Scan barcode
lizzy_balmain's review against another edition
3.0
A generally enjoyable comedy but is "of it's time" with some casual racism to make the skin crawl
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
When his cousin Egremont gets betrothed in Hollywood, Reggie Havershot has no choice but to go find him. Reggie finds Eggy but falls in love in the process with April June. After a strange incident in a dentist's office, Reggie swaps bodies with child star Joey Cooley. Will Reggie be able to set things right before Joey wrecks his life by punching everyone he dislikes in the snoot?
This is the first Wodehouse I've read in a couple years, recommended by none other than [a:Gail Carriger|2891665|Gail Carriger|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1476925456p2/2891665.jpg] at the 2016 Goodreads Summit.
It starts out with the old Wodehouse formula, a gentleman of leisure infatuated with a beautiful woman. Then the body swap happens and things go pear-shaped in a big way. Is Laughing Gas the spiritual ancestor of later body-swapping comedies like Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, and that episode of Red Dwarf where Lister and Rimmer switch bodies? Yes, yes it probably is.
Laughing Gas has more outlandish situations than most Wodehouse novels and is also a satire of Hollywood culture, something that hasn't changed in the eighty years since this book was written. I lost count of the hilarious lines Wodehouse wove into this ridiculous tapestry.
Despite its deviation from the tried and true Wodehouse formula, the trademark wordplay, twists of fate, impostors, and misunderstandings are in full swing. The additional complication of Cooley in Havershot's body rampaging around Hollywood, smiting his enemies, while Havershot endures the hell that Cooley has created back home provides additional laughs.
As with all Wodehouses, there are some reversals of fortune and everything ultimately turns out okay. While I liked Laughing Gas for its novelty and the usual Wodehousian wordplay, it wasn't up to the standards of [b:The Code of the Woosters|9858081|The Code of the Woosters (Jeeves, #7)|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1302053718s/9858081.jpg|1121253], [b:Leave It to Psmith|13707720|Leave It to Psmith|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342025763s/13707720.jpg|1233006], or [b:Cocktail Time|16241186|Cocktail Time|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1357836579s/16241186.jpg|938130]. Three out of five stars.
This is the first Wodehouse I've read in a couple years, recommended by none other than [a:Gail Carriger|2891665|Gail Carriger|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1476925456p2/2891665.jpg] at the 2016 Goodreads Summit.
It starts out with the old Wodehouse formula, a gentleman of leisure infatuated with a beautiful woman. Then the body swap happens and things go pear-shaped in a big way. Is Laughing Gas the spiritual ancestor of later body-swapping comedies like Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, and that episode of Red Dwarf where Lister and Rimmer switch bodies? Yes, yes it probably is.
Laughing Gas has more outlandish situations than most Wodehouse novels and is also a satire of Hollywood culture, something that hasn't changed in the eighty years since this book was written. I lost count of the hilarious lines Wodehouse wove into this ridiculous tapestry.
Despite its deviation from the tried and true Wodehouse formula, the trademark wordplay, twists of fate, impostors, and misunderstandings are in full swing. The additional complication of Cooley in Havershot's body rampaging around Hollywood, smiting his enemies, while Havershot endures the hell that Cooley has created back home provides additional laughs.
As with all Wodehouses, there are some reversals of fortune and everything ultimately turns out okay. While I liked Laughing Gas for its novelty and the usual Wodehousian wordplay, it wasn't up to the standards of [b:The Code of the Woosters|9858081|The Code of the Woosters (Jeeves, #7)|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1302053718s/9858081.jpg|1121253], [b:Leave It to Psmith|13707720|Leave It to Psmith|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342025763s/13707720.jpg|1233006], or [b:Cocktail Time|16241186|Cocktail Time|P.G. Wodehouse|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1357836579s/16241186.jpg|938130]. Three out of five stars.
samyukta_24's review against another edition
3.0
This one was quite funny, even though it was a little sad to see the main character, Reggie Havershot go through so much in 2 days. One had to feel pity for him by the end of it all, but as usual, everything ended sunnily and it was a treat to read.
fros86's review against another edition
3.0
Very funny. I didn't enjoy it as much as A Damsel in Distress, but very entertaining...
gjmaupin's review against another edition
4.0
What I learned from this book: that even middlin'-to-lesser Wodehouses are funnier and better crafted than most other comic writing. This one is essentially one of those Bertie-esque-characters-without-a-tempering-Jeeves numbers, and I'd love to see Pixar's version of this for some reason.
gosia_maria99's review against another edition
4.0
P. G. Wodehouse, as usual, is absolutely brilliant.
roshk99's review against another edition
4.0
Another side-splitter by Wodehouse, his humor is always a pleasure
jonathanlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Below the par for wodehouse for sure but still a decent read