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Jeeves & Wooster - Homage to P.G. Wodehouse #1
Jeeves and the King of Clubs
Storm clouds loom over Europe. Treason is afoot in the highest social circles. The very security of the nation is in peril. Jeeves, it transpires, has long been an agent of British Intelligence, but now His Majesty's Government must turn to the one man who can help . . . Bertie Wooster.
In this magnificent new homage to P. G. Wodehouse, Ben Schott leads Jeeves and Wooster on an uproarious adventure of espionage through the secret corridors of Whitehall, the sunlit lawns of Brinkley Court, and the private clubs of St James's.
We encounter an unforgettable cast of characters – old and new – including outraged chefs and exasperated aunts, disreputable politicians and gambling bankers, slushy debs and Cockney cabbies, sphinx-like tailors, and sylph-like spies.
There is treachery to be foiled, naturally, but also horses to be backed, auctions to be fixed, engagements to be escaped, madmen to be blackballed, and a new variety of condiment to be cooked up.
'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' is essential reading for aficionados of The Master, and a perfect introduction to the joys of Jeeves and Wooster for those who have never before dipped their toe.
'Impossible to read without grinning idiotically.'
- Mark Sanderson, Evening Standard
Bibliographical note: Although the cover reads 'Jeeves and the King of Clubs' , the half-title and tile page read 'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' and this is how it is catalogued above. In addition the title page does state, separate from the actual title, 'An homage to P.G. Wodehouse authorised by the Wodehouse Estate' and adds, 'With Authorial Endnotes'.
In this magnificent new homage to P. G. Wodehouse, Ben Schott leads Jeeves and Wooster on an uproarious adventure of espionage through the secret corridors of Whitehall, the sunlit lawns of Brinkley Court, and the private clubs of St James's.
We encounter an unforgettable cast of characters – old and new – including outraged chefs and exasperated aunts, disreputable politicians and gambling bankers, slushy debs and Cockney cabbies, sphinx-like tailors, and sylph-like spies.
There is treachery to be foiled, naturally, but also horses to be backed, auctions to be fixed, engagements to be escaped, madmen to be blackballed, and a new variety of condiment to be cooked up.
'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' is essential reading for aficionados of The Master, and a perfect introduction to the joys of Jeeves and Wooster for those who have never before dipped their toe.
'Impossible to read without grinning idiotically.'
- Mark Sanderson, Evening Standard
Bibliographical note: Although the cover reads 'Jeeves and the King of Clubs' , the half-title and tile page read 'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' and this is how it is catalogued above. In addition the title page does state, separate from the actual title, 'An homage to P.G. Wodehouse authorised by the Wodehouse Estate' and adds, 'With Authorial Endnotes'.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
November 9, 2018
Against all my expectations and much to my delight, this was simply wonderful. Schott is a b of fresh a.
As in all of the Wodehouse canon, the quotable passages are legion. Here is but one:
"I woke unusually early and unexpectedly refreshed, the way people pretend you do after a long cross-country run."
Whether Wodehouse is a stranger to you or a lifelong friend, this book will most definitely entertain and leave you wanting more.
One thing is certain: I'm sure we haven't seen the last of S's J and W.
As in all of the Wodehouse canon, the quotable passages are legion. Here is but one:
"I woke unusually early and unexpectedly refreshed, the way people pretend you do after a long cross-country run."
Whether Wodehouse is a stranger to you or a lifelong friend, this book will most definitely entertain and leave you wanting more.
One thing is certain: I'm sure we haven't seen the last of S's J and W.
April 12, 2019
Jeeves, the gentlemens'' gentleman is back in a mysterious adventure that taxes his mighty brain.
And of course there is also Bertie Wooster happily bumbling along.
On meeting Aunt Dahlia
"I felt sure we’d bump into each other, and I was right. London’s such a little village, isn’t it?’
‘Up to a point, aged thing. There are, in fact, many millions of us.’
‘I only count the people who matter, Bertie. And there are precious few of them.’
Aunt logic is an immovable object; aunts themselves an unstoppable force.
A Jeeves lecture on the nomenclature of onomatopoeia
‘What rot! Anything can clump or clank. The words are interwhatsitable.’
‘Sadly, sir, I must respectfully disagree. Clump is a sound made by non-metallic articles – heavy boots, perhaps, or boxing gloves. Metals clink, clank, or, periodically, clunk. I would draw your attention to the sound of silver coins, prison shackles, and padlocks, respectively. Wordsworth, you will recall, described “clanking chains” as “perfect liberty”, and Tennyson penned “unlifted was the clinking latch”. Glassware also clinks, sir, but only when suitably thin and hollow; you may have noticed that full bottles clunk. Thudding is noteworthy since, like clumping, it is cognate with ametallous collisions, such as horses’ hooves impacting on turf. Metals only thud when striking softer surfaces – an anvil, for instance, dropped onto a Persian carpet. When heavy metals like church bells percuss they ring or clang. Smaller bells tinkle or chime, especially when observed by poets, sir, who often concern themselves with the subject of tintinnabulation.’
