Previous: Carry On, Jeeves

The third and last short story collection, this volume contains some of the very best Jeeves and Bertie stories, again, stand-alone and unrelated. My favorite in this collection-and my favorite short story overall-is the brilliant Jeeves and the Impending Doom. Not only is the plot wonderfully eccentric, Jeeves manages to get in a very subtle jab at Bertie's intelligence which is particularly well-timed and memorable. Notable also is Jeeves and the Song of Songs, which is outright hilarious. And notable primarily for the irony of the story is The Love that Purifies, in which the kids vow to live upright lives, while the adults go out of their way to corrupt them into bad behavior. Memorable and hilarious stuff!

Next: Thank You, Jeeves

This collection of short stories from the Jeeves and Wooster series was first published in 1930. If the proof of classic status lies in how well a book stands the test of time, then this volume is indeed a classic. All eleven stories herein are excellently written and slyly humorous. Wodehouse once remarked that his stories were the opposite of "real world" stuff and in a way that is true, as his created world of Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves is in many ways a delightful fantasy. Having said that however, Wodehouse's comic situations and droll characterizations and observations reveal that he knew a lot about human nature. Like James Thurber his humorous fantasy is both an escape from and simultaneously an insight into human relationships and social situations.

One reviewer once remarked of this book's stories that "everyone was the best," and I'm tempted to agree, as all are worth reading and remembering. Perhaps my own favorite is "Jeeves and the Old School Chum" in which Wooster's former school mate newlywed Bingo Little suffers unmercifully from the ideas foisted on his romance novelist wife Rosie M. Banks' way of thinking regarding the pleasures of the dinner table, due to a visit from her "old school chum" Laura Pyke. Pyke is a "food crank" who (horrors) forces the rest of the household to abstain from cigarettes, alcohol, and most nourishment this side of tofu and bean sprouts for a time. Visiting Bertie suffers along with his buddy Bingo until such time as Jeeves can put things right. Along the way Bertie learns a little about the realities of marriage (the husband is master in his own home, unless the wife has an opposing viewpoint), the proper tactics for a male when intervening in an argument between two ladies (don't!, imitate the opossum and play dead), and how to bargain with a surly homeowner who has just gotten the baby to sleep (you'll have to read the story to find this one out).

A simply worded plot summary such as this can't even begin to come close however to conveying Wodehouse's command of the English language and his gift for humorous understatement. He has to be read to be truly appreciated. My own wish to anyone reading this review is for you to certainly find this volume or another one of the novels or short story collections in the series and give them a try. You won't be disappointed.

Also, if you haven't seen the PBS videos of the series starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry then I would strongly suggest checking them out. Several of the first season's episodes were inspired by the stories in this volume, and the series did an excellent job of conveying the warmth and humor of the stories to the screen. Watching them can only add to the pleasure of reading the stories. Still, reading Wodehouse is the best. I highly recommend him.

Any book from the Jeeves-and-Wooster series is a treasure, and this volume from well into the series is no exception. Bertie Wooster's world is one of elegance and pith, of high society and low comedy, of fun and foibles, homicidal swans, leaky water bottles and near death from starvation at the hands of a food faddist. Bertie is--how should one say this?--not the brightest jewel ever to have emerged from the British educational system and he relies on his gentleman's gentleman Jeeves, a butler with more than enough wit and savvy to save Bertie from the many scrapes he gets into. Jeeves usually has a knack for doing the "wrong" thing that turns out to be the right thing.

When these stories were written in the period between World Wars I and II they were social satires; now they are period pieces and must be considered as such. The wit is cracker-dry, especially some of the rejoinders emanating from Jeeves that can be read on two levels, one straight-faced and one slyly derisive of Master Bertie. We don't have the kind of finicky class distinctions outlined in these books (or so we are told), so perhaps the charm of this type of humor lies in the long view. Suffice it to say that Bertie and Jeeves are already staking a claim on immortality, and their books are selling as well as ever. If you like wit, funny situations, or just things British, pick up this book and give it a try.

My 3yo daughter loves the Pamela Allen books and this one is typical of the ones that appeal to younger readers with great illustrations, a rollicking pace and lots of funny sound effects. They sometimes read this book on one of the popular kids TV shows here in Australia so it is quite widely known here.

