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P.G. Wodehouse in His Own Words
This unorthodox biography of “the greatest comic writer ever” collects Wodehouse’s witty and revealing commentary on his own life story (Douglas Adams)As creator of memorable comic characters, including the immortal Jeeves and Wooster, P.G. Wodehouse was one of the most beloved and influential authors of the 20th century. This sparkling volume draws on Wodehouse’s autobiographical writings, as well as personal letters and interview transcripts to present the author’s life story as only he could tell it. Quotations from a literary career spanning more than seventy years are arranged in chapters that move from childhood to school years and on to various preoccupations of the grown man. A linking narrative—skillfully supplied by Wodehouse aficionado Barry Day and former President of the International Wodehouse society Tony Ring—ties all the material together. Full of Wodehouse’s scintillating wordplay and comedy, P.G. Wodehouse in His Own Words is essential reading for any Wodehouse fan.
- GenresBiographyHumorNonfiction
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2001
62 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Barry Day
56 books11 followersBarry Day was born in England and received his MA from Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a Trustee of the Noël Coward Foundation and was awarded the Order of the British Empire “for services to British culture in the U.S.A.” He lives in New York, London, and Palm Beach.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 17, 2024
With this book, I believe the choice is binary – Either you want to hang onto every detail or it is almost entirely superfluous to the Wodehouse canon. See below:
“If I have a fault as a writer, which is very doubtful, I should say that it was a tendency to devote myself a little too closely to the subject of butlers.”
“The fact is, butlers have always fascinated me. As a child, I lived on the fringe of the butler belt. As a young man, I was a prominent pest at houses where butlers were maintained. And later I employed butlers…The real crusted, vintage butler passed away with Edward the Seventh.”
Like many privileged of the colonial period, while his parents were in Hong Kong, Wodehouse was cared for in England. He says he hardly had a conversation of any length with his mother until he was 15.
“By the laws of their guild butlers of the Edwardian epoch were sometimes permitted a quick, short smile, provided it was sardonic, but never a guffaw.”
There are other butlers in his writings but Wodehouse makes clear that Jeeves was above and beyond. According to the authors: “(By the end of the 1920s Wodehouse was doing well enough to employ butlers and he is quoted as noting)’…I came to know them well and receive their confidence.’ By which time he had made the acquaintance of Jeeves, who was not, strictly speaking a Butler at all but that infinitely higher being – a valet, or gentlemen’s gentleman – the gentleman-in-question, of course being Bertram Wooster, Esq.”
So, what we insatiable ones get is a lot of excerpts from books, letters, interviews, etc. interspersed with insights from the man and occasional illustrations. There is some general organization by topic. Don’t blame me if almost 300 pages isn’t enough. (If you confine yourself to just a page a day, you could make it last almost until Christmas.)
4*
“If I have a fault as a writer, which is very doubtful, I should say that it was a tendency to devote myself a little too closely to the subject of butlers.”
“The fact is, butlers have always fascinated me. As a child, I lived on the fringe of the butler belt. As a young man, I was a prominent pest at houses where butlers were maintained. And later I employed butlers…The real crusted, vintage butler passed away with Edward the Seventh.”
Like many privileged of the colonial period, while his parents were in Hong Kong, Wodehouse was cared for in England. He says he hardly had a conversation of any length with his mother until he was 15.
“By the laws of their guild butlers of the Edwardian epoch were sometimes permitted a quick, short smile, provided it was sardonic, but never a guffaw.”
There are other butlers in his writings but Wodehouse makes clear that Jeeves was above and beyond. According to the authors: “(By the end of the 1920s Wodehouse was doing well enough to employ butlers and he is quoted as noting)’…I came to know them well and receive their confidence.’ By which time he had made the acquaintance of Jeeves, who was not, strictly speaking a Butler at all but that infinitely higher being – a valet, or gentlemen’s gentleman – the gentleman-in-question, of course being Bertram Wooster, Esq.”