We drove in silence for a mile or so.
‘Finished, Jeeves?’
‘Yes, sir.’
A Bertie quotes
‘It’s possible,’ she conceded, ‘that Monty might be a tabula rasa.’
‘I’m sure he’d shave more often if you asked him.’
...
What’s the thing to thing, Jeeves, that’s thinged with those thingummies?’
He closed one eye and tapped out the syllables, like a pianist practising scales.‘The road to hell, sir? That is paved with good intentions?’
...
I woke unusually early and unexpectedly refreshed, the way people pretend you do after a long cross-country run.
...
‘Have you ever wondered,’ I enquired over the toasted soldiers, ‘why chickens and pigs, who rarely see eye to eye in the farmyard, are so utterly congenial on the plate?’
‘No, sir.’
‘It’s a mysterious thing.’
‘Is it, sir?’
I gestured to my plate. ‘Eggs and bacon. Chicken and pigs.’
...
Who was it who said marriage exists not only to punish the guilty but also to protect the innocent?’
‘I believe the maxim is more usually applied to prison, sir, although one can appreciate the parallels.
...
A car chase - in a Jeeves story?
In this novel we go past all the historical buildings and streets of London at breakneck speed!
Why a car chase? Because Bertie Wooster and his man servant Jeeves are now working for His Majesty's Secret Service!
Enjoy!
.
And of course there is also Bertie Wooster happily bumbling along.
On meeting Aunt Dahlia
"I felt sure we’d bump into each other, and I was right. London’s such a little village, isn’t it?’
‘Up to a point, aged thing. There are, in fact, many millions of us.’
‘I only count the people who matter, Bertie. And there are precious few of them.’
Aunt logic is an immovable object; aunts themselves an unstoppable force.
A Jeeves lecture on the nomenclature of onomatopoeia
‘What rot! Anything can clump or clank. The words are interwhatsitable.’
‘Sadly, sir, I must respectfully disagree. Clump is a sound made by non-metallic articles – heavy boots, perhaps, or boxing gloves. Metals clink, clank, or, periodically, clunk. I would draw your attention to the sound of silver coins, prison shackles, and padlocks, respectively. Wordsworth, you will recall, described “clanking chains” as “perfect liberty”, and Tennyson penned “unlifted was the clinking latch”. Glassware also clinks, sir, but only when suitably thin and hollow; you may have noticed that full bottles clunk. Thudding is noteworthy since, like clumping, it is cognate with ametallous collisions, such as horses’ hooves impacting on turf. Metals only thud when striking softer surfaces – an anvil, for instance, dropped onto a Persian carpet. When heavy metals like church bells percuss they ring or clang. Smaller bells tinkle or chime, especially when observed by poets, sir, who often concern themselves with the subject of tintinnabulation.’
We drove in silence for a mile or so.
‘Finished, Jeeves?’
‘Yes, sir.’
A Bertie quotes
‘It’s possible,’ she conceded, ‘that Monty might be a tabula rasa.’
‘I’m sure he’d shave more often if you asked him.’
...
What’s the thing to thing, Jeeves, that’s thinged with those thingummies?’
He closed one eye and tapped out the syllables, like a pianist practising scales.‘The road to hell, sir? That is paved with good intentions?’
...
I woke unusually early and unexpectedly refreshed, the way people pretend you do after a long cross-country run.
...
‘Have you ever wondered,’ I enquired over the toasted soldiers, ‘why chickens and pigs, who rarely see eye to eye in the farmyard, are so utterly congenial on the plate?’
‘No, sir.’
‘It’s a mysterious thing.’
‘Is it, sir?’
I gestured to my plate. ‘Eggs and bacon. Chicken and pigs.’
...
Who was it who said marriage exists not only to punish the guilty but also to protect the innocent?’
‘I believe the maxim is more usually applied to prison, sir, although one can appreciate the parallels.
...
A car chase - in a Jeeves story?
In this novel we go past all the historical buildings and streets of London at breakneck speed!
Why a car chase? Because Bertie Wooster and his man servant Jeeves are now working for His Majesty's Secret Service!
Enjoy!
.
November 23, 2019
This tribute to Wodehouse and the world of Jeeves by Ben Schott was really good. When it comes to the expressions and metaphors that Wodehouse was so good at, Schott is in the same league. My only (minor) complaints have to do with plotting, genre, and the fact that Bertie is a tad too intelligent. And the story verges toward an adventure hugger mugger with actual stakes in a way that was a bit disorienting. Still, all that said, this was well worth reading.
April 1, 2020
This isn't PG Wodehouse, but, my lads, it's very, very close.
Basically, author Ben Schott has taken the beloved characters of Reginald Jeeves and Bertram Wooster and added a delightful little twist:
What if Jeeves were secretly ... *drumroll* ... A SPY? And what if he and Bertie were tasked with tracking down fascists and traitors, in a deceptively sunny version of 1930s London where All Is Not As It Seems?
