Where do you find substitutes for the Master?

[Tommy]

Recent reboots of the J&W series notwithstanding, I sometimes find myself yearning, no, mourning the lack of similar writers to Wodehouse. I'd like to know if others feel likewise. I suppose my topmost reason that his books land so well for me is that they're the epitome of gentle humour - they're such a joy to read. This makes them the perfect antidote to everyday strife. Others I'd include in this category are JK Jerome, Grossmith and James Thurber, but they're not around anymore either.

So, folks, where do you turn for books in this tradition?

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

Connie Willis can deliver the goods when she puts her mind to doing comedy. To Say Nothing of the Dog and Bellwether are the two examples that first come to mind.

Dorothy Dunnet can be fun in her escapist crime / romance novels in the loosely knit Johnson Johnson series. Dolly and the Singing Bird is the first one.

For fans of Egyptology, there's another series by Elizabeth Peters featuring Amelia Peabody. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first one.

I'm sure there's more to remember if I check back on my past years bookshelves.

[Tommy]

Thanks Algernon.

(Thanks also to Cintia for the nod towards Lucky Jim. It's been much-loved for years. I'm new to the site and haven't had the tedious pleasure of adding all the books I've read to my profile yet. I probably never will.)

Is it posible to direct messages to people i.e. @Algernon ?

Anyhow, Bellwether seems like it might be a rib-tickler. Thanks, Algernon.

[Tania]

I think The Diary of a Provincial Lady series runs a close second. Also Denis Mackail one of Wodehouses best friends, particularly We're Here, or the Adventures of Milford and Bailey, (if you can find it), and Greenery Street.

[Tommy]

(Bows respectfully) Thank you, Tania. That is what they call devilishly recherché. Anyone considered a good egg by Plum is worth exploring.

Incidentally, has anyone come across Thark, by Clive Francis and Ben Travers?

It's a hoot! A timelessly hilarious farce which stops sensibly short of Georges Feydeau, and at times evoking a soupçon of the Master himself.

It's a rarety and I was glad to see it's back again in print here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thark-Oberon...

I haven't recommended a book this fervently in some time.

[Tania]

Thanks, I haven't come across that one. I've added it to my Amazon list.

[Tania]

I'd also highly recommend the 'Mapp and Lucia' series by E.F. Benson, starting with Queen Lucia.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

I also remembered another one : Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, a countryside romance that was also filmed with Kate Beckinsale in the cast

[Tania]

Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "I also remembered another one : Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, a countryside romance that was also filmed with Kate Beckinsale in the cast"

Love that one. Nancy Mitford is always good for a laugh, too. Also A.A. Milne. Harder to find than his children's books, but his adult work was mostly light comedy.