So, what we insatiable ones get is a lot of excerpts from books, letters, interviews, etc. interspersed with insights from the man and occasional illustrations. There is some general organization by topic. Don’t blame me if almost 300 pages isn’t enough. (If you confine yourself to just a page a day, you could make it last almost until Christmas.)
4*
June 17, 2025
This was a unique format for a biography. The author tells about the life of Wodehouse, and then includes quotes from his work that correspond with that particular incident. I was laughing out loud for much of the book. I found it delightful from start to finish.
January 16, 2019
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked this up. What I got was 300 pages of Wodehouse quotes mixed in with a little background on him and his life. I discovered I find Wodehouse terribly funny when I'm reading his books, but not quite as funny when you pull single quotes out of the context of their stories. Mainly, reading this just made me want to read the real article. (Which is probably why I immediately cracked open one of the Jeeves books after finishing this.) I did get some interesting insight into the Wodehouse, though, and some of my favorite parts of this book were the excerpts from his personal letters.
July 29, 2023
Definitely a book for Wodehouse junkies only. This "biography" collects excerpts of Wodehouse writings to shed light on parts of his life, mostly focused on his early years, especially his collaboration with Jerome Kern, Guy Bolten, and others for light musical comedy in early 20th century Broadway. It's the kind of fix need to satisfy an occasional addiction that isn't hazardous to one's health.
did-not-finish
September 17, 2024Not a biography like it was billed on Amazon but rather a collection of quotes from Wodehouse’s books, catalogued into themes like golf or aunts. The book also quotes from private letters Wodehouse wrote and interviews with him. Sure, he is a funny guy and they are funny quotes, but at nearly 400 pages long, it was overkill. On the plus side, reading this made me want to go and read his books so I returned this to Amazon half read and instead checked out one of his Jeeves novels. I suggest you to the same, rather than attempt to read this book of quotes.
'I am sorry if my eyes are fishy. The fact has not been called to my attention before.'
'I suppose you never had any sisters, they would have told you.'
Uncle Tom always looked a bit like a pterodactyl with a secret sorrow.
'What's this?'
'Poached egg, sir.'
Freddie averted his eyes with a silent shudder.
'It looks just like an old aunt of mine,' he said.
The boy's face closely resembled a ripe tomato with a nose stuck on it.
Aberdeen terriers, possibly owing to their heavy eyebrows, always seem to look at you as if they were in the pulpit of some particularly strict Scottish sect and you were a parishioner of dubious reputation sitting in the front row of the stalls.
'I am sorry if my eyes are fishy. The fact has not been called to my attention before.'
'I suppose you never had any sisters, they would have told you.'
Uncle Tom always looked a bit like a pterodactyl with a secret sorrow.
'What's this?'
'Poached egg, sir.'
Freddie averted his eyes with a silent shudder.
'It looks just like an old aunt of mine,' he said.
The boy's face closely resembled a ripe tomato with a nose stuck on it.
Aberdeen terriers, possibly owing to their heavy eyebrows, always seem to look at you as if they were in the pulpit of some particularly strict Scottish sect and you were a parishioner of dubious reputation sitting in the front row of the stalls.
October 20, 2025
I found myself more interested in the bits of biography and letter excerpts than in the quotations pulled from Wodehouse’s work, which I was surprised to see lost a little snap when not in a narrative flow. The brief section on style made me wish for a longer write-up on the subject. Early on I was thinking how I need to get my hands on a full biography of the self-contained Wodehouse, but by book’s end decided that—the motivations and controversy of his WWII prisoner-of-war speeches excepted—the man, despite his huge output of work, didn’t live all that a fascinating life. Maybe a worthy biographer could make it more compelling, but I may have a good enough overview of the man with this.
September 13, 2022
I’ve forgotten what I expected when I bought this book – probably a witty book of Wodehouse Quotes, à la The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld. Well, this was a little different.
