"I could hardly sleep last night I was so excited after reading your book! At last, a book that talks about the philosophy of chiropractic as well as the experience of it. Thank you for pointing out that chiropractic care affects the nervous system by removing the blocks to (the) transmission of our innate ability to heal the bodymindspirit." Dr. Patricia Gayman, Doctor of Chiropractic, author, Making An Informed Choice, Immunization: The Other Side... Former Dean of

Clinics, Life Chiropractic College West

"Bertie's book contains many profound and useful insights into the healing journey we must all take some day."Jack Canfield, Co-author,Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul®

"Bertie's healing journey provides guideposts to discover your own." Carl A. Hammerschlag, M.D., author of The Dancing Healers, Theft of the Spirit, Healing Ceremonies

Previous: The Mating Season

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through surprised me a great deal. I had read almost all of the Jeeves books by the time I got to this one, and I had no idea that I could still be so utterly and completely charmed by Wodehouse's words. Of all the Jeeves books, this one is probably the funniest, with the most laugh-out-louds-the knee slapping, snorting, tears-streaming-down-your-face, scaring-the-cat-out-of-the-room kind. I can't praise it highly enough. First, the setting is a breath of fresh air. After visiting such horrific places as Steeple Bumpleigh and Deverill Hall, going back to Brinkley feels like going home, complete with Aunt Dahlia and all her warm endearments ("Bertie, you revolting object."). One delightful twist after another brings Bertie to the brink of disaster and back again, as he is faced with the prospect of having his spine broken in three, four, or five places by the oaf Stilton Cheesewright and, worse yet, marriage to Florence Craye. Couple that with Bertie's new mustache, Aunt Dahlia's pearl necklace, a somber chap by the name of Percy Gorringe, and the Drones darts tournament, and you have the funniest thing ever written in the English language.

And that, by the way, is what makes Wodehouse so wonderful-it is not the characters, nor the stories, nor the settings, but the language he uses, and the way he forms sentences, and the vocabulary which is an eclectic mix of colloquialisms, literary references, foreign phrases, and Woosterisms. Until I read Wodehouse, I had never dreamed that the English language could be rendered so beautifully, and so, so, so brilliantly funny. It is like nothing else I have ever read.

Next: How Right You Are, Jeeves (Jeeves in the Offing)

When there's one too many Adam Sandler flicks out, and you are just tired of flatulence humor then this is the best book to pick up. Wodehouse's dry British wit shines through as bumbling Bertram Wooster fights through life (and a new mustache) with his trusty butler Jeeves there to save him. The lead character, Wooster, has a serious problem as an intellectual woman chases after him as does her ex-fiancee. Only Jeeves can save his arse.

This book will bring a smile to the reader regardless of his state of mind. I think that it should be placed in psychiatric offices around the world.

And if after reading through this book, please please read Wodehouse's dedication if for anything else than his poem. This a great book but be warned, only those who are lovers of the dry wit will enjoy it.

Sorry but you can't just shut down your brain in order to enjoy this book.

This is the book that got me hooked on P.G. Wodehouse. I soon started buying every Wodehouse book I could find. This one has lots of hysterical twists and turns.

I would not willingly try to judge which is Wodehouse's best book, for it is a hard task, as each of the Master's works shine in thier own special way. But if i had to, and there was no other way, then it would have to be Joy in the Morning.
This is a classic story of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, his valet, or as Jeeves puts it "his gentleman's gentleman". There are several books featuring Bertie and Jeeves and like all the others this one is a cracker.
Bertie has to go to Steeple Bumpleigh, the lair of his horrendouns Aunt Agatha, to assist his uncle pull of a tricky business deal. Confusion ensues when he gets engaged to the wrong girl - the overbearing, always-moulding Florence Craye. The situation is especially hard for him, as also in the cast of characted is Stilton Cheesewright, who thinks Bertie as a snake and butterfly, and wants to clobber him.
Add to this a business magnate from Long Island, an eccentric author, and a boy scout bent (pun intended, read the book and you shall find out) on helping all around him, and its a recipie for the worst kind of disaster for Bertie. Thank god he has Jeeves on hand to extricate him from all the doodah.
A superb read. Dont give this one a miss. Remember, a man who is tired of Wodehouse, is a man who is tired of Life.

Published in the U.S. as "Jeeves in the Morning," Overlook Press has restored the original British title for this nicely produced cloth edition. Regardless of the title, Wodehouse's 1947 novel is a superb comedy of language and manners (or lack thereof), in which both screwball and slapstick enhance the absurd situations Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves create for themselves.