What I love, absolutely love, about this pastiche is how completely it respects the spirit of the original. Wodehouse did look askance at right-wing nationalists (see: Roderick Spode), and Jeeves was 100% clever enough and secretive enough to make a top-notch spy. A lot of his behavior in the original books (knows everything about everybody, always manipulating events behind the scenes, occasionally disappears on mysterious 'fishing trips') is completely in line with espionage work. So yeah ... I just really like that Ben Schott isn't just throwing a curveball in here; he's clearly thought long and hard about what fits with the canon and what doesn't.
The spy angle raises the stakes just enough to get us interested in a 'new' Jeeves & Wooster story--like, I wouldn't have read this if it promised to give me 'more of the same.' I'd just go back and re-read the Old Master, aka Wodehouse himself, for the umpteenth time. Cuz he deserves it. But Schott, also, has proven he deserves our attention, after this excellent showing.
Also: I appreciated that Schott imitated Wodehouse's linguistic style without slavishly COPYING it: you can tell it's not written by the same guy, yet the wordplay and puns are still Wodehouse-ian in their quality. I came across more than one line that made me close my eyes and giggle in sheer delight, because, "yes."
Finally, because this technically falls into the category of historical fiction ... it was really cool how the narrative wove in explanations and context clues about upper-class British culture which Wodehouse himself wouldn't have included because HIS audience would have KNOWN them already. Like, there's this whole passage where Bertie visits a tailor and we get to see exactly what the relationship between a gentleman and his tailor is, the set of expectations and unwritten rules on each side. It's hilarious (b/c Bertie, obvs.), but it's also super INFORMATIVE. In the original stories, Bertie talks a lot about going to the tailor and "bespeaking" this or that item of clothing, but we never actually see it. Now, we do.
All in all, this was a highly engaging romp and I wouldn't mind reading more of same. #hint, hint *waggles eyebrows @Ben Schott*
Basically, author Ben Schott has taken the beloved characters of Reginald Jeeves and Bertram Wooster and added a delightful little twist:
What if Jeeves were secretly ... *drumroll* ... A SPY? And what if he and Bertie were tasked with tracking down fascists and traitors, in a deceptively sunny version of 1930s London where All Is Not As It Seems?
What I love, absolutely love, about this pastiche is how completely it respects the spirit of the original. Wodehouse did look askance at right-wing nationalists (see: Roderick Spode), and Jeeves was 100% clever enough and secretive enough to make a top-notch spy. A lot of his behavior in the original books (knows everything about everybody, always manipulating events behind the scenes, occasionally disappears on mysterious 'fishing trips') is completely in line with espionage work. So yeah ... I just really like that Ben Schott isn't just throwing a curveball in here; he's clearly thought long and hard about what fits with the canon and what doesn't.
The spy angle raises the stakes just enough to get us interested in a 'new' Jeeves & Wooster story--like, I wouldn't have read this if it promised to give me 'more of the same.' I'd just go back and re-read the Old Master, aka Wodehouse himself, for the umpteenth time. Cuz he deserves it. But Schott, also, has proven he deserves our attention, after this excellent showing.
Also: I appreciated that Schott imitated Wodehouse's linguistic style without slavishly COPYING it: you can tell it's not written by the same guy, yet the wordplay and puns are still Wodehouse-ian in their quality. I came across more than one line that made me close my eyes and giggle in sheer delight, because, "yes."
Finally, because this technically falls into the category of historical fiction ... it was really cool how the narrative wove in explanations and context clues about upper-class British culture which Wodehouse himself wouldn't have included because HIS audience would have KNOWN them already. Like, there's this whole passage where Bertie visits a tailor and we get to see exactly what the relationship between a gentleman and his tailor is, the set of expectations and unwritten rules on each side. It's hilarious (b/c Bertie, obvs.), but it's also super INFORMATIVE. In the original stories, Bertie talks a lot about going to the tailor and "bespeaking" this or that item of clothing, but we never actually see it. Now, we do.
All in all, this was a highly engaging romp and I wouldn't mind reading more of same. #hint, hint *waggles eyebrows @Ben Schott*
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 21, 2019Things got off to a brisk start with a convincing Wodehousian voice, but three weeks later the book was due at the library and I'd only made it to 25%. I'm not sure whether the problem was with me, the book, or maybe just the timing. I'd encourage Wodehouse fans to give it a try, and there's a slim but non-zero chance I'll borrow it again in the future and pick up where I left off.
December 7, 2018
Countless chortles per chapter!
A rattling good yarn, commendably high chuckle-rate and the author’s clear love and respect for its originator means that this Wodehouse homage should appeal to aficionados and newbies alike.
There’s a terrific glossary at the end but where Ben Schott has been particularly clever is that he has set up a premise for both Jeeves and Wooster that could run and run. Wooster in intelligence? What-ho!
A rattling good yarn, commendably high chuckle-rate and the author’s clear love and respect for its originator means that this Wodehouse homage should appeal to aficionados and newbies alike.
