(Reviewed by JD Jung)
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I must admit that I was not familiar with the celebrated British humorist P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) until now, when I thoroughly enjoyed the recent release of The Inimitable Jeeves, Deluxe Edition.
This sidesplitting story, taking place in WWI era London, features Bertie Wooster as its narrator: a young, predictable, wealthy bachelor who spends too much of his time playing the horses. He allows himself to be manipulated by those close to him and seeks advice to get out of these predicaments from none other than his personal valet, Jeeves.
He dreads his Aunt Agatha, who wants to see him married and arranges for him to meet unsuitable women, but he just can’t say no to her. He always seems to be caught up in the antics of his younger twin cousins Claude and Eustace who attend Oxford. But the strangest relationship he has is that with an old school friend, Richard “Bingo” Little. Like Bertie, he’s rather idle and always finds something to bet on. He supports himself by occasionally tutoring students, but receives the bulk of his money from an allowance provided by a wealthy uncle. Unfortunately, that money is not unconditional. The crazier part is that Bingo falls in love with a different woman every few weeks or so, and somehow entangles Bertie in the mess and then ultimately Jeeves to sort it all out. That is not to say that Jeeves’s solutions never come without a consequence…at least for Bertie.
With characters like these, there’s a laugh on every page and it never gets old. Also, when you think you know how each situation is going to resolve, a major surprise comes into play. The plot is very neatly woven, and over one hundred years later, it’s still hilarious.
If you’re looking for an entertaining and comical read that will make you forget your troubles— at least for a little while—The Inimitable Jeeves, Deluxe Edition, may just be the perfect choice.
