This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to re...
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Dec 03, 2011
Isabel
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Public schoolboys Mike and Psmith are about to go up to Cambridge, but due to Mike's father losing his money and Psmith's father being persuaded it's a good idea by his friend Bickersdyke, they find themselves working in the City, as junior clerks at the New Asiatic Bank which is run by Bickersdyke. Although the work is non too taxing, it isn't very interesting either and while Mike frets about not being able to play cricket, Psmith spends his time outside work in baiting Bickersdyke by followin
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Jan 17, 2012
Many people know Jeeves and Wooster. Some also know the Blandings Castle stories. A few know the Golf stories.
Psmith is much less well known, though he has his afficionados.
Note that, whatever his vagaries, Wodehouse never converted to belief in any sort of work ethic. He was a prolific writer, but he tended to regard writing as 'work' in the Pravic sense, in which work is equated with play. He was always strongly opposed to the industrial definition of work, which h More...
Psmith is much less well known, though he has his afficionados.
Note that, whatever his vagaries, Wodehouse never converted to belief in any sort of work ethic. He was a prolific writer, but he tended to regard writing as 'work' in the Pravic sense, in which work is equated with play. He was always strongly opposed to the industrial definition of work, which h More...
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Oct 28, 2009
Scilla
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I always enjoy books by P. G. Wodehouse. This one is about Psmith and Mike Jackson, both of whom start working for the New Asiatic Bank in London. Mike was hoping to attend Cambridge and play cricket, but family finances forced him to begin working. The big boss, Mr. Bickersdyke, is a friend of Psmith's father, who thought Psmith should learn about commerce. Psmith befriends their immediate boss and spends his spare time trying to annoy Mr. Bickersdyke. Mike and Psmith seem to constantly ge
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Oct 05, 2011
Durdles
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Psmith could have been a model for Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends And Influence People". He manages to cultivate an interest in unedifying but powerful seniors and use his skills to extract the maximum benefits for himself and his friend, Mike while making absolutley sure that he doesn't have to to do any actual work. I don't advise trying these techniques on a loved one though. After finishing the book late at night I woke my wife getting into bed and she wasn't impressed by my
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Mar 15, 2009
Siria
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This is the first Psmith novel I've read—actually, I think, the first Wodehouse novel I've read that hasn't been about Jeeves and Wooster. The prose was smoothly funny—though I have to admit that my eyes glazed over during the cricket match parts—but apart from that, it was very obvious that this is was an early work. Psmith is an early version of Jeeves in some respects—particularly his placid, adept methods of problem solving—but he's a bit too much of an arrogant asshole for me to have warmed
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Aug 04, 2008
Anthony
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I find cricket boring to watch, so I can’t say that reading about it really does it for me either. However, I can let this slide some, as it’s P.G. Wodehouse writing about it. I think this pretty much surmises how I felt about this book.
On a slight (but necessary) tangent, in all of my prior reading of P.G. Wodehouse, I've found it quite hard to dislike anything about the character Jeeves. Despite having the brain power of ten men, he shows no signs of arrogance and is a forever loy More...
On a slight (but necessary) tangent, in all of my prior reading of P.G. Wodehouse, I've found it quite hard to dislike anything about the character Jeeves. Despite having the brain power of ten men, he shows no signs of arrogance and is a forever loy More...
Oct 21, 2007
Zen
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Comfort reading par excellence. I think this is the pslashiest of the Psmith books. Interesting for the stuff about class -- I think it was TFV said that when Wodehouse was writing the school stories he hadn't yet achieved the complete detachment from reality you see in his later works, and that's true for the Psmith books as well.
I hadn't realised when I first read this how strongly autobiographical it is -- the New Asiatic Bank is HSBC; Cambridge is Oxford; Dulwich College is, well, More...
I hadn't realised when I first read this how strongly autobiographical it is -- the New Asiatic Bank is HSBC; Cambridge is Oxford; Dulwich College is, well, More...
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Oct 20, 2007
Ian
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‘Psmith in the City’ is the sequel to ‘Mike and Psmith’ and is effectively still a Wodehouse ‘School’ story except rather than be set in a school the setting is a Bank and Mike and Psmith are the office juniors. The boys are still too young to have turned their interests into love and sex and so continue in the same vein they did at school with Mike being unable to concentrate on anything except cricket and Psmith’s only interests being insolence, checking his superiors and flirting with the sac
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Jun 22, 2009
Scott
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What did I learn ... that you can write a totally entertaining piece of young adult fiction without conjuring up hobbits, vampires, werewolves, wizards, robots, or traveling pants. And I learned that cricket players get to take a lunch break in the middle of the match, making this game by far the most civilized sport ever devised. This isn't the type of Wodehouse book that makes you giggle until your eyes tear up, but it's fun, and funny, and wears its 99 years very well.
Nov 17, 2009
Melissa
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"You are Agesilaus," he said. "I am the Petulant Pterodactyl. You, if I may say so, butted in of your own free will, and took me from a happy home, simply in order than you might get me into that place under you, and give me beans. But, curiously enough, the major portion of that vegetable seems to be coming to you." Don't mess with Psmith, people. And just in case anyone was wondering:
"Oh, you're Smith, are you?"