There’s a terrific glossary at the end but where Ben Schott has been particularly clever is that he has set up a premise for both Jeeves and Wooster that could run and run. Wooster in intelligence? What-ho!
October 25, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an eGalley of this novel.
What a delightful reading experience this book was. It was as if a new Jeeves and Wooster by P. G. Wodehouse had been discovered in a trunk in an attic somewhere. I have to say, I'm pretty much a stickler when it comes to my Jeeves and Wooster but Ben Schott has done a great job recreating the whole atmosphere of a J&W novel. The humor is both dry and slapstick at the same time - check. Jeeves is an absolute expert on everything and I still believed it - check. Bertie and other Eggs, Crumpets and Beans are outlandish and loveable - check. Now, add a mission to be a spy for His Majesty's Government and....well I don't know how it could get much better than that.
Once again Bertie has to use all of the tricks and stratagems he can come up with to escape the marriage snares lurking 'round every corner. If you are familiar with the original stories, you will find situations mentioned in those books are continued on in this one to give both a sense of familiarity and a desire to see how Jeeves will save the day this time. It turns out Bertie is quite good at this spy business so I'm thinking (and sincerely hoping) that there will be more adventures along these lines in the future. In fact, I'm ready for that trip to Scotland right now.
What a delightful reading experience this book was. It was as if a new Jeeves and Wooster by P. G. Wodehouse had been discovered in a trunk in an attic somewhere. I have to say, I'm pretty much a stickler when it comes to my Jeeves and Wooster but Ben Schott has done a great job recreating the whole atmosphere of a J&W novel. The humor is both dry and slapstick at the same time - check. Jeeves is an absolute expert on everything and I still believed it - check. Bertie and other Eggs, Crumpets and Beans are outlandish and loveable - check. Now, add a mission to be a spy for His Majesty's Government and....well I don't know how it could get much better than that.
Once again Bertie has to use all of the tricks and stratagems he can come up with to escape the marriage snares lurking 'round every corner. If you are familiar with the original stories, you will find situations mentioned in those books are continued on in this one to give both a sense of familiarity and a desire to see how Jeeves will save the day this time. It turns out Bertie is quite good at this spy business so I'm thinking (and sincerely hoping) that there will be more adventures along these lines in the future. In fact, I'm ready for that trip to Scotland right now.
June 13, 2020
I won this book through a giveaway in exchange for an honest review...
I’m not going to lie, I was a tiny bit hesitant to read this book because of the cover...yes, I know...judging a book by its cover and all that jazz...however, I’m super glad that I did, because I actually really enjoyed this read! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because of the ending. I felt like the only wrapped up part of the story, but didn’t wrap up the suspense piece with the Ganymede club. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Very fun read! Loved the language and the witty banter throughout, especially between Wooster and Jeeves. And because this was meant to be a homage to Wodehouse, I am now inclined to check out his books in the distant future!
I’m not going to lie, I was a tiny bit hesitant to read this book because of the cover...yes, I know...judging a book by its cover and all that jazz...however, I’m super glad that I did, because I actually really enjoyed this read! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because of the ending. I felt like the only wrapped up part of the story, but didn’t wrap up the suspense piece with the Ganymede club. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Very fun read! Loved the language and the witty banter throughout, especially between Wooster and Jeeves. And because this was meant to be a homage to Wodehouse, I am now inclined to check out his books in the distant future!
January 1, 2019
Sadly, at around the halfway point, I've just abandoned Jeeves and the King of Clubs: A Novel in Homage to P.G. Wodehouse (2018), the new Jeeves and Wooster novel, this time written by Ben Schott.
Perhaps it was because I've read so much of P.G. Wodehouse's work this year that I was feeling somewhat intolerant but to my disappointment Ben Schott's homage simply doesn't flow in the manner of PGW. It all feels too laboured, as if Mr Schott is trying far too hard to cram in the bon mots and the sparkling prose. There are some amusing lines and pleasing scenes but nowhere near enough.
My expectations were fairly high. As an avid P.G. Wodehouse fan, I'd thoroughly enjoyed Sebastian Faulks's recent homage to Jeeves and Wooster - Jeeves and the Wedding Bells (2013) - which I consider every bit as good as the real thing.
Ben Schott's convoluted narrative fails to imitate the deft plotting of P.G. Wodehouse and lacks the master's economy and crispness. None of Jeeves and the King of Clubs: A Novel in Homage to P.G. Wodehouse rings true, worse I was annoyed by what I read.
This sorry reading experience makes me realise just how hard it is to get this sort of thing right, and P.G. Wodehouse's incredible skill, talent and consistency.
2/5
Jeeves and the King of Clubs: A Novel in Homage to P.G. Wodehouse
Perhaps it was because I've read so much of P.G. Wodehouse's work this year that I was feeling somewhat intolerant but to my disappointment Ben Schott's homage simply doesn't flow in the manner of PGW. It all feels too laboured, as if Mr Schott is trying far too hard to cram in the bon mots and the sparkling prose. There are some amusing lines and pleasing scenes but nowhere near enough.