P. G. Wodehouse In His Own Words tries to tell the story of Wodehouse’s life mainly through his own writings, with Barry Day and Tony Ring adding context to the quotes. For the most part, this works and it’s an enjoyable read because Wodehouse is an enjoyable writer. The book also goes beyond a general biography to talk about Wodehouse’s possible opinion on things like America and the Clergy. There’s also an amusing section entitled “style” which collects some interesting quotes, such as:
“He looked like a halibut which has just been asked by another halibut to lend it a couple of quid till next Wednesday”.
The only place this book falls short is in the section on war, because it skips over what Wodehouse did to get criticised. After some googling, I found out that he participated in a few broadcasts while captured in Berlin (Guardian article). The reason the editors gave for avoiding what Wodehouse did was that enough ink has been spilled on the subject, but as someone who has never read a Wodehouse biography in my life, I would have appreciated a bit more detail. I actually found the book generally suitable for someone who’s like me, a casual reader of Wodehouse but doesn’t know much about him, so this omission baffled me.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this! It’s a fairly light, breezy read that introduced the life of Wodehouse to me. I don’t think Wodehouse is the best person to write about himself, mostly because he intentionally hides behind his light-hearted tone, but this book is a good way to start learning about the author behind the books.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
P. G. Wodehouse In His Own Words tries to tell the story of Wodehouse’s life mainly through his own writings, with Barry Day and Tony Ring adding context to the quotes. For the most part, this works and it’s an enjoyable read because Wodehouse is an enjoyable writer. The book also goes beyond a general biography to talk about Wodehouse’s possible opinion on things like America and the Clergy. There’s also an amusing section entitled “style” which collects some interesting quotes, such as:
“He looked like a halibut which has just been asked by another halibut to lend it a couple of quid till next Wednesday”.
The only place this book falls short is in the section on war, because it skips over what Wodehouse did to get criticised. After some googling, I found out that he participated in a few broadcasts while captured in Berlin (Guardian article). The reason the editors gave for avoiding what Wodehouse did was that enough ink has been spilled on the subject, but as someone who has never read a Wodehouse biography in my life, I would have appreciated a bit more detail. I actually found the book generally suitable for someone who’s like me, a casual reader of Wodehouse but doesn’t know much about him, so this omission baffled me.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this! It’s a fairly light, breezy read that introduced the life of Wodehouse to me. I don’t think Wodehouse is the best person to write about himself, mostly because he intentionally hides behind his light-hearted tone, but this book is a good way to start learning about the author behind the books.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
March 30, 2021
While not a excellent biography, this book does shows despite P.G Wodehouse creating his own world of an evergreen England it was very much drawn from real the real world. This book combines quotations from his work, his letters and bits of biography to paint a picture of the writters life
Read
May 15, 2023I’d recommend reading a proper biography of Plum first, but this is a nice collection of quotes from his books and letters thematically organized with descriptions of context. I especially enjoyed reading the letters.
November 21, 2017
This one started off at full speed with hilarious Wodehouse quotes but slowed a bit at the end. Fun and informative.
December 13, 2018
A collection of brief, clever quotes from Wodehouse, compiled from his letters, columns, fiction and theater and arranged to form a thumbnail biography. Day's biographical connective tissue is lightly handled and very brief (it's a book designed for readers who want twenty pages of funny lines about marriage, followed by twenty more on butlers, without a lengthy essay in between) but often surprisingly moving - he doesn't dwell on Plum's issues, but he doesn't shy away from them either, and his gentle honesty is well-expressed and came as a nice surprise.
March 31, 2024
A must read for any Wodehouse fan!
February 12, 2022
Lots of quotes with context, and a very enjoyable read.
April 25, 2024
I’d intended to save this for April's Read of England, but — rum thing, when you begin reading Wodehouse it’s as hard to resist finishing him as it is to rescue Bertie Wooster’s Aunt Agatha when she topples down the stairs. One moment you’re eying the cover in dreamy anticipation and the next moment you’re drowning your sorrows in lemon squashes because it’s over. Sorry, I can never resist bad Bertie imitations when I’m writing about Wodehouse. Actually, bad Bertie breaks in all his own, at the worst possible time, like pimples or uninvited guests.