The supporting characters are marvelously drawn. There's Florence Craye, "one of those intellectual girls, steeped to the gills in serious purpose, who are unable to see a male soul without wanting to get behind it and shove," and her jealous fiance Stilton Cheesewright, "one of those touchy lovers who go about the place in a suspicious and red-eyed spirit, eager to hammer the stuffing out of such of the citizenry as they suppose to be or to have been in any sense matey with the adored object." The disheveled writer Boko Fittleworth looks like "a cross between a comedy juggler and a parrot that has been dragged through a hedge backwards." Florence's brother Edwin is a Boy Scout with a "kink in his psychology which made him such a menace to society"; her father is "one of those men you meet sometimes who only listen to about two words of any observation addressed to them."

Even the characters who never once make an appearance add to the delirium. A victim of various intrigues executed by main characters, the American industrialist J. Chichester Clam remains entirely off-stage, "probably convinced that all this must be that Collapse of Civilization of which he had no doubt so often spoke at the Union League Club." And the fear of the wrath of the matriarch Aunt Agatha, away visiting her sick son, keeps all the characters in check.

This mix of oddballs insures that engagements are broken, property is destroyed, business deals are ruined, and animosities are renewed--and, as always, it falls to Jeeves to set everything right with a mix of luck, connivance, outright deceitfulness, and wisdom culled from Shakespeare (who, according to Bertie, "sounds well, but doesn't mean anything"). For such a light, easy read, "Joy in the Morning" is an unexpectedly satisfying novel.

I have read quite a few of Wodehouse's books, and regard this as the best of them. What I enjoy most about his work is his use of language, and this book seems to me the most polished in this respect of those I have read. As ever, I enjoy the comedy, set in an imaginary environment of sunny days and English upper-class comfort.

I've heard just about everyone on both sides of the Atlantic perform Wodehouse at one time or another, including on stage and in film. Most of the audiobooks seem to have been done by Martin Jarvis and Jonathan Cecil, both very talented. But I'm here to tell you that NOBODY does Bertie Wooster as well as Charlton Griffin. You will be rolling on the floor listening to this one. His tone of voice and the voices he gives all the other characters are just as zany and eccentric as the looney world they live in. If you're a lover of Wodehouse, add this to your collection. If you're looking for an introduction to this hilarious series, this is the place to begin. PLEASE let Mr. Griffin do more of these!!!!

This recording is the perfect introduction to P.G. Wodehouse and to his most famous characters Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves. Listening to Charlton Griffin read the stories will accelerate your appreciation. That's because Griffin already understands all about Bertie, his friends, relatives, and the 1920's London-and-country-house milieu in which they live. This understanding informs the voices, accents, and intonations that Griffin gives the characters. As a result, you almost immediately comprehend that narrator Bertie is a twit--a loveable twit--and that Jeeves is the real gentleman in the stories. It takes a new reader much longer to catch on, which postpones the fun.

Listen to these stories for escapist entertainment and to marvel at Wodehouse's use of the English language, which is among the most inventive since Shakespeare. Evelyn Waugh called Wodehouse "the master" and this recording will tell you why.

Small complaints: A few sound effects seemed superfluous to me, and I would have been glad to have a voice tell me at the end of a side to fast forward and continue from the other side or the next cassette.

The comical relationship of Bertie and Jeeves, is brought to life with the ever changing voices of Charlton Griffin. His choice of sound effects and music flow naturally, subtly complimenting the setting of the stories. I found myself often chuckling, caught up in Wodehouse's wit. Bertie continually floundering. Jeeves, his cool, collected butler, always coming to the rescue. Griffin moves between characters without hesitation. The effect is magical.... pure listening pleasure.

This book brings back memories and is sure to make kids relate to thier school picture day! A sure hit with kids and teachers too!

This story is so funny! Just when you think the worst has happened to Bertie, something else happens. Bertie doesn't let anything get him down, and he makes the best of his troubles, at that. Everyone who has had messy hair or a missing tooth on "Picture Day" will relate to Bertie's experience and cheer his indomitable spirit.

Bertie is one of my favorite characters. I loved him in HOT FUDGE HERO and I'm thrilled to see him back in BERTIE'S PICTURE DAY. He knows how to take those unexpected setbacks and turn them into a positive outcome. A great message for kids!

I listened to this again for the first time in over a year. It has lost nothing. Every humorous incident is just as funny the second time around. Wodehouse has an ingenious way of pulling you into comedic situations and you're suddenly there before you realize it. Jonathan Cecil is one of the best of the Wodehouse narrators.

To the ever growing Audio Partners catalogue of complete books on tape can be added yet another of those hilarious Jeeves novels, this one called "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit." Written in 1954, this Bertie Wooster epic brings in many characters familiar from earlier works (Roderick Strode, Aunt Agatha, Uncle Tom, Frances Craye, Stilton Cheesewright) and many all-too familiar situations. Yes, Wodehouse does repeat himself, but I look upon it as ringing the changes. A line of bells is a line of bells, but their various combinations are what make things interesting.

Again Bertie is trying to avoid both marriage and having his spine broken in an increasing number of places, again having to purloin a valuable object to help out his only likable aunt, again depending on Jeeves first, middle, and last to extricate himself from dilemmas of his own doing and (at least in this book) those of others.Of the four actors assigned to read these novels and short stories on Audio Partners tapes, I think Jonathan Cecil is the best. He gives Wooster just that goofy intonation and all the other characters their due, making this set of four audio tapes a real humdinger. I have grown to realize that it is not so much that Wodehouse says funny things as that he says ordinary things in a funny way. That is why almost all of the Jeeves adventures are narrated first person by Wooster himself.

Just the ticket to cheer one up after a hard day or during a long boring drive.

As a PS, there is a very good life of Wodehouse by David A. Jasen put out by Schirmer Trade Books, "P.G. Wodehouse: A Portrait of a Master." It makes an easy read and brings you closer to the creator of the dreamworld in which lives the Woosters and the rest.

P.G. Wodehouse writes in a Dave Barry meets Agatha Christie style which makes you laugh out loud. P.G. Wodehouse was Agatha Christie's favourite author for a good reason. He gives you a visit to England in 1930 (or thereabouts) and plots with every twist you can imagine. In this one, Bertie, the upperclass twit, gets himself into the usual fix, and Jeeves finds a way out. The plot carries you along and keeps you in both suspense and stitches. Please listen to it if you have even a smidgen of the blues! If you have kids who are intelligent teens, this is a great family car trip book.

Previous: Very Good, Jeeves

The first of the Jeeves novels, Thank You, Jeeves is outstanding in every way, and it is a terrible shame that this brilliant book appears to be out of print. This is, in fact, one of my three favorite Jeeves books. The story is deliciously different, and eccentric at every turn. I think what is most noticeable about this book is the exquisite relationship between Bertie and Jeeves. We are wounded along with Bertie in the opening pages when Jeeves gives notice, although what follows makes their relationship more interesting than ever and, if I may say so, charming. This is the only book in which we "see" the servant's quarters (where Bertie spends much of his time seeking out Jeeves's advice), and the first in which we see how utterly devoted Jeeves is to the "golden-hearted" Bertie (Jeeves's words), although for the vast majority of the book he doesn't even work for him. Full of hilarious sequences such as Bertie's getting awakened every few minutes by the police constable, and getting chased by a drunk Brinkley (the new valet) with a carving knife (an event which is alluded to more than once in later novels). A wonderful, sweet, and zany book that tops the list of must-reads for Jeeves and Bertie fans.

I could be wrong, but I believe the reason for this book's being out of print is Mr. Wodehouse's repeated use of the word "nigger." In context, it is perfectly obvious that while the word is slang, it is never meant to be the extremely offensive and derogatory word that it is to my generation. In fact, Bertie has nothing but respect for the "nigger minstrels" and only wants to learn some banjolele-playing tips from them. The use of the word is simply a reflection of the times in which Wodehouse wrote-after all, this book was written more than seventy years ago, and times, and words, change.

Next: Right Ho, Jeeves

a terrific funny novel by Wodehouse. i enjoyed this tremendously.. hope u too

This is a must read for anybody interested in Wodehouse's work. Set in Chuffnell Regis as a result of Bertie's suddenly found passion for Banjolele, the plot thickens with hiliarious twists. I read this book 4 times just for the character of Sir Roderick. What a book!

