Thank You, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse

[Jamie]

This book reminds me quite a bit of the earlier books in Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey series. Bertram, the young aristocrat main character, and Jeeves, his personal manservant, are a very similar pair to Peter and his faithful manservant. Bertram and Peter are both eccentric and rather naive and childish, too, relying a lot on the sobering, almost parenting guidance of their servants to make their efforts amount to anything significant. Bertram, though, in Wodehouse's novel, is no sleuth, and has a tendency to get himself mixed up in social messes that his bumbling approach to life just makes worse.
In this story, Bertram finds himself engaged against his will to a young woman his friend is in love with, and winds up being held captive by her father on his boat while awaiting the wedding he desperately wants to avoid. Jeeves, having already left Bertram's employment after getting fed up with his incessant playing of his banjolele at all hours, is employed by the friend who really does want to marry the girl, and somehow Jeeves has to engineer circumstances that will release Bertram from his engagement while installing the more willing man in his place to marry the girl. He of course succeeds, mostly in spite of Bertram's efforts.
The whole story is light comedy of a style similar to that of films like "Bringing Up Baby", at all times silly and fast paced, with just enough serious undertones to highlight the next funny bits. I enjoyed this book as a nice break from heavier List books I've been tackling a lot this year. I would have liked a bit more substance in with all the comedy, but then again I am not a big comedy reader. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. If we had half points I'd probably have given this one a 4.5.

[Kristel]

Read 2010, Hilarious, fun read.

[Diane]

3 stars. Read in 2014

Dry British humor ensues when Bertram's banjolele playing drives out his servant Jeeves to another employer. Bertram moves to the country and all mayhem breaks loose involving Pauline Stoker, Lord Chuffnell and Pauline's father. Then there is this issue with butter. Clever enough but I am not inspired to read the rest of the series.

[Jessica]

3.5 stars. I picked this one up because it was selected on my Randomized Reading List.

This is the first book I've read by P.G. Wodehouse. In this book, our narrator is the bumbling, slightly daft Bertram (Bertie). At the start of the novel he employs the titular Jeeves as his personal manservant in London. But, Bertie's banjolele playing drives Jeeves to seek employment elsewhere AND causes Bertie to move to the countryside where he is less likely to disturb neighbors with his playing. Jeeves and Bertie both end up in the same neck of the woods where some drama/hi-jinx ensue do to a misunderstanding over Bertie's American ex.


I felt cringe-y reading this due to some black face and other discussion of black musicians. I realize that black face wasn't as lambasted back when this was written, but it still made it an uncomfortable read for me.

I could appreciate the dry British humor that was abundant in this book. I wouldn't be averse to reading more Jeeves books but I am not going to rush out and read the whole series ASAP.

[Daisey]

This is my first Wodehouse and it was an entertaining listen for my day at home. It took a bit to get into the story, but I laughed several times in the later part of the story as Jeeves made sure everything fell into place. At the same time, it hasn't aged particularly well as blackface is a major part of the comedy.

[Valerie]

read May 2025

I'm a fan of P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves novels (stories). This was good fun as per usual. As mentioned about the blackface is unfortunate, but in context of the time it was written it works. 4*