Young men in spats - Hardcover

Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (always known as `Plum') wrote more than ninety novels and some three hundred short stories over 73 years. He is widely recognised as the greatest 20th-century writer of humour in the English language. Perhaps best known for the escapades of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, Wodehouse also created the world of Blandings Castle, home to Lord Emsworth and his cherished pig, the Empress of Blandings. His stories include gems concerning the irrepressible and disreputable Ukridge; Psmith, the elegant socialist; the ever-so-slightly-unscrupulous Fifth Earl of Ickenham, better known as Uncle Fred; and those related by Mr Mulliner, the charming raconteur of The Angler's Rest, and the Oldest Member at the Golf Club. In 1936 he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for `having made an outstanding and lasting contribution to the happiness of the world'. He was made a Doctor of Letters by Oxford University in 1939 and in 1975, aged 93, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He died shortly afterwards, on St Valentine's Day.

The 11 stories in this collection are classic Wodehouse. This means they are hysterically funny, but his writing style places special demands on a reader. Can a narrator deliver silly names like Cyril (Barmy) Fotheringay Phipps with a straight face? With gusto even? Can the distinct accents of the different British classes be mastered? Regional dialects? Happily, the answer to each of these is yes, due to Jonathan Cecil's masterful narration. More than a reading, Cecil delivers what seems to be a full cast performance all by himself, as he shifts pace, tone, even breath quality, to bring dozens of characters to life. This recording is a rare treat. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine