The Inimitable Jeeves
Here is one of the funniest books ever written. That's not hyperbole, it's simply fact. P.G. Wodehouse achieved something near-perfect in this collection of interconnected stories: the portrait of England's most accident-prone gentleman, Bertie Wooster, and his incomparable valet, Jeeves. Bertie stumbles through life aided and (more often) rescued by the only man clever enough to untangle his romantic disasters, family catastrophes, and friend-induced crises. Whether it's Bingo Little falling desperately in love at unsuitable subscription dances, or Aunt Agatha descending with yet another devastating marriage scheme, trouble finds Bertie with remarkable consistency. Through it all, Jeeves smooths, intervenes, and occasionally allows Bertie to make a fool of himself before stepping in with the perfect solution. The result is pure comic joy. Wodehouse's prose does things that shouldn't be possible on the page, it winks, it tilts its hat, it raises an eyebrow. This is comfort reading at its most civilized, a world where the stakes are social catastrophe and the hero is a valet with a brain the size of a planet. You'll inhale it in one sitting and immediately want to start over.
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“We Woosters do not lightly forget. At least, we do - some things - appointments, and people's birthdays, and letters to post, and all that - but not an absolutely bally insult like the above.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“Warm-hearted! I should think he has to wear asbestos vests!””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“I suppose he must have taken about a nine or something in hats. Shows what a rotten thing it is to let your brain develop too much.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“As a rule, you see, I'm not lugged into Family Rows. On the occasions when Aunt is calling Aunt like mastodons bellowing across premieval swamps and Uncle James's letter about Cousin Mabel's peculiar behaviour is being shot round the family circle ('Please read this carefully and send it on Jane') the clan has a tendency to ignore me. It's one of the advantages I get from being a bachelor - and, according to my nearest and dearest, practically a half-witted bachelor at that.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“How does he look, Jeeves?""Sir?""What does Mr Bassington-Bassington look like?""It is hardly my place, sir, to criticize the facial peculiarities of your friends.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“What are the chances of a cobra biting Harold, Jeeves?""Slight, I should imagine, sir. And in such an event, knowing the boy as intimately as I do, my anxiety would be entirely for the snake.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“I've found, as a general rule of life, that the things you think are going to be the scaliest nearly always turn out not so bad after all.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“When Cynthia smiles," said young Bingo, "the skies are blue; the world takes on a roseate hue; birds in the garden trill and sing, and Joy is king of everything, when Cynthia smiles." He coughed, changing gears. "When Cynthia frowns - ""What the devil are you talking about?""I'm reading you my poem. The one I wrote to Cynthia last night. I'll go on, shall I?""No!""No?""No. I haven't had my tea.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
“I shoved on a dressing-gown, and flew downstairs like a mighty, rushing wind.””
— P. G. Wodehouse
