Sonderbooks Book Review of Carry On, Jeeves

Reviewed June 20, 2005.
The Overlook Press, Woodstock & New York, 2003. First published in 1925. 273 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (F WOD).
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#6, Light-hearted Fiction)

At the Sembach Library, we’ve managed to get many of the new Overlook Press reprints of P. G. Wodehouse’s hilarious works.

Wodehouse specialized in comedies of England’s upper crust. I had to reread some Jeeves and Wooster stories after I found the BBC series on DVD. My sister Becky originally introduced me to Wodehouse, and my husband and I had a collection of the stories. I won’t list this as an “Old Favorite,” since I’m not sure which of the original books were included in that volume.

Carry On, Jeeves, introduces Jeeves, the gentleman’s personal gentleman of Bertram Wooster. In the first chapter of this book, we actually hear the story of how Bertie first met Jeeves. It wasn’t so much that Wooster hired Jeeves as that Jeeves took charge of Wooster.

Bertie and his amusingly named friends get in one scrape after another, usually involving a woman and misplaced affection, often involving meddling aunts. When Bertie tries to use his own devices to save the situation, matters inevitably get worse. However, once Jeeves takes charge, all comes together and things end up as right as rain. In the mean time, you get plenty to laugh about.

Pick up a volume or two of Wodehouse for some good, quirky, light-hearted fun. We now have a nice selection at Sembach, so I’ll definitely be reading some more.

Reviews of other books by P. G. Wodehouse:
The Man with Two Left Feet
My Man Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves
Very Good, Jeeves
Thank You, Jeeves
Right Ho, Jeeves
The Code of the Woosters
Jeeves: Joy in the Morning
The Mating Season
Ring for Jeeves
Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit
Jeeves in the Offing
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves

A Damsel in Distress
Ukridge
Love Among the Chickens

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****Carry On, Jeeves*

by P. G. Wodehouse