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fonril's review
2.5
I've seen so many people recommend PG Wodehouse books, saying how riotously funny they are and so I expected to enjoy this much more than I did.
It's a collection of short stories, some featuring Bertie Wooster and his hugely competent servant, Jeeves. Others feature a character similar to Wooster called Reggie Pepper.
The themes are similar, the rich person gets into some kind of situation, often involving deception and Jeeves comes to the rescue by having the intelligence to find a way out of the pickle.
It's not without humour, expectation though had me thinking I'd be laughing out loud and it didn't even come close.
I've never seen Jeeves & Wooster on tv as portrayed by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie but this book definitely reads like a sketch show so I can see why they took it on for that purpose.
Sorry to disappoint the Wodehouse fans and I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as you did too but there is little as subjective as humour and this just didn't hit the funny notes for me.
It's a collection of short stories, some featuring Bertie Wooster and his hugely competent servant, Jeeves. Others feature a character similar to Wooster called Reggie Pepper.
The themes are similar, the rich person gets into some kind of situation, often involving deception and Jeeves comes to the rescue by having the intelligence to find a way out of the pickle.
It's not without humour, expectation though had me thinking I'd be laughing out loud and it didn't even come close.
I've never seen Jeeves & Wooster on tv as portrayed by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie but this book definitely reads like a sketch show so I can see why they took it on for that purpose.
Sorry to disappoint the Wodehouse fans and I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as you did too but there is little as subjective as humour and this just didn't hit the funny notes for me.
whimsicalmeerkat's review
3.0
When I was a child, every once in a while on a Sunday evening my parents would rush us off to bed so they could sit down and watch Jeeves & Wooster on PBS. Why it took me so long to seek out the series after those years of listening to my mother laugh loudly and helplessly, I cannot say. Finally, I decided to take the plunge. [b:My Man Jeeves|200572|My Man Jeeves|P.G. Wodehouse|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308959178s/200572.jpg|463407] is a collection of short stories by [a:P.G. Wodehouse|7963|P.G. Wodehouse|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1198684105p2/7963.jpg], the first in a long series. Unfortunately, half or more of the stories do not contain Jeeves. They were not nearly as exciting. Due to this lack of Jeeves, the book gets 3 stars instead of 4. The world needs more Jeeves.
veritas2578's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
angus_mckeogh's review
3.0
First Wodehouse. Really more a collection of short stories and a couple didn’t involve Jeeves at all. But funny and a satire for the times; a demonstration of the ridiculous “helplessness” of the elite and royalty of England. A good read.
firedew's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ralen356's review against another edition
I dunno. I don't mind the humor, rather I loved it very much for its humor, however, I think I needed something else to keep me hooked. Just more plot or better character. I might come back to this, however it's not likely.
grantwest's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pinksreads's review
3.0
I would give it a 3.5 stars, pity there's no 0.5 rating on Goodreads yet.
There's not much you can say while reviewing a P. G. Wodehouse, is there? It is, as usual, humorous, and not in the graphic sense. The words and explanations do the trick. In a heavily contemporary world, it was quite refreshing to come across words like 'rummy' and 'chump'. God knows I lived vicariously through the aristocracy portrayed.
All I can say is, man, I wish I had a life like Bertram Wooster or Reggie Pepper. (Yes, while referring to the protagonist, these two names are pretty much interchangeable. The only difference is, Wooster is the one with the butler, Jeeves, while Pepper is the friend that goes around helping people himself, without having to enlist a butler).
There was a ~spicy~ amount of privilege in the book, perfectly depicted in the last story 'The Aunt and the Sluggard', where Wooster is forced out of his apartment in New York to live in a hotel for a few days, due to certain chain of events. In this process. he loses his butler Jeeves, as Jeeves is forced to stick to the apartment. And that is when he realises, and I quote, "there must be quite a lot of fellows who have to press their own clothes themselves and haven't got anybody to bring them tea in the morning." Quite the unrealised privilege. But I do recognise the underlying satire enforced by the author where, as a reader, I can definitely make a lot of fun about Wooster's astute observation with respect to his privilege, or lack thereof.
This was my first Jeeves book, and I was not disappointed. Jeeves is portrayed as a near-genius butler who has the solution to every nuance that Bertie's friends come across. I like how the solutions are not a product of worldly genius, but a result of being hyper-informed and interested in the general ongoings of humanity. Also, in several books with genius protagonists, said protagonists are often portrayed as emotionless, ruthless individuals who plainly recite facts and have no human interactions ever. But this book gives a wide berth to that trope by focusing on a kind, compassionate servant-genius who is also emotionally attached to his employer and other relatives mentioned. Quite the lovely change, in my opinion.
The book is in good humour, and I will recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet, satirical laugh.
There's not much you can say while reviewing a P. G. Wodehouse, is there? It is, as usual, humorous, and not in the graphic sense. The words and explanations do the trick. In a heavily contemporary world, it was quite refreshing to come across words like 'rummy' and 'chump'. God knows I lived vicariously through the aristocracy portrayed.
All I can say is, man, I wish I had a life like Bertram Wooster or Reggie Pepper. (Yes, while referring to the protagonist, these two names are pretty much interchangeable. The only difference is, Wooster is the one with the butler, Jeeves, while Pepper is the friend that goes around helping people himself, without having to enlist a butler).
There was a ~spicy~ amount of privilege in the book, perfectly depicted in the last story 'The Aunt and the Sluggard', where Wooster is forced out of his apartment in New York to live in a hotel for a few days, due to certain chain of events. In this process. he loses his butler Jeeves, as Jeeves is forced to stick to the apartment. And that is when he realises, and I quote, "there must be quite a lot of fellows who have to press their own clothes themselves and haven't got anybody to bring them tea in the morning." Quite the unrealised privilege. But I do recognise the underlying satire enforced by the author where, as a reader, I can definitely make a lot of fun about Wooster's astute observation with respect to his privilege, or lack thereof.
This was my first Jeeves book, and I was not disappointed. Jeeves is portrayed as a near-genius butler who has the solution to every nuance that Bertie's friends come across. I like how the solutions are not a product of worldly genius, but a result of being hyper-informed and interested in the general ongoings of humanity. Also, in several books with genius protagonists, said protagonists are often portrayed as emotionless, ruthless individuals who plainly recite facts and have no human interactions ever. But this book gives a wide berth to that trope by focusing on a kind, compassionate servant-genius who is also emotionally attached to his employer and other relatives mentioned. Quite the lovely change, in my opinion.
The book is in good humour, and I will recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet, satirical laugh.
thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I loved the light hilarity of this book. The shenanigans were over the top. I have to say the book doesn't read as old as it is. The writing is pretty well done and doesn't feel burdened by age.