My expectations were fairly high. As an avid P.G. Wodehouse fan, I'd thoroughly enjoyed Sebastian Faulks's recent homage to Jeeves and Wooster - Jeeves and the Wedding Bells (2013) - which I consider every bit as good as the real thing.
Ben Schott's convoluted narrative fails to imitate the deft plotting of P.G. Wodehouse and lacks the master's economy and crispness. None of Jeeves and the King of Clubs: A Novel in Homage to P.G. Wodehouse rings true, worse I was annoyed by what I read.
This sorry reading experience makes me realise just how hard it is to get this sort of thing right, and P.G. Wodehouse's incredible skill, talent and consistency.
2/5
Jeeves and the King of Clubs: A Novel in Homage to P.G. Wodehouse
March 10, 2019
Brilliant! Schott has delivered a wonderful and freshly conceived entry back into the world of Wooster and Jeeves filled with crazy adventures and non-stop humour. What a pleasure to read!
November 15, 2018
It was supposed to snow today, so I took a flier on something that could easily have been tepid at best, a sacrilege at worst: a Jeeves and Wooster homage, and a novel at that. I was secretly rooting for Ben Schott from the get-go, in the way one hopes the underdog will at least show some pluck.
Pluck it is, and then some. I got no hint of the 'uncanny valley' with these familiar characters. All the DNA is here, the density and voice; to wit, a rather random passage:
A wise king once observed that the saddest words in the English language are 'Shall we go straight through to dinner?' And so it was, with unslaked melancholy, that I turned on my heel and ankled across the hall to the coffee room.
I was accosted at the threshold by the maitre d', who was equipped with one of those accents so madly French you feel sure they are working it for a bet.
Sadly, one can read whole shelves today and not get such wit, observance, and atmosphere. If the author should have designs on a series, I may have to make room for some new books.
December 30, 2018
"I was idling away the pre-cocktail ennui, flicking cards into the coal scuttle, when in buttled Jeeves with the quenching tray"
From the first line, this book absolutely hooked me in. When I closed the back cover, all I could say way "What a smashing good book". I've laughed out loud, snickered, and read with a goofy permagrin on my face the antics and predicaments of Bertie Wooster. I don't know half as much about Wodehouse as I'd like to know, but I found Schott's homage to him to be spot on and very much in the vein of his writing. This truly is a book to lift the spirits and simply feel good.
Tinkety-tonk! to quote a great man.
From the first line, this book absolutely hooked me in. When I closed the back cover, all I could say way "What a smashing good book". I've laughed out loud, snickered, and read with a goofy permagrin on my face the antics and predicaments of Bertie Wooster. I don't know half as much about Wodehouse as I'd like to know, but I found Schott's homage to him to be spot on and very much in the vein of his writing. This truly is a book to lift the spirits and simply feel good.
Tinkety-tonk! to quote a great man.
January 4, 2019
Schott gets 5 stars for not only nailing PGW, but doing him proud - and encouraging me - and I hope many others - to dive back into the oeuvres. Tremendously enjoyable and clever; I haven’t had this much fun with a recently written book in a long time.
May 1, 2020
Ben Schott does declare on the title page of this book, 'An homage to P.G. Wodehouse' and adds, authorised by the Wodehouse Estate'. No wonder it is authorised because it is so in the style of PG that the Master might have written it himself. And he would have been proud to have done so. The similes Ben Schott uses, for examples, seem to be straight from the Wodehouse pen, such as Aunt Dahlia's soup being described as, 'rather like eating electricity with a rusty knife'.
Bertie is his usual self, a flippant man about town who flirts with the girls, many of whom he has at one time been engaged to, spends his time in the various clubs in St James's, particularly the Drones Club, and has regular spats with his Aunt Dahlia. Meanwhile Jeeves tries to keep everything together in his inimitable fashion. But is there more to him than just being the gentleman's gentleman?
Roderick Spode, the seventh Earl of Sidcup features strongly and Bertie is drawn into the corridors of power in Whitehall in an hilarious attempt to subjugate Spode's activities. All the while Florence Craye, one of the ladies once engaged to Bertie, is launching her latest play called 'Flotsam'. This also gets Bertie heavily involved in the opening night, which in typical Bertie fashion leads to chaos.
There are plenty of sub-plots all along the way, auctions to be rigged, horses to be backed, supposed madmen to be blackballed, tailors to be manipulated and a most amusing attempt by Aunt Dahlia to launch a new condiment, much to chef Anatole's chagrin. And all the time Jeeves is there to invest his calming influence over the whole thing.