"With a preliminary P. Which, howev
"Oh, you're Smith, are you?"
"With a preliminary P. Which, howev
May 07, 2009
Sherwood
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The misery of leaving school for the grim world of work gets treatment in this one. Wodehouse did have to leave school and work in a bank, an experience he evokes vividly here--but he didn't have a Psmith to smooth the way. However he had his imagination, and he was able to effect escape by selling stories. Psmith's way out evokes the spectacular ending of Dorothy Sayers' Murder Must Advertise.
Oct 08, 2010
Ian
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Another exceptionally entertaining tale of Psmith and his cricketing pal Mike.
PSmith could be exceptionally unlikeable, given his attitude and his rather high view of his own importance, but personally I find hilarious; a kind of intense version of someone we all know, and dare I say aspects of our own selves. In this novel he and Mike set about working in a bank in London, with exceptionally entertaining results.
PSmith could be exceptionally unlikeable, given his attitude and his rather high view of his own importance, but personally I find hilarious; a kind of intense version of someone we all know, and dare I say aspects of our own selves. In this novel he and Mike set about working in a bank in London, with exceptionally entertaining results.
Aug 05, 2009
Emily
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3 1/2 stars. Very funny, and we would of course expect no less from Wodehouse, but had a tendency to drag. Also, this book reminded me of just how little I know about cricket. It did not inspire me to learn more on the subject. I will likely read others in the series, because Wodehouse is just so great. And really, Psmith is a very entertaining character.
Jun 13, 2011
Ryan
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Wodehouse did it again. My first in the Psmith series of books, it was both delightful and fun. Wodehouse's writing and wit are catchy and engaging. He is quickly becoming of my favorite authors.
Psmith reminds me a lot of Jeeves in some of Wodehouse's later works. Once again, however, there were so many problems and unique ways to get out of them on every page. Very fun.
Psmith reminds me a lot of Jeeves in some of Wodehouse's later works. Once again, however, there were so many problems and unique ways to get out of them on every page. Very fun.
Jun 07, 2009
Krisette
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I've read several Wodehouse books, but this was the first one in the Psmith series. Psmith and his friend Mike start working at the New Asiatic Bank for the cranky Mr. Bickersdyke. Psmith makes it his mission to make the bank's atmosphere a more pleasant place to work. The ensuing story is charming and funny.
Dec 12, 2011
Megan
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Good fun, and Psmith methodically getting himself in a good position re: his superiors was delightful. However, it lacked the structure of the previous school-based novel, and Mike sort of got lost in here, since he didn't have much of a goal other than to survive. And play some cricket.
Feb 06, 2010
John
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Psmith, with a silent p as in ptarmigan. Delighted to recommend a one hundred year old humor treat written by Plum Wodehouse, one of the greatest humorists and stylists to ever tap at a typewriter! Smith ranks with Bertie and Jeeves. Great enduring fun.
May 22, 2010
Judy
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Listened to the CD download from Books Should Be Free website. http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/.
Wonderful Wodehouse. It's Psmith, with a silent P. I always wish I lived then when I hear/read Wodehouse.
Wonderful Wodehouse. It's Psmith, with a silent P. I always wish I lived then when I hear/read Wodehouse.
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Apr 08, 2009
Rauf
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The third Wodehouse book I read in a week. Wodehouse is a great wordslinger, his style, his use of language is enchanting but somehow his stories are kinda ... Blah. Maybe I'm not used to him yet.
Planning to read #4.
Planning to read #4.
Sep 12, 2010
James
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I love P.G. Wodehouse. He is, of course, most famous for his Jeeves and Wooster stories, but this book is up there with the best he's written. I've read it several times and it still makes me laugh.
Dec 13, 2010
Jesse
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More Wodehousian fun. My current favorite character, the debonair, erudite, garrulous socialist Psmith (the P is silent) ends up "working" in a bank. Absolutely delightful.
Aug 04, 2009
Anne
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Psmith (with a silent P) is an unforgettable character! This is the first time I've read of him, and concerns his adventures with his friend Mike at their first job, working in a London bank.
Feb 02, 2012
Bob
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Psmith is a character that grows in one's appreciation, his pop "socialism" and monocle teamed up with Mike's love of cricket make this story enjoyable.
Dec 29, 2011
Denise
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P.G Wodehouse is always fun to read. His comedy is still funny today--it's in the characters. However, it would help to understand cricket when reading this book.
Nov 25, 2011
Sarah
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My first encounter with a Wodehouse character not directly connected to Jeeves. I was very pleased to make his acquaintance, also that of Comrade Jackson.
Aug 22, 2010
Meave
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It's just so perfectly, delicately written that it makes for excellent depression 2.0 escapist literature. I could read a dozen books about Psmith.
Feb 01, 2012
Cherrylea
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Great, hilarious author - wonderful works! The only thing I can say is that it wasn't as impressive as Leave it to Psmith. But still - can you not love it? Is that even possible?
