| | Comment from (2003-11-13) |
| Wodehouse is absolutely the best writer of humorous stories I have ever read. And this comes from someone who reads mostly SciFi. For someone new to Wodehouse, it may take 2 or 3 books to really understand and appreciate him. I think this has to do with the fact that his books are set (and mostly written) in the past and understanding English society is important to understanding the books. Also, his writing style takes a bit of reading to fully appreciate.
There was a series of TV shows shot in the 90's. The adaptations are pretty bad, at times picking small parts of several books and putting them together. However, the shows help you understand the settings better and are well acted in general. Strangely, most of the actors were replaced during the 5 seasons, some times with actors who had played other characters! I assume because these actors were otherwise occupied when it came time to shoot the next season. However, the two main actors stayed the whole series and did a good job.
I would suggest "Something New" or "Damsel in Distress" for beginners. The Jeeves and Wooster series are the best however, with "The Mating Season" my favorite. However, you need to have read some of the preceding books in the series to fully appreciate it. In general, the books in the series are stand-alone units and do not have to be read in order, but they make a bit more sense that way. If you are reading the series and can't find a book, it's just fine to go on to the next one.
In summary, Wodehouse is brilliant. |
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