Bertie Wooster's is a different world. A different world indeed, even from the jazzy age of 1920s and 30s England that P. G. Wodehouse employs as his setting. The code of the Woosters is to never let a friend down, and Bertie would do this far more often were it not for his tactful and clever gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves. Bertie is a marvelous type of fellow: over-educated but under-intelligent; useless to society but wealthy beyond any need for scruple; completely numbed by the simple pleasures of an aristocratic life, but always there for his friends and family in a pinch. Amusingly enough, very few of the people that Bertie is enlisted in aiding actually deserve anyone's help. He is variously bullied and cajoled--but usually blackmailed--into putting himself in the most precarious positions. He must steal a cow-shaped piece of silver or his Aunt Dahlia will never let him eat a meal served by her godly French chef; he must steal a policeman's helmet to indirectly prevent himself from betrothal to a starry-eyed ditz of a woman. Being a Wooster, of course, he would go through with such a wedding rather than be impolite.

What makes Bertie's bumbling and stumbling antics the more amusing is that he fancies himself a man of wit and decisiveness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jeeves is the man for that, as well as the man to keep Bertie from his predilection for screaming fashion faux pas.

Wodehouse employs a wonderfully dry wit and a delivery that ranges between the anecdotal and the rat-a-tat. One finds oneself smiling through every page, and occasionally being forced to place the book on the side table so as not to harm in during a fit of laughing out loud. Wodehouse's influence on writers such as Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis and Stephen Fry has enriched British literature of the last century, but he himself was a true original, as are Jeeves and Wooster.

As with most Wodehouse books, this has enough plot twists and turns to keep the impossible situations running for as long as possible. Which is not to say that they are difficult to see coming, but even when you know that Gussie is about to pop up again with bad news, it's still fun to read. Jeeves' solutions are always fascinating, as is his "sang froid", as Bertie would say. I must strongly suggest to the first-time reader, read the introduction LAST. Alexander Cockburn does a decentish job of analyzing the story, but not without doing some major spoiling of plots. Lastly, I would argue my own opinion that the Wodehousian plots are not the strongest point of the book, but the breezy, conversational narrative style of the main protaginist, Bertram Wilberforce Wooster. This (funny in and of itself) is hilarious agaisnt the backdrop of his hyper-intelligent valet (or "gentleman's personal gentleman", as Jeeves refers to himself), strong-willed women, clutzy or (dare I use the word to describe a character of the 30's) nerdy friends, and comical villains. If you like British comedy in the least, you should read Wodehouse as he is a giant of the genre.

This is probably the best novel by Wodehouse and I enjoyed every bit of it.The ever disaster stricken Bertie and Jeeves feature in this book which has some of the memorable characters- Augustus Fink Nottle,Aunt Dahila,Madeline Basset ( Stars-are-God's-daisy-chains ),Pop Basset and Roderick Spode!.Bertie is sent By Aunt Dahila to pinch an 18 th century cow-creamer and what follows is typically wodehouse material.You just can't stop reading once you pick this book up!Wodehouse at his very best.

If you step back and analyse the Jeeves stories you will find the story lines are shallow and often repeat in thinly disguised ways. The characters are two dimensional and heavily stereotypical.
The solution is ... don't step back. Wodehouse is brilliant on a line by line basis. Each word is chosen, each sentence crafted to draw you into the humour of the situation. I have often dropped the book as I rolled off the couch with tears streaming down my face.
If you are a well spoken Englishman, or can read as a wellspoken Englishman and have a dry sense of humour you will love Wodehouse. Some Americans I have tried Wodehouse on have struggled.
This particular book is not on particularly good paper and the collection of stories is fragmented, if you go onto other Wooster books you will find there are stories 'missed out in the middle' of this compilation.
But if you have never read Wodehouse, this is a good starter.

Wodehouse is truely prolific, but the quality of his writing never wavers. The plot twists are so many that it's rare anything is straight-forward, and, remarkably, it's never too much for the reader to handle. His writing is both complex and refreshingly simple. This small group of stories are all perfectly able to be read alone, but the more Jeeves and Wooster stories you read, the more interconnected you realize his works are. Bertie is delightfully dense, and Jeeves always holds up the proper feudal spirit. There is almost a deeper sort of unspoken friendship between them, Jeeves almost a parent figure. Wooster's friends (and protagonists) are also just ducky. All great, unforgettable characters, and the names are very, very British (20's-30's era). I also love the phrases that pop up throughout the dialog (And Bertie's narration). If you've never read Wodehouse, I suggest that you start, and if you have, I suggest keeping it up. This stuff is timeless.

P.G. Wodehouse is one of my favorite writers. "Life with Jeeves" is the first Wodehouse book I ever read. Actually there are three books in this one. It's excellent, I read it about a year ago, and have been a fan of Wodehouse ever since. I highly recommend it!