Ok, sorry. I’m really done now. Ahem. P.G. Wodehouse in his own words is a dashed lively mix of Wodehouse biography, excerpts from Wodehouse describing his own life, and quotations from Wodehouse works that draw from his life, like his fondness for certain dogs, or the fact that he was mostly raised by a series of other female relations, rather like Bertie’s aunts. These same aunts also introduced Bertie to the Downstairs world where butlers were king, especially those molded and fired in the Edwardian day. We learn of his preference for rooming with others, his delight in playing golf despite his dodgy-at-best talents at the old ball-whacking, and his inglorious beginning in…in a bank? Well, it worked well enough for T.S. Eliot. The Wodehouse material is mined from letters, introductions, and of course his novels themselves, many of which I hadn’t heard of despite owning a huge Wodehouse kindle collection. I didn���t know a bally thing about Wodehouse before this, so this little book provided — in addition to Wodehouse’s absolute charm and good humor — a multitude of new insights into the man who made whimsy. I had no idea that he wrote musical comedies, for instance, and was amazed by his World War 2 experience: he was captured by Germans while giving a dinner party in France, imprisoned in an asylum, then put up in a Berlin hotel because the Germans regarded an old writer as a non-threat: he managed to get himself banned from British airwaves by doing humorous sketches inspired by prison life! Fortunately, before the Eighth Air Force and the Red Army began visiting Berlin, he’d been removed to France. For a Wodehouse fan, this is a genuine treat, while not being a full-length biography.
Ok, sorry. I’m really done now. Ahem. P.G. Wodehouse in his own words is a dashed lively mix of Wodehouse biography, excerpts from Wodehouse describing his own life, and quotations from Wodehouse works that draw from his life, like his fondness for certain dogs, or the fact that he was mostly raised by a series of other female relations, rather like Bertie’s aunts. These same aunts also introduced Bertie to the Downstairs world where butlers were king, especially those molded and fired in the Edwardian day. We learn of his preference for rooming with others, his delight in playing golf despite his dodgy-at-best talents at the old ball-whacking, and his inglorious beginning in…in a bank? Well, it worked well enough for T.S. Eliot. The Wodehouse material is mined from letters, introductions, and of course his novels themselves, many of which I hadn’t heard of despite owning a huge Wodehouse kindle collection. I didn���t know a bally thing about Wodehouse before this, so this little book provided — in addition to Wodehouse’s absolute charm and good humor — a multitude of new insights into the man who made whimsy. I had no idea that he wrote musical comedies, for instance, and was amazed by his World War 2 experience: he was captured by Germans while giving a dinner party in France, imprisoned in an asylum, then put up in a Berlin hotel because the Germans regarded an old writer as a non-threat: he managed to get himself banned from British airwaves by doing humorous sketches inspired by prison life! Fortunately, before the Eighth Air Force and the Red Army began visiting Berlin, he’d been removed to France. For a Wodehouse fan, this is a genuine treat, while not being a full-length biography.
January 14, 2012
This book is made up of quotes from Wodehouse’s fiction, plays, musicals, letters, and essays chosen by Barry Day and Tony Ring to reveal the man behind the works with little commentary. I, too, will follow the same pattern and let Wodehouse speak for himself.
BIRTH: “If you ask me to tell you frankly if I like the names Pelham Grenville, I must confess that I do not. . . .At the font, I remember protesting vigorously when the clergyman uttered them, but he stuck to his point.”
CHOICE of PET: “Pekes [Pekinese dogs]really are a different race and class. They may try to be democratic, but they don’t really accept other dogs as their social equals.”
On FIRST COMING to AMERICA: “To say that New York came up to its advance billing would be the baldest of understatements. Being there was like being in heaven, without going to all the bother and expense of dying.”
