The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 5: Much Obliged, Jeeves / Aunts Aren't Gentlemen and the short stories / Extricating Young Gussie / Jeeves Makes An Omelette / Jeeves and the Greasy Bird

Jeeves #1, 14, 15

by P.G. Wodehouse

Poor Bertie is in the soup again, and throughout this latest omnibus it is only Jeeves who keeps him from being the fish and the main course as well. In these delightful pages you will encounter all the stalwarts who have made the Jeeves novels and short stories the pinnacle of English humour, from Aunts Agatha and Dahlia to Roderick Spode, Tuppy Glossop, Madeline Bassett, Oofy Prosser and Anatole the Chef. At the end even Augustus the cat has come to be much obliged to Jeeves.

This volume contains Much Obliged, Jeeves, Aunts Aren't Gentlemen and the short stories Extricating Young Gussie, Jeeves Makes An Omelette and Jeeves and the Greasy Bird.

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Classics, British Literature, Ebooks, Historical

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE, was a comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success during a career of more than seventy years and continues to be widely read over 40 years after his death. Despite the political and social upheavals that occurred during his life, much of which was spent in France and the United States, Wodehouse's main canvas remained that of prewar English upper-class society, reflecting his birth, education, and youthful writing career.

An acknowledged master of English prose, Wodehouse has been admired both by contemporaries such as Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by more recent writers such as Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend.

Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song Bill in Kern's Show Boat (1927), wrote the lyrics for the Gershwin/Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).

Reviews

[Mervyn Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not shaping up to be the Master's finest. But still better than most of what's out there. I am nearing the end of the first story. It's only about 150 pages long and it's missing the big set piece that defines Wodehouse's greatest J and Ws. In his heyday he would've had Bertie be present at the political debate rather than have Jeeves describe it to him. But the book was written in 1971. When Wodehouse was well into his 80s. So a waning of his powers is to be expected. Having said that some of the prose is still the acme of the written word.

The second in this collection - Aunts Aren't Gentlemen - is the Master (almost) at the top of his form. Not quite the genius of Right Ho, Jeeves! or Code of the Woosters. But darn good for someone who was ninety at the time. It's his last full novel before his death a year later. What a writer. What a career. And I speak as someone who only likes the J and Ws. The Blanding Castles series and most of the other stuff I'm not a huge fan of. It's the J and Ws that define Wodehouse's genius.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Well, perhaps that I have a long, long way to go. Lots more Wodehouse to burn, that can't be a bad thing eh?

In all of the stories in this book, one way or another Bertie contrives to find himself getting married to someone he absolutely doesn't want to, and to top that off, with an angry ex-lover to deal with. This, apart from running into trouble with the usual suspects - Spode, Glossop, Bertie's three dramatically different aunts and more. Now, if you take the usual, and throw in a fistful of collusion of the most impossible circumstances, what do you get? Pure reading fun, of course.

[Harold Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read from an era when "Gentleman" was an occupation and the sun never set on the British Empire. Bertie Wooster is a gentleman with more money than brains, who is always rescued from misadventures by his Gentleman's Gentleman, Jeeves.

Those with a political ax to grind will see the seeds of Britain's decline as a world power in the stories. Others will look at the social implications of a British society with class barriers. I just like to think of it as an enjoyable comedy.

[Pallavi Kamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a chuckle-along book. Plus some great literary references courtesy Jeeves. The situations are ordinary but their treatment is extraordinary which makes this book a must-read.

I can't believe I missed out on the Wodehouse goodness so far. Must make it up by reading more of his books soon!

[Richa · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this, I bid adieu to Bertram Wilberforce Wooster and the inimitable Raginald Jeeves. This book had fresh ideas, so it wasn't as repetetive as the prior books in this omnibus. It was pure pleasure to have read this complete omnibus. I am sure, I will miss them, as if they were my friends in my real life.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeeves and Wooster: two wonderful characters living in a world filled with joy and laughter, beautifully created by P. G. Wodehouse. The endearing slow-witted Bertie stumbles through the text, repeatedly snatched from the jaws of disaster by the outstandingly brilliant Jeeves. An uplifting laugh-out-loud book.

[D J Rout · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection has the last two Jeeves and Wooster novels Wodehouse wrote, and three short stories including the first one, 'Extricating Young Gussie', which appears to have been rewritten at some point after its initial appearance, since Bertie refers to 'my man, Jeeves' in it, whereas from what I recall Jeeves wasn't named in the story's first appearance.

