I’ve only read one of his books, but it was one widely regarded to be his “funniest” (The Code of the Woosters.) I wouldn’t call it a slog, but it didn’t exactly fly by. Most of my favorite books are comic novels, and it’s not like I can’t laugh at more benign comedy (I love Charles Portis), but Wodehouse’s brand of kooky similes left me almost completely stone-faced. I see people quote “convulsed like a Pekingese taking a pill” and other lines like it as if they were the most hilarious creations to ever be conjured by the human mind, and maybe they are. But I never laughed, I barely even smirked if I’m being honest.
With a lot of authors, I would just assume one particular book didn’t click with me. But Wodehouse, from what I understand, wrote almost 100 books that are more or less functionally the same. Maybe it was a mistake starting with a novel instead of his short stories, although the Psmith books seem the most interesting to me.
Is it worth bothering with any more of his books, though?
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It’s probably just not your cup of tea. :)
Try David Sedaris or Dave Barry perhaps?
Social context is everything with Wodehouse. If you are oblivious to the tropes of the inter-war years of Great Britain, then it will be an opaque mystery.
I guess, but I have hard time believing that his millions of legions of fans are all intimately familiar with the tropes of inter-war Great Britain. And I think Waugh is funny too, so that couldn’t be the reason anyway.
I guess, but I have hard time believing that his millions of legions of fans are all intimately familiar with the tropes of inter-war Great Britain. And I think Waugh is funny too, so that couldn’t be the reason anyway.
I used to laugh at his books 20 years ago, now I ignore them because they don’t have anything interesting in my opinion.
Some people just don’t “get” comedy, there’s nothing more can be said.
He’s in my “way too Britishly British” pile along with the Carry On movies and (sorry) Douglas Adams. Just can’t get over the image of someone leaning over a lectern to place emphasis on a line like, “I should rather we have taken the train, Beatrice,” to a smug well dressed audience of British people drinking brandy and taking dainty nibbles out of cucumber sandwiches. Ghastly.
A part of me does think I might find his style a little too self-conscious to be funny. I generally admire extreme deliberation in writing but I wonder if there’s a certain point where it just sucks the life out of the jokes.
A part of me does think I might find his style a little too self-conscious to be funny. I generally admire extreme deliberation in writing but I wonder if there’s a certain point where it just sucks the life out of the jokes.
Personally I love his books and think they are a riot. But… if it doesn’t work for you, move on. You don’t have to find something funny or interesting that others did. It’s great that you gave it a try though.
Humour is so subjective - if it doesn’t work for you, move on
Humour is in the eye - and mind - of the reader, so if PG doesn’t make you laugh, another writer will.
I like his humour, but even at its funniest, it’s never a ‘lol’ thing, more of a smile.
If that Wooster book didn’t work for you, PG is not your jam , don’t sweat it. Plenty of comic stuff out there!
P.G. is a great writer, but you have to see it in context (the time period it was written) to enjoy, I think. If you don’t like it, don’t read anymore, waste of time.
I am a PGW nut, and I thoroughly enjoy his similes and turns of phrase. When I first started reading it as a schoolkid (not in the UK), I didn’t have any context. I still laugh out aloud.
That said, if it didn’t work for you, don’t bother with the rest of the collection. There are plenty others to your liking I am sure.
Never worth troubling about this: do it or not but your decision is anyway good. That himour is essentially time-related. In some way, it os similar to dad jokes. Nothing wrong with not liking them.
I am a great fun of PGW’s.
Probably not, but it’s a de minimus minority.
Whenever anybody asks “am I the only one,” they are never the only one.
That wasn’t the way I originally phrased the post. My first title was something like “is Wodehouse worth reading if I didn’t like this one book” or something, but that doesn’t fall under the rules apparently.
That wasn’t the way I originally phrased the post. My first title was something like “is Wodehouse worth reading if I didn’t like this one book” or something, but that doesn’t fall under the rules apparently.
Probably not worth your time - his works are all very similar in terms of tone and over-the-top writing.
You might try watching one of the Fry & Laurie adaptations of the Jeeves stories. Laurie’s depiction of Bertie is brilliant.
When I started reading Wodehouse I remember struggling a bit to find the humour, and so i watched an episode or two of this and then the tone of the writing became clear. I’ve read maybe 16 of his books now. Love him!
I read a Wodehouse that did nothing for me either. It was like - I get it, but I don’t care. I’m sure in a different time and place they hit just right.