Carry On, Jeeves : 8 Complete Stories

by P.G. Wodehouse

book data

1079 ratings, 4.30 average rating, 98 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		44%
4		42%
3		12%
2		0%
1		0%

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published

March 12th 2006 (first published 2000) by The Audio Partners

binding

Audio CD

isbn

1572705175 (isbn13: 9781572705173)

description

One of literature’s most celebrated fictional duos, lovable fop Bertie Wooster and his clever valet Jeeves, take center stage in these hilarious...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1326)

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Ian rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

10/30/07

bookshelves: p-g-wodehouse

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: anyone

‘Carry on, Jeeves’ is a collection of short stories starting with ‘Jeeves Takes Charge’ which tells the story of Jeeves entering of more ‘shimmering into’ the employ of Bertie Wooster with a killer hangover cure as a reference. As an encore Jeeves sorts ‘the rather rummy business of Florence Craye, Uncle Willoughby’s book, and Edwin, the boy scout.’ Uncle Willoughby’s reminiscences being a scandal of youthful exuberance even painting Lord Emsworth of Blandings fame and Flore...more ‘Carry on, Jeeves’ is a collection of short stories starting with ‘Jeeves Takes Charge’ which tells the story of Jeeves entering of more ‘shimmering into’ the employ of Bertie Wooster with a killer hangover cure as a reference. As an encore Jeeves sorts ‘the rather rummy business of Florence Craye, Uncle Willoughby’s book, and Edwin, the boy scout.’ Uncle Willoughby’s reminiscences being a scandal of youthful exuberance even painting Lord Emsworth of Blandings fame and Florence’s father in a poor light. Florence, whom is at this time engaged to Bertie, is keen that book should not be published and engages Bertie to take possession of the manuscript but he becomes frustrated by the intervention of Edwin. Jeeves brings the tale to a suitable conclusion saving Bertie and Florence not only from themselves but also from each other.

Some of the stories are re-written from earlier appearances in ‘My Man Jeeves’ such as ‘The Artistic Career of Corky’ and although the re-writes do not really add anything to the original drafts they are such priceless gems that they bear repeating however they are of lower quality than the stories written for this volume and with hindsight waiting for five additional stories been written would have improved this book.

Appearances from Jeeves and Wooster regulars such as Bingo Little and Roderick Glossop as well as the Drones club and seaside resort Marvis Bay and especially the menace of Hermione make this essential reading for all admirers of P G Wodehouse. Also included is the story of genius French chef, Anatole, joining the employ of Bertie’s Aunt Dahlia, without such background some of the detail in later Jeeves novels can be missed.

As usual the stories are narrated by Bertie Wooster in the first person in his own imitable way apart from ‘Bertie Changes His Mind’ which employs Jeeves as the narrator. His style is as dry and functional as you would expect which makes it somewhat jar in the collection, he is better written about than writing where his being an enigma or cipher add to rather than detract from the story. So I should like to give the last word to Bertie who sums up the stories, and indeed life, with one carefully crafted sentence; ‘it’s always just when a fellow particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with a bit of lead piping.’
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Jess rated it:

11/10/07

bookshelves: audiobook

Read in November, 2007

I'm ready to become a Wodehouse fan. This was my first try, a collection of short stories perfectly read. While a passing driver might have seen me slap my knee (yes, literally) while overcome with the humor of it, the stories didn't quite convert me to Wodehouse-ism. The main problem was repetition - most of the stories followed exactly the same pattern: friend gets into trouble, Bertie tries to help, Jeeves steps in, everything goes wrong, Jeeves makes everything right, grateful part...more

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5 comments

Dan rated it:

(review of isbn 0140284087)

06/23/07

Read in February, 2004

This is when the Jeeves and Wooster books were still collections, and as such the book gets awfully repetitive, on top of which the situations aren't given enough time to bloom into outright catastrophes. Still, Wodehouse is always funny, Bertie Wooster is one of the best narrators in prose, and the book contains the only time Jeeves ever narrates--the last story, "Bertie Changes His Mind."

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Lena rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

03/13/08

bookshelves: fiction

An entertaining diversion. Funny, with marvellous use of language. My enjoyment of the book was tempered, however, by the fact that the stories are so similar in theme that they become repetitive when read quickly. Best consumed in small doses.

