Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
I read The Code Of The Woosters as part of a Best Of Wodehouse anthology. I was already very familiar with this particular outing with Jeeves & Wooster. Yet, it had been a while…
I used to turn to Wodehouse’s work as a teen for some funny, light, summertime reading, and was also a fan of the ITV adaptation starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
The Code Of The Woosters is regarded as being one of the best Bertie Wooster tales, and for good reason. It encapsulates everything that makes him such a great comedy character.
He always manages to bumble his way into sticky situations, such as being accused of theft by Old Basset. He assumed that Bertie is a bag-snatcher because he had once tried to snatch a policeman’s helmet.
The main plot of this story is Bertie being implored to help with a plot to steal a cow-creamer.
Of course, if any theft occurs, Bertie will get the blame… But will he be able to talk his way out of it?
However, the real star of each story is Jeeves. He is the brains behind every operation, he has the cunning and wit to pull Bertie out of these, often disastrous, situations.
Wodehouse’s stories have a unique humour to them. If you are familiar with, or take a liking to, his style then you shall love this one.
I used to turn to Wodehouse’s work as a teen for some funny, light, summertime reading, and was also a fan of the ITV adaptation starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
The Code Of The Woosters is regarded as being one of the best Bertie Wooster tales, and for good reason. It encapsulates everything that makes him such a great comedy character.
He always manages to bumble his way into sticky situations, such as being accused of theft by Old Basset. He assumed that Bertie is a bag-snatcher because he had once tried to snatch a policeman’s helmet.
The main plot of this story is Bertie being implored to help with a plot to steal a cow-creamer.
Of course, if any theft occurs, Bertie will get the blame… But will he be able to talk his way out of it?
However, the real star of each story is Jeeves. He is the brains behind every operation, he has the cunning and wit to pull Bertie out of these, often disastrous, situations.
Wodehouse’s stories have a unique humour to them. If you are familiar with, or take a liking to, his style then you shall love this one.
Amazing! An actual plot!! A couple of amusing characters! A satirical portrait of Oswald Mosley!
Shame he went on to work for (and, as has recently been revealed, be PAYED BY) the NAZIS!
But, of course, he had "no understanding of contemporary politics" and it was "just a silly public schoolboy mistake" and his friends who considered him "a good egg" made sure he wasn't prosecuted, was able to move to America, and even eventually get a knighthood, so that's all fine then apparently.
Except...
To quote the Independent article from when his MI5 file was declassified a decade ago
"the documents dispel the widely held notion of Wodehouse as vain but harmless. His MI5 file reveals a more sinister character, with extreme right-wing views and even Nazi sympathies, who had also secretly worked for a Berlin film company that produced propaganda."
Despite his claims he lived of savings from the sales of his books in Germany, he was payed £150 a month by the Nazi government, lived in luxury accommodation in Berlin and occupied Paris, help the German Propaganda department, and lied about his actions to the Allied authorities after the Liberation of Paris, and despite his friends in high places would have definitely been tried for treason if he returned to Britain. (And probably hung.)
He "considered" himself an American - and wanted to keep them out of the war - despite not being a US citizen at the time, he said he would have happily lived under German rule for the rest of his life (if they won the war), and was only living in France when war broke out because he didn't want to pay UK tax.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
So I think I m not going to bother with anymore of his claptrap.
(By the way, all this information is easily accessible and has been well reported over the last 10 years - just oddly not on his Wikipedia page, which seems to be moderated by people who are a hair's breadth away from going "pip pip tally ho!" in the explanation of every edit.)
Shame he went on to work for (and, as has recently been revealed, be PAYED BY) the NAZIS!
But, of course, he had "no understanding of contemporary politics" and it was "just a silly public schoolboy mistake" and his friends who considered him "a good egg" made sure he wasn't prosecuted, was able to move to America, and even eventually get a knighthood, so that's all fine then apparently.
Except...
To quote the Independent article from when his MI5 file was declassified a decade ago
"the documents dispel the widely held notion of Wodehouse as vain but harmless. His MI5 file reveals a more sinister character, with extreme right-wing views and even Nazi sympathies, who had also secretly worked for a Berlin film company that produced propaganda."
Despite his claims he lived of savings from the sales of his books in Germany, he was payed £150 a month by the Nazi government, lived in luxury accommodation in Berlin and occupied Paris, help the German Propaganda department, and lied about his actions to the Allied authorities after the Liberation of Paris, and despite his friends in high places would have definitely been tried for treason if he returned to Britain. (And probably hung.)
He "considered" himself an American - and wanted to keep them out of the war - despite not being a US citizen at the time, he said he would have happily lived under German rule for the rest of his life (if they won the war), and was only living in France when war broke out because he didn't want to pay UK tax.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
So I think I m not going to bother with anymore of his claptrap.
(By the way, all this information is easily accessible and has been well reported over the last 10 years - just oddly not on his Wikipedia page, which seems to be moderated by people who are a hair's breadth away from going "pip pip tally ho!" in the explanation of every edit.)
I think everyone should have a Jeeves in their life.
This is the one in which Berie Wooster is duped/blackmailed by his 'good and deserving' Aunt Dahlia into travelling and staying at Totleigh Towers, all in pursuit of an 18th century Cow-creamer that she wants her husband to sucessfully purchase (for reasons that are to complicated to go into here), and that sees Bertie's friends Gussie Fink-Nottle, the rev Harold 'stinker' Pinker fall into and out of favour with their respective (and prospective) other half's - one of whom (Madeline Bassett) believes Bertie Wooster to be madly and deeply in love with her.
Throw in the would-be fascist Dictator Roderick Spode, and the fact that Sir Watkyn Bassett (who owns Totleigh Towers) believes Bertie Wooster to be a kleptomaniac, and we have all the necessary ingredients for another convoluted set of scenarios, which only Jeeves is able to unravel to everybody's satisfaction.
This is the one in which Berie Wooster is duped/blackmailed by his 'good and deserving' Aunt Dahlia into travelling and staying at Totleigh Towers, all in pursuit of an 18th century Cow-creamer that she wants her husband to sucessfully purchase (for reasons that are to complicated to go into here), and that sees Bertie's friends Gussie Fink-Nottle, the rev Harold 'stinker' Pinker fall into and out of favour with their respective (and prospective) other half's - one of whom (Madeline Bassett) believes Bertie Wooster to be madly and deeply in love with her.
Throw in the would-be fascist Dictator Roderick Spode, and the fact that Sir Watkyn Bassett (who owns Totleigh Towers) believes Bertie Wooster to be a kleptomaniac, and we have all the necessary ingredients for another convoluted set of scenarios, which only Jeeves is able to unravel to everybody's satisfaction.
This country house adventure of Bertie and Jeeves concerns the cow creamer and the would-be dictator, and how Bertie defangs him. It also stands out for making reference to the cliches of Regency novel heroes of the silver fork style, which is interesting as this was 1934.
Wonderful, as always! If you've seen the BBC series, then the plot will be familiar (I forget which episodes, but I think they did a two-parter following the novel). On Goodreads they make it clear that it's #7 but a lot of the editions out in the world don't necessarily say that; still, Bertie (the narrator) does his best to catch you up with everything that came before if you haven't read the other books & stories.
It is what it is. Nothing totally hilarious, and alot of stock characters, but it's a lighthearted book that if it was laying on an endtable in the dentist's office, I would encourage you to read. It was a quick read, too, and if you like it, there's a bunch more where it came from. It wasn't awful.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Honestly, the only reason I read this book was because of book club. I did appreciate the audio version as I've never listened to an audiobook where the book was acted out by multiple voice actors.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated