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Jason Koivu's Reviews > Jeeves and the Song of Songs
Jeeves and the Song of Songs (The Delightful World of P.G. Wodehouse)
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It's deja vu all over again!
Once I got into it, I soon realized I'd read this before. Not specifically this book, but the stories within it. You see, Jeeves & the Song of Songs is also "Jeeves & the Song of Songs," which is to say it is the title of a book and the title of a story. It is also the first story in this collection, kicking off a bevy of solid stories in the Jeeves & Wooster line. Let's take a look at them!
"Jeeves & the Song of Songs" - Bertie Wooster is embroiled in an old chum's romance. Too much of the same song proves its undoing, perhaps for the best. This little number is a classic and was included in the Hugh Laurie/Stephen Fry tv version of Jeeves & Wooster.
"Indian Summer of an Uncle" - One of Bertie's uncles is about to make an ass of himself, matrimonially speaking, and Bertie's tasked with putting an end to it. This is one time where Wodehouse treads a bit rough on class distinction. It's not one of his best. Let's move on!
"Jeeves and the Kid Clementina" - Bertie has a thing for Bobbie Wickham and tries to do a good deed for her at a girls' prep school. Doing good deeds for others never does Bertie any good. Things fall apart like a papier-mâché umbrella in the rain. This is classic-form Wodehouse and a story that sets the parameters used in a number of his full-length books.
"The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy" - An old pal has no backbone, so Bertie hatches up a scheme to get him his just desserts. Bertie ought to know by now that it's best to let Jeeves come up with the schemes, but alas, all goes amiss and Jeeves must tidy it up in the end. I think this might be the only story in this collection which I hadn't read before. It's not bad!
"Jeeves and the Impending Doom" - One of Bertie's awful aunts covertly tries to hook him up with a job he doesn't want. A friend of Bertie's is trying to keep a job with Bertie's aunt that he doesn't like but needs to keep, and Bertie must help him keep it by keeping safe the unpleasant blighter who the aunt is trying to secure Bertie's job with. Make sense? No? Welcome to the world of Wodehouse!
"Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit" - Jeeves is looking forward to a trip to Monte Carlo. Bertie is thinking about marriage to that Wickham gal. Jeeves realizes how unsuitable the match would be well before Bertie figures it out, and goes to great lengths to make his master see the light. Jeeves inevitably saves the day in all these stories, but seldom does he long for any recompense for his extraneous efforts, aside perhaps for Bertie to dress more conservatively. It's nice to see a little personal desire out of the man.
All in all, Jeeves & the Song of Songs cobbles together a very solid set of shorts. I'm a big Jeeves & Wooster fan, so I didn't mind the reread and was happy to find at least one new tale herein. Short and sweet, this would make a good primer for the newcomer!
Once I got into it, I soon realized I'd read this before. Not specifically this book, but the stories within it. You see, Jeeves & the Song of Songs is also "Jeeves & the Song of Songs," which is to say it is the title of a book and the title of a story. It is also the first story in this collection, kicking off a bevy of solid stories in the Jeeves & Wooster line. Let's take a look at them!
"Jeeves & the Song of Songs" - Bertie Wooster is embroiled in an old chum's romance. Too much of the same song proves its undoing, perhaps for the best. This little number is a classic and was included in the Hugh Laurie/Stephen Fry tv version of Jeeves & Wooster.
"Indian Summer of an Uncle" - One of Bertie's uncles is about to make an ass of himself, matrimonially speaking, and Bertie's tasked with putting an end to it. This is one time where Wodehouse treads a bit rough on class distinction. It's not one of his best. Let's move on!
"Jeeves and the Kid Clementina" - Bertie has a thing for Bobbie Wickham and tries to do a good deed for her at a girls' prep school. Doing good deeds for others never does Bertie any good. Things fall apart like a papier-mâché umbrella in the rain. This is classic-form Wodehouse and a story that sets the parameters used in a number of his full-length books.
"The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy" - An old pal has no backbone, so Bertie hatches up a scheme to get him his just desserts. Bertie ought to know by now that it's best to let Jeeves come up with the schemes, but alas, all goes amiss and Jeeves must tidy it up in the end. I think this might be the only story in this collection which I hadn't read before. It's not bad!
"Jeeves and the Impending Doom" - One of Bertie's awful aunts covertly tries to hook him up with a job he doesn't want. A friend of Bertie's is trying to keep a job with Bertie's aunt that he doesn't like but needs to keep, and Bertie must help him keep it by keeping safe the unpleasant blighter who the aunt is trying to secure Bertie's job with. Make sense? No? Welcome to the world of Wodehouse!
"Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit" - Jeeves is looking forward to a trip to Monte Carlo. Bertie is thinking about marriage to that Wickham gal. Jeeves realizes how unsuitable the match would be well before Bertie figures it out, and goes to great lengths to make his master see the light. Jeeves inevitably saves the day in all these stories, but seldom does he long for any recompense for his extraneous efforts, aside perhaps for Bertie to dress more conservatively. It's nice to see a little personal desire out of the man.
All in all, Jeeves & the Song of Songs cobbles together a very solid set of shorts. I'm a big Jeeves & Wooster fan, so I didn't mind the reread and was happy to find at least one new tale herein. Short and sweet, this would make a good primer for the newcomer!
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Reading Progress
November 21, 2017
–
Started Reading
November 21, 2017
– Shelved
November 22, 2017
–
Finished Reading
