along briskly and is and funny and good listen for a rainy day chore. Davidson reads him well, with lovely variations in the accents and voices.

Mr. Bennett

I’m not sure why he chose to make Mr. Bennett sound like someone who’s had their vocal cords removed and speaking through a voice box but other than that, classic P.G..

Fun Story - Loved It!

With elephant guns firing, the need for gun control was never so clear ;). It's no wonder that even the cake hound survived to the end. Everything I come to expect in a Wodehouse novel.

The Wit of the Brits

Frederick Davidson is the ideal narrator for books by P.G. Wodehouse; he captures the tone, pacing, and dry wit of each story.

More Wodehouse treasures

I still have a few ( very few) PG audible's I've yet to hear. The only negative thing about a PGW book can be the narrator. BUT I'm so thankful for any British narrator to tell me PGW stories... That they will get five stars just for effort!!!!

the best way to enjoy Wodehouse

I've tried reading several of Wodehouse's books and even listened to some on audio read by volunteers for the public domain. I've never really been hooked until this story and particularly this narrator. the wit of the author is perfectly conveyed by this narrator, really perfect reading and tone. I genuinely laughed out loud at many parts of this book.

Classic Wodehouse—entertaining, funny, and excellent performance

The story moves along at a good clip, lots of great Wodehouse turns of phrase, and Frederick Davidson is excellent narrating as usual.

A Musical Comedy Without Music

That's how Wodehouse described the kind of stories he wrote. The alternative, he said, was "going right down deep into life and not giving a damn." Given the unbridled, nearly-unfailing enjoyment his 90+ books can be counted on to deliver, we should be glad he didn't choose the alternative.

Girl on the Boat is a fine example. Wodehouse had the ability to render almost anything into comedy. Here it starts with the book's forward, written to dispel the notion that a certain incident might have been cribbed from another contemporary writer's work. What could sound defensive or snarfy is instead funny, lighthearted and self-deprecating.

Then there's the story: In this corner, a young woman with impossibly high standards (her model is Tennyson's Galahad). And in the other corner, a young man who meets those standards by willfully manipulating the facts. This could easily become high tragedy. Instead, you get scenes like--well, I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll just say it involves the girl, the young man's father's clerk, a few well-crafted fibs and an over-sized pistol.

Another wonder: Wodehouse keeps you interested, even empathetic toward these two essentially shallow, less-than-likable characters. Perhaps we like them as they are because that's what generates all the fun. His greatest triumph in this line is probably Ukridge, a man one can enjoy only through the medium of print (or audio book); get him at closer range and he starts trying to borrow a fiver.

Related to this is one of the oddest aspects of Wodehouse: though his tales play out in the never-never world of musical comedy (no one dies, the World Wars are barely mentioned and work, if it happens, takes place off stage) he creates characters that make us sit up and say, "I know that guy" or even "he's got my number". Tucked in among the fun are sharp observations of our motivations, fears and foibles.

Finally, there is Frederick Davidson. In one short story Wodehouse describes a woman striking a young man's fancy as if she had been constructed according to his exact specifications. I always feel Wodehouse would have felt the same way about Davidson's performances of his work.

Funny and Worthwhile

Such rich and enticing characters, a fun time! If you want to be throughly entertained, read this!You will certainly be amused😊.

Utterly hilarious!

This is a brilliant book and totally hilarious. I loved every minute of it!
Awesome read... ended too quickly.