Wodehouse Mania!
One of my regrets is that I went through the first twenty two years of my life without reading a Wodehouse book. Heck,I hadn't even heard of that name. I happened to come across his name first in an internal blog. It wasn't even a post but a lengthy comment by my buddy R who was waxing grandiloquent about him. I made a mental note of him and just as it happens to all things mentally noted, it was forgotten.
Another couple of months passed without Wodehouse. Fate, in the shape of my friend H, stepped in one day and decided to change my life forever. H handed me a small book called 'Adventures of Sally' because he had misplaced the book I had asked him. The author's name stuck a chord and I condoned him for failing to bring along Scott Adams.
The book didn't make for an interesting read(I loved it on the second time). The plot wasn't engaging, long sentences made reading a challenging work and the language - 'Old bean', 'he shook his onion' etc. - seemed so weird. Even though I didn't enjoy reading, I stuck with it and completed it. I thought that would be the first and last Wodehouse I would ever read, until I encountered Bertie and Jeeves.
I don't know for the life of me why I bought 'Right ho, Jeeves' during my next visit to bookshop but I'm glad I did. For the next few days I was smiling, grinning, giggling, laughing, guffawing, chuckling, sniggering and what not. I fell in love with Bertie, the good-hearted blunderer, and wished I had a guy like Jeeves to save me whenever I find myself in a soup. The character names cracked me up - Pongo Twistleton, Gussie Finknottle, Tuppy Glossop etc. In short, I was having fun. After that there was no looking back. My passion for books grew exponentially. Wodehouse and I became matey. Uncle Fred, Lord Emsworth, Aunt Agatha, Aunt Dahlia and others became an integral part of my life.
His language is impeccable. It is hard not to be astonished by his mastery over the language. Reading Wodehouse will definitely elevate one's language to a higher plane. His humour is free from disgusting double enterdres and libidinous remarks. The plots are simple and one knows that all will be well in the end, for in the world of Wodehouse nothing bad ever happens, but getting there is never boring.
If you have never read Wodehouse, I'd recommend you start with Bertie and Wooster series. You'll definitely be tickled by Bertie's blunders and Jeeves ingenuity in pulling him out of trouble. Don't expect to take a liking to Wodehouse on your first read. Wodehouse is like wine. The older, the better.
P.G.Wodehouse never fails to amaze me. I concur with Douglas Adams that he is the best comic writer ever. No other author has made me laugh out loud till my sides ache as much as Wodehouse. If I am in a happy mood while reading him, I become happier. If I read him when in blues, he never fails to bring roses back to the cheek. What more can I ask of a friend?
Another couple of months passed without Wodehouse. Fate, in the shape of my friend H, stepped in one day and decided to change my life forever. H handed me a small book called 'Adventures of Sally' because he had misplaced the book I had asked him. The author's name stuck a chord and I condoned him for failing to bring along Scott Adams.
The book didn't make for an interesting read(I loved it on the second time). The plot wasn't engaging, long sentences made reading a challenging work and the language - 'Old bean', 'he shook his onion' etc. - seemed so weird. Even though I didn't enjoy reading, I stuck with it and completed it. I thought that would be the first and last Wodehouse I would ever read, until I encountered Bertie and Jeeves.
I don't know for the life of me why I bought 'Right ho, Jeeves' during my next visit to bookshop but I'm glad I did. For the next few days I was smiling, grinning, giggling, laughing, guffawing, chuckling, sniggering and what not. I fell in love with Bertie, the good-hearted blunderer, and wished I had a guy like Jeeves to save me whenever I find myself in a soup. The character names cracked me up - Pongo Twistleton, Gussie Finknottle, Tuppy Glossop etc. In short, I was having fun. After that there was no looking back. My passion for books grew exponentially. Wodehouse and I became matey. Uncle Fred, Lord Emsworth, Aunt Agatha, Aunt Dahlia and others became an integral part of my life.
His language is impeccable. It is hard not to be astonished by his mastery over the language. Reading Wodehouse will definitely elevate one's language to a higher plane. His humour is free from disgusting double enterdres and libidinous remarks. The plots are simple and one knows that all will be well in the end, for in the world of Wodehouse nothing bad ever happens, but getting there is never boring.
If you have never read Wodehouse, I'd recommend you start with Bertie and Wooster series. You'll definitely be tickled by Bertie's blunders and Jeeves ingenuity in pulling him out of trouble. Don't expect to take a liking to Wodehouse on your first read. Wodehouse is like wine. The older, the better.
P.G.Wodehouse never fails to amaze me. I concur with Douglas Adams that he is the best comic writer ever. No other author has made me laugh out loud till my sides ache as much as Wodehouse. If I am in a happy mood while reading him, I become happier. If I read him when in blues, he never fails to bring roses back to the cheek. What more can I ask of a friend?
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