Uncle Dynamite

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Jonathan Cecil

A chance meeting on a train brought together Lord Ickenham and Bill Oakshott - although being told that the love of his life, Hermione, was engaged to none other than Pongo, Lord Ickenham's nephew, did make Bill feel like he'd been struck behind the ear.

©2012 The Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate (P)2012 AudioGO

Fabulous

A wonderful tale, performed by my favorite interpreter of Wodehouse. Well worth the time and money.

the voices

the narrator was extremely talented, and did an amazing job with the many people he impersonated

Slimm-o for Hypertrophy of the Trouser Seat

How do you keep separate in memory the many Wodehouse impostor books? As with Gilligan’s Island episodes, variations in plot are insufficient to differentiate. We have the non-unique situation where Pongo is mis-engaged to the MaryAnn (to push the analogy a bit) character who is better suited to Bill Oakshott. But we don’t have the engagement-switch trope set up by contrived jealousy. In its stead is the need to switch busts. The other motivation is desire to avoid judging a Bonny-Baby contest. Primarily Lord Ickenham (Uncle Fred) has an unbounded need to embed himself as an impostor.

We have Bill and Pongo as paired childhood friends and have Uncle Fred paired with a schoolboy rival and Sally vs Hermione as love interests. We have the local bobby churning the plot forward with combined buffoonery and eagerness. We’re at Ashenden Manor rather than Blandings. Aunts and desperate impoverishment are fortunately not major motivators this time out.
Uncle Fred’s inventiveness, and specifically his dialogue, are the highlights of this book. Otherwise, this 1948 mid-season episode will seem friendly and familiar but not uniquely inspired.

More Wonderful tThan I Could Ever Dream

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

Beautiful book, beautifully read. Thank you.

What more can one say about the combination of PG Wodehouse and Jonathan Cecil.

More fun with Uncle Fred

What made the experience of listening to Uncle Dynamite the most enjoyable?

Without question, Jonathan Cecil's reading is what makes listening to this story great. It's a fun story (though not quite as great as the Uncle Fred story Cocktail Time), with all of the loopiness and goofiness we expect of a classic Wodehouse story. And Jonathan Cecil's reading makes it shine.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Uncle Dynamite?

Without revealing one of the amusing plot twists...at the end of the story, I was delighted as Uncle Fred put Sir Aylmer Bostock in his place.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Cecil – was your favorite?

Jonathan Cecil is one of those rare readers who goes beyond being a good reader and becomes the embodiment of the author's work. Jonathan Cecil's reading of all the characters is excellent, but his portrayal of Uncle Fred is just perfect.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Uncle Dynamite makes me smile, laugh, and guffaw in many places. Uncle Fred is just a treasure as he goes about "spreading sweetness and light", cajoling, threatening, and blackmailing people all in the name of increasing happiness for everyone around him.