In addition the book has what Ben Schott describes as 'authorial endnotes. These are fantastic. Unlike footnotes - the view of which I agree with Noel Coward's 'Having to read footnotes resembles having to go downstairs to answer the door while in the midst of making love' [not that I have ever done such a thing!] - these are eminently readable and do not have any direct reference to the text number-wise but are immediately identifiable by their subject. They are brilliantly conceived, funny and informative, so much so that one of them. 'Third circle of Hell' is something of a description of our circumstances at present as in Dante's 'Inferno' this realm is inhabited by gluttons and winebibbers - I am not a wine drinker but I do imbibe Vimto and fruit juices aplenty as well as undertake too much comfort eating while being in lock-down, so I could well fit comfortably, indeed, all too comfortably, into the 'Third circle of Hell'!
Ben Schott has produced a superb work in the Wodehouse vein and there is plenty of laughter throughout and 'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' fits very much into the Wodehouse canon for as well as being a great introduction to his work for those who have not previously turned his pages, it is essential reading for the true aficionados.
Bertie is his usual self, a flippant man about town who flirts with the girls, many of whom he has at one time been engaged to, spends his time in the various clubs in St James's, particularly the Drones Club, and has regular spats with his Aunt Dahlia. Meanwhile Jeeves tries to keep everything together in his inimitable fashion. But is there more to him than just being the gentleman's gentleman?
Roderick Spode, the seventh Earl of Sidcup features strongly and Bertie is drawn into the corridors of power in Whitehall in an hilarious attempt to subjugate Spode's activities. All the while Florence Craye, one of the ladies once engaged to Bertie, is launching her latest play called 'Flotsam'. This also gets Bertie heavily involved in the opening night, which in typical Bertie fashion leads to chaos.
There are plenty of sub-plots all along the way, auctions to be rigged, horses to be backed, supposed madmen to be blackballed, tailors to be manipulated and a most amusing attempt by Aunt Dahlia to launch a new condiment, much to chef Anatole's chagrin. And all the time Jeeves is there to invest his calming influence over the whole thing.
In addition the book has what Ben Schott describes as 'authorial endnotes. These are fantastic. Unlike footnotes - the view of which I agree with Noel Coward's 'Having to read footnotes resembles having to go downstairs to answer the door while in the midst of making love' [not that I have ever done such a thing!] - these are eminently readable and do not have any direct reference to the text number-wise but are immediately identifiable by their subject. They are brilliantly conceived, funny and informative, so much so that one of them. 'Third circle of Hell' is something of a description of our circumstances at present as in Dante's 'Inferno' this realm is inhabited by gluttons and winebibbers - I am not a wine drinker but I do imbibe Vimto and fruit juices aplenty as well as undertake too much comfort eating while being in lock-down, so I could well fit comfortably, indeed, all too comfortably, into the 'Third circle of Hell'!
Ben Schott has produced a superb work in the Wodehouse vein and there is plenty of laughter throughout and 'Jeeves & the King of Clubs' fits very much into the Wodehouse canon for as well as being a great introduction to his work for those who have not previously turned his pages, it is essential reading for the true aficionados.
April 18, 2022
A thoroughly delightful time. (Small points nicked off the score because it was a bit too long. But, again I say, delightful.)
February 22, 2020
A divinely hilarious homage for P.G. Wodehouse. Superbly read by James Lance. Like SueKich has written: Countless chortles per chapter!
Thank you Emilia Barnes - I have tried it only thanks to you.
Thank you Emilia Barnes - I have tried it only thanks to you.
June 11, 2022
3.5 stars. A credible and entertaining extension of the Jeeves and Wooster series. I may try another in the series.
December 16, 2018
When reading this, I viewed it separately from any Wodehouse Jeeves and Wooster book since it is an homage and since there's only ever been one Wodehouse--and he's dead. But even viewing it as a separate novel, I thought it was just okay. One thing that really gets my goat with historical fiction is when authors explain things that readers of the time wouldn't need explained and narrators would never explain. Let us figure out through context, without lengthy exposition, that Wooster's new slippers aren't bedroom slippers but a type of outdoor shoe. That's something a reader of the time would take for granted (and something we, as readers, are smart enough to figure out) and explaining things like this only takes the reader out of the story and reminds them that it's not the character speaking, it's the author. There was a similar approach to jokes. Instead of letting the jokes speak for themselves, the author elbows the reader with an "Eh? Eh?" to make sure we're in on it.
If I did want to compare it to Wodehouse's Wooster and Jeeves, the characters are not familiar. Schott's Wooster is too smart, too suave, too quippy, and with too much common sense. His Jeeves felt wrong somehow, kind of blank and not in Jeeves's affected way. But writing another author's characters is not something I think anyone can master, really.
I wanted to love this after hearing Schott's interview on NPR because he's obviously a Wodehouse fan, and there are fun references of people and events from Wodehouse's novels--though often gratuitous references, like the whole scene in Eulalie Soeurs. But it didn't work for me. It was kind of all over the place, like a hyperactive child, and ended up such a mess that many plot lines had to wrap up .
If I did want to compare it to Wodehouse's Wooster and Jeeves, the characters are not familiar. Schott's Wooster is too smart, too suave, too quippy, and with too much common sense. His Jeeves felt wrong somehow, kind of blank and not in Jeeves's affected way. But writing another author's characters is not something I think anyone can master, really.