The bear is running after Bertie and the rest of the people in the castle are trying to scare the bear away by making a lot of noise!

The Admiral with his gong, the Captain with a horn, the General with a flute and many others teach children the different kinds of sounds that are produced with different sources.

Great illustrations accompany the story and the story ends funnily and happily.

Wonderful book for kids and educators.

I'm always looking for fun and interesting books to give my mother, who is a Kindergarten teacher, to read to her class. This one is no exception. The illustrations are great and the story, though short, is hilarious. Little Bertie has many bad habits, all of them quite gross. The members of his family are trying to teach him manners, but it is no easy task. Along the way, Bertie finds that these bad habits are not always wise.

This book is not your conventional method for teaching a "lesson," but it will have the kids laughing up a storm and they might even take a hint from Dirty Bertie.

My 6,4 and 2 year old all love this book. They think it is hilarious. They love to shout out "No Bertie, that's dirty Bertie" . I thought it may have been a little young for my 6 year old but I think the "oooh yuck factor" won him over. He liked it so much he couldn't wait to take it to school so his teacher could read it to the class. It makes everyone giggle and I recommend it highly , so do my kids!

If you do not know the Jeeves stories, you are in for a wonderful treat. If you do, your appreciation will grow with the witty reading in this unabridged audio cassette version.

This is a series of short stories that make for nice listening and are just the right length for short car trips. I found myself sitting in front of the store or in my garage several times laughing and smiling as a story wound to a close. I think you will, too.

Bertie Wooster is the narrator, and he is longer on connections and money than brains. Seldom out of bed before late morning, his idea of a busy afternoon is watching the cars go up and down Fifth Avenue from a window in his club. He is English, but is residing in the United States for many of these stories. These stories take place in the early part of the 20th century.

But the hero of every story is Jeeves, his man (valet and butler). Jeeves is one of those brainy chaps who can always find a way. He tries to save Bertie from himself (especially when it comes to unsuitable fiancees and clothes), and always succeeds. Sometimes Bertie feels rebellious and indulges himself anyway in his taste for "far out" clothes or even a mustache. That can put a dent in their relationship, but Bertie always repents and does it Jeeves' way in the end.

Bertie has two redeeming qualities. He loves to help his cronies, who are usually subsisting off some distant aunt or uncle or other. Disaster is always pending should such distant relative stop sending money or write the pal out of the will. In a flap, they come to Bertie for help. He summons Jeeves.

The resulting schemes are always full of hilarious plot complications. Bertie may be off pretending to be someone else while the crony is in jail. Or Bertie may be loaning Jeeves, his apartment, and his clothes to someone else while Bertie unhappily skulks in a hotel room. He does his best to entertain a lot of very conservative people, whom he mostly alienates.

Bertie's other redeeming quality is that he sincerely appreciates Jeeves. To which Jeeves replies, "Thank you, Sir."

This reading beautifully captures the flightiness of Bertie and the subtle nuances in Jeeves. You'll feel like you are in the room as unexpected events intervene, and you can't think of what to do any more than Bertie can. Thank God for Jeeves! The reading also makes wonderful use of the dated language and customs to give the listener a sense of a distance time. They become very charming in this context.

After you finish enjoying these droll tales of witty satire, I suggest you think about all of the places where working together can achieve more. You may not be able to find Jeeves, but you may be able to accomplish more by allying with others whose strengths complement yours and fill in for some of your weaknesses.

Top hole, old chap!

P.S. I was also glad that the recording included a little about P.G. Wodehouse's espousal of the Nazi regime around the time of World War II, for which he became quite unpopular in England. Wodehouse eventually became a naturalized American citizen. The stories do not allude to facist causes or ideas, but even when reading popular fiction it is good to know all about the author's background. Some may wish to boycott the stories on principle, and I can't say I blame anyone who does.

Wodehouse's famous Jeeves and Wooster series comes to life wonderfully in this reading of Jeeves Takes Charge. The reader gives character and adds humour to Bertie and Jeeves that makes an outstanding addition to this fabulous collection of stories. Wodehouse's parody is constantly hilarious and the hijinks and faux pas Bertie find himself in get funnier all the time. Highly recommended for both the J&W expert and novice.