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5 comments

Elizabeth rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

08/09/08

bookshelves: p-g-wodehouse

Read in July, 2008

I finished it!!! I read it for a book club, and I really like it! I think I'll have to find some more of Wodehouse's books!

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2 comments

Jennifer rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

08/17/08

I love British literature, and Wodehouse is one of the many reasons why!

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Christine rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

10/14/08

bookshelves: shortfiction

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in October, 2008

This book is pretty funny but it suffers a bit for being so formulaic. Every story begins with a friend of Bertie's being in a "fix" of some sort, usually having to do with his source of money - a wealthy aunt or uncle - about to cut off funds. Bertie and friend both being clods, they can't think of what to do to avert the calamity, so Jeeves - Bertie's personal valet - is called in to "rally round."

Jeeves manifests himself and is briefed on the situation: "Extr...more This book is pretty funny but it suffers a bit for being so formulaic. Every story begins with a friend of Bertie's being in a "fix" of some sort, usually having to do with his source of money - a wealthy aunt or uncle - about to cut off funds. Bertie and friend both being clods, they can't think of what to do to avert the calamity, so Jeeves - Bertie's personal valet - is called in to "rally round."

Jeeves manifests himself and is briefed on the situation: "Extremely trying, sir." "Indeed, sir?" "I see, sir." - and then offers some vaguely preposterous scheme that is given all the weight of holy writ even as it unravels in the faces of the two inept clods: "That was always a development to be feared, sir."

The best part of these stories is the high-class British slang of the Twenties, which is quite "corking," and the arguments Bertie and Jeeves have over clothes:

"Jeeves, you don't read a paper called Milay's Boudoir by any chance, do you?"
"No sir, that periodical has not come to my notice."
"Well, spring sixpence on it next week, because my article will appear in it.  [Bertie:] on the well-dressed man, don't you know."
"Indeed sir?"
"Indeed, Jeeves.  I've rather extended myself over this little bijou.  There's a bit about socks I think you will like."
He took the manuscript, brooded over it, and smiled in a gentle, approving way.
"The sock passage is quite in the proper vein, sir."
"Well expressed, what?"
"Extremely, sir."
I watched him narrowly as he read on, and as I was expecting, something of the love-light died out of his eyes.  I braced myself for an unpleasant scene.
"Come to the bit about soft silk shirts with evening wear?"
"Yes, sir," said Jeeves in a low, cold voice, as if he had just been bitten on the leg by a personal friend.  "And if I may be pardoned for saying so -"
"You don't like it?"
"No, sir.  I do not.  Soft silk shirts with evening costume are not worn, sir."
"Jeeves," I said, looking the blighter diametrically in the middle of the eyeball, "they're dashed well going to be.... I have ordered a dozen of those shirtings from Peabody and Sims, and I am bloody well adamant."

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Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

05/06/08

Read in May, 2008

This was a tad disappointing because I had previously read My Man Jeeves and was led to believe that was the first of the Jeeves series. However, this novel had some of the same stories as that former book...in fact, one story was just adapted from Reggie Pepper to Bertie's retelling. Of course, the stories were still engaging, but when one goes in expecting new material, there is slight disappointment when that expectation is not fully met.

That said, Wodehouse is still weaves a del...more

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Riannon rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

08/10/08

These books are hilarious, and I especially love how English they are, which shows up in small things like slang and what the characters have for lunch.

Bertie and Jeeves are both great characters, and Bertie is a likable narrator to follow, although at a few moments in the books I just have to drop my head into my hands and groan because of the predicaments he gets himself into. It's even worse than watching reruns of I Love Lucy; sometimes my predominant feeling while reading Wodehouse is ...more

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Kirsten rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

02/29/08

bookshelves: from-library, read-pre-12-07

Read in December, 2004

It amuses me that the Library of Congress headings for this book listed on my library's computer are: single men; valets; England. True. And yet... :)

This book pretty much fits very well with my recent Dorothy Sayers binge, but has the unfortunate effect of making me want to run around saying "What ho!" and "Dashed annoying, what?" and such even more so than usual. In this collection of stories, Bertie Wooster (who quite freely admits that he is a chump) is guided and car...more

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Wayne rated it:

(review of isbn 0140284087)