I wanted to love this after hearing Schott's interview on NPR because he's obviously a Wodehouse fan, and there are fun references of people and events from Wodehouse's novels--though often gratuitous references, like the whole scene in Eulalie Soeurs. But it didn't work for me. It was kind of all over the place, like a hyperactive child, and ended up such a mess that many plot lines had to wrap up .
October 2, 2018
An homage to P.G. Wodehouse (as the subtitle says) has got a lot to live up to, and Ben Schott pretty admirably fills the shoes of the master here; without trying too slavishly to pastiche PGW, he manages those signature goofy similes with aplomb. (My only objection might be that his Wooster is actually not enough of an idiot.) In this outing, Wooster discovers that the Junior Ganymede Club, the organisation of gentlemen’s gentlemen to which Jeeves belongs, has in fact been functioning as an arm of British intelligence for decades, if not centuries: who, after all, is better positioned to acquire information about the great and the good (or not so good) than their butlers? (Though it is not just butlers; the Junior Ganymede, apparently, recruits from all ranks of domestic service. “Pigmen,” as Jeeves notes in one of those delightfully poker-faced asides that Wodehouse himself would be proud to have written, “have been particularly cooperative.”) The plot, such as it is, involves Jeeves and Wooster having to intercept some sort of code on its way to the carbuncular British fascist Roderick Spode, which requires a lot of careening all over the West End. There’s a particularly enjoyable chase scene through the interconnecting doors of Pall Mall’s private clubs: the Athenaeum, the Travellers, the Oxford and Cambridge, the RAC, all are name-checked. For my money, Wodehouse plotted better – he’s madcap but he’s as precise as clockwork, where Schott is a little scattergun – but it feels so churlish to complain when you’re having this much fun.
February 15, 2019
I have seen all the Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie Jeeves and Wooster episodes many, many times. I have read most of the Blandings Castle canon. I have listened to or read many of the Jeeves and Wooster books. I am not a Wodehouse expert, but I have some real street cred. I thoroughly enjoyed Jeeves and the King of Clubs.
Some readers have found the plot too simple, but the Wodehouse Jeeves books are episodic also. I think Wodehouse's plotting genius shines more in the Blandings Castle stories which are a single story told in third person with a multitude of characters actively plotting against each other. I thought Ben Schott did a fine job here. The ending was a bit more abrupt than I expected. And if there is any fault, I thought Bertie was perhaps a bit too smart compared to the "real" books, but that is just a quibble. All in all, Jeeves and the King of Clubs made me laugh, and I felt I spending time with old friends. Highly recommended.
Some readers have found the plot too simple, but the Wodehouse Jeeves books are episodic also. I think Wodehouse's plotting genius shines more in the Blandings Castle stories which are a single story told in third person with a multitude of characters actively plotting against each other. I thought Ben Schott did a fine job here. The ending was a bit more abrupt than I expected. And if there is any fault, I thought Bertie was perhaps a bit too smart compared to the "real" books, but that is just a quibble. All in all, Jeeves and the King of Clubs made me laugh, and I felt I spending time with old friends. Highly recommended.
December 8, 2019
I admit I was sceptical about this. But it quickly won me over. It’s very well rendered, language accurate, voices just right and the narrator’s Hugh Laurie impression didn’t hurt at all. Like a proper Wodehouse it made me laugh a lot. It’s rather more full of espionage than a traditional Wodehouse but it’s all in the same silly hijinks spirit. I’m not a Wodehouse purist, granted, but I think even one of those would have a good time with this novel.
If I was to raise a criticism it would be that not only is Jeeves less present in the novel than in a usual Jeeves and Wooster novel, but he was in it much less than a novel with Jeeves in the title should have had. The interactions between these two characters are always my favourite part of these novels and here they were few and far between.
That’s all. Still worth a read. I would certainly reach for another one of these by Schott.
If I was to raise a criticism it would be that not only is Jeeves less present in the novel than in a usual Jeeves and Wooster novel, but he was in it much less than a novel with Jeeves in the title should have had. The interactions between these two characters are always my favourite part of these novels and here they were few and far between.
That’s all. Still worth a read. I would certainly reach for another one of these by Schott.
November 15, 2018
Tinkity-tonk! Bally wonderful homage to all things Wooster. Ben Schott has done a fantastic job in saluting all that is great, nay essential, in the Wodehouse canon. Highly recommended.
April 14, 2022
This one was a surprise. I listened to the audio and at first I thought, "This is going to be a fun one." But then it became too much....a little too jolly to use a phrase from the book. But then it grew on me. It was funny and had me laughing out loud. There were also some great one-liners in this one.
Bertie and Jeeves were larger than life as characters. It added to the fun entertainment factor. The other characters were also pretty colorful.
Now, this may not be for everyone, but it turned out to be the perfect book for my morning. And it was certainly memorable. So 4 stars.