While it's possible to spot Wosehouse's overuse of some familiar expresssion, such as when Bertie says 'if that's the word I want' when using a complicated or unusual word, these only distract from the humour because of their familiarity. While those expressions are part of Bertie's style, the use of them multiple times shows that Wodehouse wasn't putting the maximum effort into crafting these Bertie-isms. Still, 'burgeoning, if burgeoning means what I think it means' still stands up as one of Berite's best asides.

He kept this up for so long, too. 'Extricating Young Gussie' is from 1917; 'Aunts Aren't Gentlemen' is from 1974. We could all wish for a career that long and that good.

[Neil Saltmarsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading anything by P.G. Wodehouse is a delight. I chuckle and laugh and although at the end of the Jeeves and Wooster collection and not as good, it is still a funny and enjoyable read. I am really going to miss no longer being on this journey but finishing it. Wonderful characters but don't start with this one, start with Omnibus 1 and continue so that you get the full development of Jeeves, Wooster, the Aunts and the galaxy of friends and acquaintances that make this world a joy to inhabit.

[Stephen Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

At last! After almost 11 years I have now read all the Jeeves & Wooster novels and stories of P.G. Wodehouse. Was it worth it? Impossible to answer, but I’m somehow glad I did. I read them chronologically and even though there’s the inevitable decline in quality as the series progresses, even the final novel has enough laughs (and is short enough) to keep the reader engaged. But I don’t recommend doing what I did unless you’re a completist. The first few novels are the best.

[Gene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. The writing style is clever and unique. The stories were sufficiently interesting and quite humorous. After recently immersing myself in books of philosophy, this book was a very welcome change of pace. I will certainly be eager to read the other Wodehouse books on my shelf.

[Jyoti Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

P G is good for all times, any time, any mood - I read PG when I am sad/ angry / upset/ depressed and his books are better than any tonic. If I am happy, reading PG makes me feel on top of the world. A writer for all moods.

[Shruti · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could Jeeves every disappoint a reader?

[Vyvien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sparkling collection by PG Wodehouse, an excellent diversion from COVID lethargy. I laughed out loud on almost every page.

[Nikitha Mahesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first p.g. wodehouse book and i definitely wasn't disappointed !! this was so funny and the writing style is simple and easy to read heh

[DocNora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much easier on the eye than the vintage orange penguins I used to read as a child and teen.

[Andy Blanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

The usual riot of aunts, engagements, scrapes and predicaments with Jeeves’ wise counsel saving the day. Timeless fun.

[Collin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been my summer of not reading--at first it was too hot in the non-airconditioned house to read (I've gotten weird looks for saying that, but I cannot maintain motivation to read when it's unbearably hot and stuffy), and by the time we fixed it I was out of the habit--but I've eased myself back in over the last week with this Jeeves Omnibus, which consists of Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves; The Inimitable Jeeves; and Carry On, Jeeves.

Stiff Upper Lip Jeeves - Originally published as a novel proper instead of a collection of short stories, it's the only slow breather of the 3 books, and it's an absolute pleasure to read. The atmosphere perfectly fits the material. I know I'm into it when I mentally old-school pronounce the 'ed' of past tense verbs as I'm reading and pepper my own conversations with the vocab. 5 stars.

The Inimitable Jeeves - According to wikipedia, for this book they collected 11 short stories, originally published in magazines and only tenuously related, and bizarrely redivided them to fit into 18 total chapters (the 'bizarrely' bit was from me, not wikipedia). They're a bit hectic/rapid-fire, which is an unfortunate contrast to SULJ. I didn't weary of Bingo like my sister did, but on the other hand I got pretty annoyed at the endless, meaningless "what"s thrown into most of the dialogue. 3 stars.

Carry On, Jeeves - Another collection, but apparently presented as written. The stories are not necessarily related by theme or content, but they are more linked. By this point in his career, I think Wodehouse had realized he could do this forever and began slowing down, easing back on the unnecessary dialogue, and making casual references to both previous and upcoming stories. He also started to backfill some of the Wooster-and-Jeeves-get-together story, and you get that here. 4 stars.

I wonder a little about why they put the 3 books in this particular order. Besides being in reverse alphabetical order (whoever did that may have a personal grudge against me. I now do against him), they are in no chronological order whatsoever. In fact, SULJ makes reference to several stories that happen in COJ. Not that you need to read them in order, fortunately, but it's slightly weird to read them out of order.

[Tamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was James Herriot's favorite book, and apparently he read it over and over, and thought it was hilarious. I'd never heard of it before, but have since found out that there are Wodehouse Fanatics out there who have paved the way for newcomers like me. (Who knew there are so many Wodehouse books, for instance, or that Hugh Laurie stars as Wooster in a series called Jeeves and Wooster?)

