Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest

by P.G. Wodehouse, Martin Jarvis (narrator)

Bertie is feeling really rather spiffing, when he receives a surprise visit from the writer Lady Malvern and her son Wilmot. A friend of Bertie's Aunt Agatha, Lady Malvern requests that Wilmot stay with Bertie for a couple of weeks whilst she is away in America. Whilst not perfectly happy with the idea, Bertie agrees, to find that the seemingly mild-mannered Wilmot may have a wilder side, especially when it comes to alcohol! And as ever, trusty valet Jeeves is quietly and staunchly on the scene, working fastidiously to keep everything on an even keel, and of course, to try to persuade Bertie not to make his rotten fashion mistakes.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, Humor, Comedy, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

1 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 2004

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

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ever-clever Wodehouse has Bertie Wooster hiding in New York City from the wrath of his most devastating Aunt Agatha. And, Bertie is having a good time of it even though he and Jeeves are not in agreement about his sartorial accessories.

Feeling the “master of his fate” lasts only until Aunt Agatha send the opinionated author, Lady Malvern and her twenty-something son, Wilmot, to seek him out. It seems that Lady Malvern needs a nesting spot for Wilmot while she captures the nature of America’s prison systems and Bertie is wary of saying no.

Wilmot is not what he seems and the pressure builds as Bertie is unable to shift his burdens to Jeeves.

Another deft send up of the British upper crust.

4.5

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is one of the funniest of the Jeeves stories. I've read it quite a few times and it still makes me laugh.
Jeeves disagrees with our Hapless Heroes choice in clothing and proceeds to torture him as only a gentleman's gentleman of Jeeves standards can. He allows/helps the country bumpkin cousin cause havoc in the city. Hilarious!

[wasteland baby · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What ho!" I said
"What ho!" said Motty.
"What ho! What ho!"
"Waht ho! What ho! What ho!"
After that it seemed rather difficult to go on with the conversation.

INCREDIBLE SCENES

and, lest you think i am forgetting about the yaoi potential (i never am):

I felt like one of those chappies in the novels who calls off the fight with his wife in the last chapter and decides to forget and forgive. I felt I wanted to do all sorts of other things to show Jeeves that I appreciated him.

i mean the fic truly is writing itself at this point

[Vaishali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha ! So funny... and so well-crafted.
Ah, the brilliant Mr. Jeeves :)

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this because it's narrated by Martin Jarvis, who did such an incredible job with Good Omens. This doesn't require nearly as much talent -- only four voices, and Wodehouse's prose is so hilarious, a robot could probably make it funny -- but Jarvis did as excellent a job as I expected. His blithering idiot Bertie Wooster is perfection.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've listened to this story about a dozen times on Audible, but this is the first time that I read along with the Kindle. It is a fantastic story that sees Bertie being visited by Lady Malvern, a friend of his Aunt Agatha's. Since it has been a little over a year since the events of 'Extricating Young Gussie,' this means that Aunt Agatha must have cooled off towards him. Unfortunately, the reason for Lady Malvern's visit is to have her son, Lord Pershore, stay with Bertie while she travels the country researching for a book.
What follows is a wild, twisting story that will keep you turning the pages or listening to every word. I have to say that this is one of my favorite Jeeves and Wooster stories that I have either read or listened to.

[Brian Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeeves came up with a masterful performance in this one. Hilarious!! I loved it.

[Gláucia Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeeves com sua empáfia e sua atitude blasé mais uma vez salva o dia. Dessa vez quando Lady Malvern, amiga de tia Agatha, deixa em NY aos cuidados de Bertie, seu filho Motty, segundo ela, um bom garoto que não conhece o mundo e só pensa nos livros. Mal sabe ela que o que ele mais deseja é a tão sonhada liberdade, e agora poderá dar asas a seus desejos etílicos e boêmios. Quando tudo dá errado, Jeeves entra em ação.



Histórico de leitura
05/10/2021

"Jeeves had projected himself in from the dining-room and materialized on the rug. Lady Malvern tried to freeze him with a look, but you can't do that sort of thing to Jeeves. He's look-proof."

"I'm not absolutely certais of my facts, but I rather fancy it's Shakespeare - or, if not, it's some equally brainy lad - who says that it's always just when a chapie is feeling particularly top-hole, and more than usually braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with a bit of lead piping."

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wooster has a bit of a problem that only Jeeves can help him resolve. Jeeves, however, is a bit ticked off with Wooster for not taking his advice in another matter, and this leaves Wooster pretty much hanging by a rope. Not until the very end does Jeeves come through to help save the day. The story is funny, the plot is creative and engaging, and the characters are all so lovable. Wodehouse’s way of writing is just so witty and delightful.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no, trouble ensures when a friend of the family comes to visit Wooster to “experience America”, just to drink. How will Wooster cope, can Jeeves help? A rather funny and humorous short story by P.G Wodehouse.

[Don Drewniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the funniest, if not the funniest, short story I have ever had the good fortune to read. The only downside is that I may never find another short story to equal Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest, let alone surpass it, unless it's another My Man Jeeves Jeeves episode.

[Chris Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

In New York, Bertie has an unexpected and unwelcome houseguest. Unable to think how to avoid the wrath of his aunt , Bertie is put out. Only Jeeves can thing of a stratagem.

[Anne Mp · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of many P.G.Wodehouse books. Gave it a three since I don't know much about anyone in the book. Looking forward in enjoying them more as I come across more of the short stories.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live this short story.Jeeves is the man!

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chirp Audiobook

[Dayo Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short read

[Rohit N · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight of a book.

[Cynthia Feenstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever!

[Toryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

😂😂😂

So good.

[Nancy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. Jeeves and Bertie at their best. Nick Martin is an excellent narrator. If you appreciate English humor, this is a short welcome diversion in these tough times. A reread for me.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jeeves and Wooster! Well done by B J Harrison.

[Eleanor Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of the time I won a pit bull at the tombola.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty repartee.

[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.
📺

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Jeeves gets a man arrested, convinces the mans mother that said man got arrested for research purposes, and then get rewarded with $100 for doing so 😂😂

Read as part of the Letters Regarding Jeeves series on Substack, which includes all of the Jeeves literature by P. G. Wodehouse that is currently in public domain — the first 25 short stories, as well as the entirety of the novel ‘Right Ho, Jeeves’ — over the course of one year.

[Mark Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeeves saves Wooster's face again as his aunt Agatha's best friend lands him in a delicate situation involving a young cossetted gentleman being given his freedom for the very first time - landing Bertie in Hot water when he goes walkabout - but Jeeves has the situation well in hand .... - the situational humour is becoming more streamlined now - and the understated language - particularly from Jeeves - is just laugh out loud funny - hilarious

[Kyndra Lemke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like Jeeves got us into this mess but luckily he also knows how to get us out.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read - I enjoyed the alternating snark and earnestness. "I tried to think, but between the collar and the part, nothing stirred."

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my first in the series and i thoroughly enjoyed it -- have already got more lined up to read!

[Jann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another audiobook. I love Wodehouse.