Bertie and Jeeves were larger than life as characters. It added to the fun entertainment factor. The other characters were also pretty colorful.
Now, this may not be for everyone, but it turned out to be the perfect book for my morning. And it was certainly memorable. So 4 stars.
April 12, 2019
I could never really get into most of Wodehouse's novels, as opposed to short stories, no matter how much I tried so I don't know what possessed me to read this book, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it
Just from my occasional reading of the various Jeeves short stories it does seem to capture the tone perfectly, with the author resisting any arch postmodernist snark, and the few sideswipes at topical matters that are included don't detract from the story
A marvellous combination of various convoluted plot lines all come together in a grand finale that I imagine would delight any fervent Wodehouseians, as much as it did a mere dilettante like myself
Also the end notes explaining and discussing some of the references are a joy in themselves, though I suppose we should expect no less from Schott, king of the miscellaneous
Just from my occasional reading of the various Jeeves short stories it does seem to capture the tone perfectly, with the author resisting any arch postmodernist snark, and the few sideswipes at topical matters that are included don't detract from the story
A marvellous combination of various convoluted plot lines all come together in a grand finale that I imagine would delight any fervent Wodehouseians, as much as it did a mere dilettante like myself
Also the end notes explaining and discussing some of the references are a joy in themselves, though I suppose we should expect no less from Schott, king of the miscellaneous
November 27, 2018
A new Jeeves story? YES PLEASE! We are big Wodehouse fans in our house, and I was excited to see this title on the list at NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. All your favorite characters are back. We learn that Jeeves is a spy relied upon by the government. But of course he is! It is perhaps surprising that they allow Bertie to get involved too, given his track record, but it certainly makes for an entertaining story. Ben Schott does a great job with the language and the plot, and the book feels like a true Wodehouse creation. The only complaint I had ... there was not enough Jeeves! Obviously, since Bertie is the narrator we see the action from his point of view, and we get to see plenty of his wacky acquaintances. I wish he had spent a little more times with Jeeves.
January 10, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I have enjoyed any book in a long, long, time. It is the middle of winter, my attention span has been rivaling that of a particularly sketchy gnat, and this book not only held my interest, it had me rushing through obligations to get back to it. It is utterly charming. Deeply smart. Engagingly silly. The only problem I had with it was that by the time we reached the apex of the action, I’d forgotten what Bertie was supposed to be trying to achieve (note explanation of my attention span above). If Ben Schott writes another of these, I’ll be in line to buy it.
January 6, 2019
Excellent work. Really captures the Wodehousian atmosphere.
December 2, 2018
When I read the book description, I thought how clever it was to have the Junior Ganymede Club act as an instrument of British intelligence and, on top of that, to have the plot revolve around chasing a possible tool of fascist foreign governments. That’s not as frothy and frivolous a plot as the usual Wodehouse, but Wodehouse regularly featured authoritarian jerks like Roderick Spode, and going after them is something I always wished for.
In addition to Jeeves and Wooster, there are loads of regulars populating this story, including members of the Drones Club, Spode of course, a couple of Bertie’s many old flames, and more. Side plots include Bertie’s Aunt Agatha attempting to create a competitor to Worcestershire Sauce, and Bertie’s meeting what looks to be a possible love interest, one who is not nearly as clearly disastrous for him as the usual model.
Schott channels the Wodehouse style pretty well, though not quite as fizzy. You can’t expect anybody to be fully up to the level of the real thing, and I’m satisfied this is about as close as can be expected. I’d say Schott’s version of Bertie Wooster is up by several IQ points over Wodehouse’s, but that’s the tradeoff you need to serve the plot.
I’d be happy to read another Schott homage to Wodehouse, and I assume there will be at least one more, since he leaves his fascist-agent plot unresolved. I was a disappointed by the lack of resolution, but I did enjoy Schott’s extensive and entertaining endnotes.
In addition to Jeeves and Wooster, there are loads of regulars populating this story, including members of the Drones Club, Spode of course, a couple of Bertie’s many old flames, and more. Side plots include Bertie’s Aunt Agatha attempting to create a competitor to Worcestershire Sauce, and Bertie’s meeting what looks to be a possible love interest, one who is not nearly as clearly disastrous for him as the usual model.
Schott channels the Wodehouse style pretty well, though not quite as fizzy. You can’t expect anybody to be fully up to the level of the real thing, and I’m satisfied this is about as close as can be expected. I’d say Schott’s version of Bertie Wooster is up by several IQ points over Wodehouse’s, but that’s the tradeoff you need to serve the plot.
I’d be happy to read another Schott homage to Wodehouse, and I assume there will be at least one more, since he leaves his fascist-agent plot unresolved. I was a disappointed by the lack of resolution, but I did enjoy Schott’s extensive and entertaining endnotes.
January 3, 2020
Thrilling and wonderful
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April 13, 2021Never would have guessed this wasn't written by Wodehouse himself. Schott did an excellent job paying homage. The writing is so funny!
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