It took me a little while to figure out the humor, since I'm not English and had no introduction to Wooster's style. Once I got the hang of it, though: HILARIOUS. Laugh out loud funny.

I think the 3 books in the Omnibus have to be reviewed seperately:
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves
Carry On, Jeeves
Hence I have reviewed them seperately.

The first book is a very different style than the second two books. The first is written like a novel, with each chapter being dependent on the chapters before. The second two are not this way: each chapter is a separate story that starts and ends completely independent of the others. Inimitable Jeeves ties all the stories together at the end, and they all have a common thread anyway: Bingo Little (a character that I hate (he's much more lovable in the movie series)). Carry On, Jeeves, however, has no common thread that I can see, other than that each story is hilarious.

Long story short:
Loved Stiff Upper Lip. Drug myself through Inimitable. Loved Carry On, Jeeves. All in all, then, a worthwhile collection of Jeeves stories.

Bonus:
Carry On, Jeeves tells how Wooster ended up with Jeeves in the first place. Also, the last chapter in Carry On, Jeeves is written by Jeeves, not Wooster, and it's also delightful. All hail Wodehouse!

[Barbara Phillips-Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much Obliged, Jeeves, was just as terrific as any other Wodehouse novel. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The five volumes in this series of the complete Jeeves and Wooster are completely out of order, and it's a fact that frustrates me far more than necessary. These are frothy comic gems to be enjoyed individually, but there's no point making it difficult for fans to appreciate them in the right chronology!

The final volume is an attempt to collect the odds-and-ends of the series. The final two novels are here: the rather amusing Much Obliged, Jeeves and the slightly tired Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (still humourous, but written well into the author's 10th decade). These are followed by the three short stories that aren't always found in other collections. "Extricating Young Gussie", the earliest Jeeves short story which is usually seen as a blueprint or pilot episode; "Jeeves Makes an Omelette", a reworking of an early (1913) Wodehouse story which the author resurrected in 1958 for magazine publication; and "Jeeves and the Greasy Bird", the last of the short stories, published in magazine form in late 1965.

[angrykitty]

i wanted this book so badly, in order to have all 5 omnibus' that i actaully bought it from amazon.uk. totally nuts.

much oblighed, jeeves (13th book)

aunts aren't gentlemen (14th book)

extricating young gussie: this is actually the very first jeeves story. i'll be reading it as soon as i finish carry on, jeeves.

jeeves makes an omelette: another short story, this one coming after jeeves and teh feudal spirit.

jeeves and the greasy bird: the last single story. written after stiff upper lip, jeeves.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay, I admit it...I skimmed this book rather than READ it. But all of the stories were favorites of mine from the TV show...episodes of which I've watched several times, so while I enjoyed reading the original words, I knew what would happen at every turn and hence, the reading was a bit boring. Wodehouse is hilarious though/

[Siri]

Same old, same old... Bertie Wooster travels to country estates, accidentally becomes engaged to Women of Great Dislike, and has to rely on Jeeves to get him out of these sticky situations. And yet, I find myself enjoying this last of the Jeeves Omnibuses more than the previous four; perhaps because it is significantly shorter.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.G. Wodehouse wrote like a fiend, and his particular specialty was soft, intelligent, wry humour. Whenever I read Wodehouse's work, I find myself smiling and smiling -- always makes me feel good. Gentle stories in a language that is beautifully wrought.

[AJW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly all good things come to an end. And it is to the end of all the Jeeves & Wooster stories I've arrived at.

This is the slimmest volume of the 5-set & the stories are perhaps not as hot as some of the earlier ones, though I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Troy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are the later collections of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster stories, and though they are certainly more sporadic and a little bit more random in storyline, I received the same level of enjoyment from reading them. There is simply no way that these stories don't leave you 100% satisfied.

[Chris Passingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the last two short stories in this omnibus but I can't see why they couldn't have published the stories in the order in which they were first written. This could be incredibly confusing and could put off some readers.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this hilarious Jeeves and Wooster book. It was funny, intelligent, entertaining, and kept my interest from start to finish. Straight out funny, hilarious, and it mirrors life.

Made into television episodes with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

💥 Recommended.
📺

[Faith B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very light, bright, and sparkling, so if you only read serious heavy stuff, you won't like it. I, however, loved it. :)

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard not to enjoy Wodehouse. Light, hilarious, and very snarky.