Previous: Joy in the Morning (Jeeves in the Morning)

This is the classic volume in which Bertie finds himself at a place called Deverill Hall pretending to be Gussie Fink-Nottle, and Gussie Fink-Nottle shows up pretending to be Bertie. Bertie must do all he can to keep the Fink-Nottle/Bassett romance intact (for we know the fate that awaits Bertram otherwise), and this, complete with two other rocky romances, keeps Bertie on his toes throughout this hilarious book. Jeeves is absent for much of this book, and thus it is short on the interaction between the two that makes the books so charming, but he shows up to save the day when the time is right. Notable in this story is the oppressed Esmond Haddock who cowers under his five aunts, the relationship between Bertie's old chum Catsmeat and a parlormaid named Queenie which nearly ends in very foreseeable disaster, and the presence of Jeeves's Uncle Charlie.

I must add that this is the book I read on the plane when I had to fly home for a sudden funeral, and in the midst of the somberness of the occasion, this book was a tangible ray of sunlight. Although I will probably always remember it within that rather unfortunate context, perhaps that is not a bad thing. It worked its magic, and kept me laughing.

Next: Bertie Wooser Sees it Through (Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit)

It is a novel characteristic of Wodehouse. The plot is very complicated and filled with unlikely events. The main characters are Bertie and Jeeves. Other characters: Gussie, Corky, Catsmeat, Madeline Bassett, Esmond Haddock and many-many aunts. The novel is very good and among the funniest that I've ever listened to. The vocabulary is tremendous and very funny.

The background of the story is based on the true-life romance between Bertie, Prince of Wales and the beautiful Lady Daisy Brooke, Countess of Warwick. The setting is a country-house weekend at the estate of the latter, to which our sleuths have also been invited. Two murders occur, first that of a young servant and then that of a gentleman guest. Dark hints are dropped that many of the characters have secret motives for the fell deeds, ranging from blackmail to jealousy to anarchism. Sheridan focusses on the men, while Kate questions the women and servants of the house to get to the bottom of the mess

It is our family's tradition to read Bertie's Escapade every Christmas Eve, before the children go to bed. This is done with much sharing of the marvelous illustrations. One of "Wind in the Willows" author Kenneth Grahame's creations, Bertie is a pig whose motto, "Deeds, not grunts" should offer inspiration to politicians everywhere. Scaling the palings of his sty, Bertie leads his companions, Benjy and Peter to sing Christmas carols in the dead of night before the stately mansion of wealthy neighbors. Unfortunately, no one can sing on key and the neighbors let loose the dogs. Escaping by a secret elevator located in Chalk Pit Hill, Bertie and his companions return to Mayfair (home of Mr Grahame). Bertie raids the larder and returns to his sty with bottles of champagne and lots of goodies. While the Escapade does not take place exactly on Christmas Eve, the setting is close enough. The writing is droll and Mr Grahame pokes fun at himself in the story. Children age 4 and older will enjoy the tale. Adults will experience a sense of nostalgia for a time past. It's an absolute shame that this book is out-of-print. Re-introduced to the world, it could sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

First published in 1963, this book is a must-have item for the serious colonial North Carolina family history researcher. Many of the deeds recorded in Colonial Bertie were for second, third and fourth generation descendants of Southside Virginia immigrants. Compare the surnames with those found in Surry, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Brunswick Cos., VA and you'll see the beginning of a westward trek in search of land and prosperity.

This volume is a companion to the series of deed abstracts by Margaret H. Hoffman and can be used to compliment her various books.

This is a most magnificent book! The author obviously is a genius! If you buy only one book in your entire life, buy this one.
This book examines three approaches to resource management, not the usual two. Wow, a lot of work went into this superb book.
I highly recommend it!

Inspiring Young People To Want To Learn by Bertie Ryan Synowiec (founder and director of Positive Support Seminars and Publications and an active member of the National Speakers Association) is a slim guide which is closely packed with hard-hitting advice, wisdom, sympathy, and enthusiasm for parents, teachers, relatives, and friends of young people struggling to cope in a modern world that is constantly evolving to demand more and more knowledge of the next generation. Chapters cover such matters as communication and listening skills, expectations and role modeling, and the importance of mutual respect and positive support to best help adolescents. A compelling and useful read for anyone who comes regularly into contact with young folks, Inspiring Young People To Want To Learn truly lives up to its title.