"You silly a . . . " is a phrase often repeated by Bertram (Bertie) Wooster's favorite Aunt Dahlia in describing him in this country romp of romance and gastronomy gone wrong. And that's the nicest thing she has to say about him in this story.

Bertie's main redeeming quality to his friends and family in this story is his manservant, Jeeves. Over the years of their relationship, everyone who knows Bertie comes to realize that Bertie is a bumbling fool and that Jeeves is a problem-solving genius. The parallels to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are unavoidable in one's mind, except these stories are played out as comedy along the lines of A Midsummer Night's Dream rather than as serious business. Like Dr. Watson for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bertie is the narrator of this novel.

Bertie, as a gentleman, feels that it is important to keep Jeeves in his place. He looks for the old feudal spirit of serf to master from Jeeves. When Jeeves challenges Bertie's decision to wear an informal jacket in the country that he brought back from Cannes, Bertie decides to put Jeeves in his place.

In Right Ho, Jeeves, everyone is looking for solutions to their problems from Jeeves. The fly in the old ointment though is that Bertie tells Jeeves to stifle himself while Bertie tries to save the day. As you can imagine, each Bertie wheeze (or plot) turns out to be a blunder instead that makes things much worse. Then Bertie tries again, with even worse results. And so on.

As background to the story's beginning, Bertie is just back from two months in Cannes on the Riviera with Aunt Dahlia, his cousin Angela, and her friend, Madeline Bassett. Aunt Dahlia recruits Bertie to give the prizes at the local school, while Bertie scrambles to avoid the appearance. His old pal, Gussie Fink-Nottle, a newt expert, has fallen for Madeline Bassett but he is too shy to propose. Bertie works on Gussie's resolve. Tuppy Glossop, another pal, is engaged to cousin Angela until they have a row about double chins and sharks. Bertie tries to bring reconciliation to the warring parties. Aunt Dahlia's domestic peace depends on the gourmet cooking of Anatole, which is essential to get money for her magazine out of her dyspepsic husband, Uncle Tom, to offset what she lost at the casino. Bertie's misconceptions soon have Anatole in despair, and contemplating departure. Aunt Dahlia is shaken to the core.

Things look glum indeed for the young lovers, Aunt Dahlia, and for Bertie. How will the day be saved?

The book is wonderfully read by Alexander Spencer, my favorite narrator of these P.G. Wodehouse stories and novels. Wodehouse intended these to be read as musical comedy, rather than considered as being drawn from life. With the proper narration, with an appropriate English accent, the tales are much enhanced.

Why, then did I rate the book down one star? First, the plot does go on and on through its complications. A good editor could have chopped this down by about 25 percent and made a much better novel. Second, there is a reference to people of color beginning with the letter "n" that will offend many, and certainly offended me.

A better offering in this series are the stories in the audio cassettes entitled, Jeeves and the Old School Chum. You might start there if you don't know Bertie and Jeeves yet. Only after you have used up the five star Jeeves audio tapes should you listen to this one. And you should do so only if you are fully compelled to have more of Bertie and Jeeves.

After you have finished this book, consider whether you have ever failed to take good advice. If you have avoided that, was false pride involved? If so, how can you overcome that misconception and self-deception in the future?

What?

Previous: Thank You, Jeeves

One of the most popular of the Jeeves novels, Right Ho, Jeeves brings us to Brinkley Court, the lair of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia, who is by far my favorite secondary character in all the books. This book is overshadowed by a decidedly antagonistic relationship between Jeeves and Bertie over a certain white jacket with brass buttons, and one can practically see Jeeves snickering in the background when his brilliant solution to the problems at hand is accomplished at Bertie's expense. Nevertheless, he does "rally round" when needed, and saves Bertie from a fate more hideous than death, viz. marriage to the loony Madeline Bassett. There are moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity in this book, notably Gussie Fink-Nottle's prize-giving at the local grammar school after drinking a jug of spiked orange juice, Bertie's very ill-timed question about haggis (a personal favorite of mine-the line, not haggis), and Aunt Dahlia's calm suggestion that Bertie go out to the garden pool and drown himself. This is comedy at its brilliant best. A wonderful beginning to a chain of events and characters that will follow in many books to come.

Next: The Code of the Woosters

This is a favorite of all Jeeves and Wooster fans, and it features one of the most memorable scenes in the Wodehouse canon: Gussie Fink-Nottle's presentation of awards at a grammar school, after drinking a double-spiked orange juice. This is Wodehouse at his best - and that's saying plenty.