07/08/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in July, 2008

This is the first book that I read as a result of finding it on Goodreads. It was in a discussion about Douglas Adams, and P.G. Wodehouse was described as being similar to Adams. I see the similarity, both British, both specialize in the ridiculous.
But Wodehouse was writing 90 years ago and the Jeeves books specifically have to do with the wanderings, and troubles of a dim aristocrat and his butler. I'm sure they were hilarious in the 1920s, but the references just aren't there for me to en...more

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Libbeth rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

10/21/08

bookshelves: 1982-to-1989, humour

Read in May, 1982

I will use this "review" for all the P. G. Wodehouse I have read. I read them all so long ago and enjoyed them so much that I have given them all 5 stars. As I re-read them I will adjust the stars accordingly, if necessary, and add a proper review.
When I first discovered P. G. Wodehouse I devoured every book I could find in the local library, throughout the eighties and early nineties. Alas, this means that I have read most of them and stumbling across one I have not read is a rare t...more

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Jrobertus rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

12/01/08

This is a series of short stories about the genious butler. The little adventures are clever and I love the language and the social insights. Although most of the stories are set before WWI, they are basically timeless.

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Victoria rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

07/11/08

Read in July, 2008

Helen Fielding says, "Reading Wodehouse novels is like dancing wildly to pop records in your living room at three in the morning while glugging alternate mouthfuls of white wine, frozen yogurt, and leftover chocolate from Christmas."
Yes, yes, yes. I was beginning to feel a bit thickheaded, having finished only about 1 in 5 of the books I've picked up this year. So I picked this up mainly to remind myself how good it feels to plow through a book. Several unintentionally loud guffaws ...more

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Jen rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

03/22/08

bookshelves: adult-fiction

Read in March, 2008

I like British humor & sitcoms, so I thought this would be an ideal book for me. In fact, it is a pleasant enough read, with the kind of reserved and subtly biting humor that the Brits are known for. However, about mid-way through the book, which is a collection of very short stories, the plot lines began repeating themselves, and the extreme overuse of words like "rummy" and "what!" started grating, ever so gently, on my nerves. The narrator/main character is a cartoon, ...more

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Tyler rated it:

(review of isbn 0140284087)

10/04/07

Read in March, 2007

I bought this in a bookstore in Albuquerque when I was 13, thinking I was the most hot shit sophisticate at Glenn Junior High. I re-read it earlier this year and picked up on a lot of the subtle comedic turns of phrase that I'd missed the first time around. Also, I really didn't have any conception of what a hangover felt like when I first read it, knowledge which comes in handy in this book's first story. Wodehouse is a master at combining broad situational comedy with the smaller, more dialogu...more

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Amanda rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

11/20/08

bookshelves: read-in-2008

Read in January, 1994

Listened to a most excellent audio version of this in 2008. Highly entertaining, wot ho wot ho wot ho.

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1 comment

Jim rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

04/20/08

Read in April, 2008

When I was still an advertising student, my prof told me about going to an awards show the year that Tom Bodett's commercials won a ton of awards. He pointed out how these ads, so effective on their own, very quickly lost their power when you heard them one after another. I believe Jeeves and Wooster are much the same. Any one or two stories are delightful, but going much further than that at a single sitting is ill advised. The stories begin to fall so much into pattern that you miss out on Wod...more

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Dave rated it:

(review of isbn 0140011749)

12/03/08

bookshelves: humor, short-stories

Read in December, 2008

1)Bertie Wooster (or, more often, one of his friends) gets into a jam. 2)Jeeves comes up with a plan to make everything all right.
3)The plan fails at first but Jeeves is always there behind the scenes top make things right.

These stories stick closely to this formula. Wodehouse isn't very clever when it comes to plot, but obviously the plot isn't the point. It's the amazing prose, the clever humor, and the wonderful characterizations.

The standout stories:
"Jeeves and the Un...more

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Amanda rated it:

(review of isbn 1585673927)

10/24/08

Read in October, 2008

My first exposure to Jeeves & Wooster was the TV program staring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, which was hilarious. On a whim I decided to read the original material and have found it equally funny. Considering that some literature does not age well, I found Wodehouse to be funny and engaging in this writing. A lot of the short stories reminded me of episodes in the TV series but they still were entertaining. I would like to read one of the longer novels and see how Jeeves & Wooster f...more

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