WRITING: “I believe there are two ways of writing novels. One of them is mine, making the thing a sort of musical comedy without music and ignoring real life altogether; the other is going right down deep into life and not caring a damn. The ones that fail are the ones where the writer loses his nerve and says, ‘My God! I can’t write this, I must tone it down.’ “
AGING: “I can still touch my toes fifty times every morning without a suspicion of bending knees, which I’ll bet not many octogenarians can.” “What a nuisance it is being 92 and gradually decaying.” “Asked if he was afraid of death, he replied, ‘Heavens, no. I am far too well balanced. The only thing I ever fear is that the last chapters of any book I write won’t work out.’ “
Francis Donaldson, his first official biographer wrote, “He gave happiness to others as few people are privileged to do, and he was happy himself.”
BIRTH: “If you ask me to tell you frankly if I like the names Pelham Grenville, I must confess that I do not. . . .At the font, I remember protesting vigorously when the clergyman uttered them, but he stuck to his point.”
CHOICE of PET: “Pekes [Pekinese dogs]really are a different race and class. They may try to be democratic, but they don’t really accept other dogs as their social equals.”
On FIRST COMING to AMERICA: “To say that New York came up to its advance billing would be the baldest of understatements. Being there was like being in heaven, without going to all the bother and expense of dying.”
WRITING: “I believe there are two ways of writing novels. One of them is mine, making the thing a sort of musical comedy without music and ignoring real life altogether; the other is going right down deep into life and not caring a damn. The ones that fail are the ones where the writer loses his nerve and says, ‘My God! I can’t write this, I must tone it down.’ “
AGING: “I can still touch my toes fifty times every morning without a suspicion of bending knees, which I’ll bet not many octogenarians can.” “What a nuisance it is being 92 and gradually decaying.” “Asked if he was afraid of death, he replied, ‘Heavens, no. I am far too well balanced. The only thing I ever fear is that the last chapters of any book I write won’t work out.’ “
Francis Donaldson, his first official biographer wrote, “He gave happiness to others as few people are privileged to do, and he was happy himself.”
April 22, 2024
As a longtime admirer of Wodehouse, this unique biography using quotes from his books, plays and musicals as well as letters to friends and family was a delight. It's rare to laugh out loud when reading a biography, but I certainly did with this one with its snippets of much-loved words and characters from his writing. I have been listening to some of his novels on LibreVox and after after reading this I downloaded The Ultimate Wodehouse, a collection of his unabridged novels available for a pittance from Amazon. I mourn that I was born too late to see any of his musical comedies and the movies he collaborated on. I wonder if any were filmed and available online. His forte was the written word and he certainly uses language beautifully and gives the reader some serious things to consider at the same time he provokes laughter. It's interesting to know from this book how hard he worked to polish and perfect anything he wrote. The fact that he made it appear so effortlessly casual is a gift he gave to his readers.
January 3, 2024
An interesting approach to a biography - essentially quotes from the books, and his private letters to explain the man.
There were a lot of laugh out loud quotes. I'm not entirely convinced it is the best approach to biography but if you're a Wodehouse fan, and have read any of the other biographies of him, I think it is an addition.
There were a lot of laugh out loud quotes. I'm not entirely convinced it is the best approach to biography but if you're a Wodehouse fan, and have read any of the other biographies of him, I think it is an addition.
March 12, 2024
All the best parts of his books and, as a bonus, a description of his life. Just the title of one of his books, Aunts are not Gentlemen, still cracks me up. He was definitely a smart man and not what I think of when I think of modern comics or satirists. The whole story of musicals and his involvement with them was news to me.
February 7, 2015
There is nothing to be said about our beloved Plum that hasn't been said a million times. If you love him as I do, you will love this book. Part biography, part anthology, part love letter, all hilarious.
April 1, 2009
I am taking four masters courses in international relations which force me to read dry textbooks but still find time to read this delightful shap shot into this comedic genius.
December 10, 2023
I love P.G. Wodehouse, but this book was only ok.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews