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Monday, 21 July 2025

Wodehouse, P.G. "Leave it to Psmith"

Wodehouse, P.G. "Leave it to Psmith" - 1923

We already know P.G. Wodehouse from the Jeeves & Wooster novels, all of which are simply delightful.

So I thought a book about his other protagonist would certainly be quite good. And it was. P.G. Wodehouse is more of a mix of Jeeves & Wooster, and I think that's excellent.

Rupert Psmith (Ronald in this book, though) is a jack of all trades, trying to make ends meet through all sorts of odd jobs after leaving his uncle's fish business. He doesn't shy away from the occasional petty crime. But he's also a true gentleman and is concerned about the welfare of his people.

This was the last book in the Psmith series, but that didn't bother me at all. I want to read the others as well.

This book is truly delightful, hilarious and gripping at the same time.

From the back cover:

"Ronald Psmith ('the 'p' is silent, as in pshrimp') is always willing to help a damsel in distress. So when he sees Eve Halliday without an umbrella during a downpour, he nobly offers her an umbrella, even though it’s one he picks out of the Drone Club’s umbrella rack. Psmith is so besotted with Eve that, when Lord Emsworth, her new boss, mistakes him for Ralston McTodd, a poet, Psmith pretends to be him so he can make his way to Blandings Castle and woo her. And so the farce begins: criminals disguised as poets with a plan to steal a priceless diamond necklace, a secretary who throws flower pots through windows, and a nighttime heist that ends in gunplay. How will everything be sorted out? Leave it to Psmith!"

8 comments:

  1. Wodehouse is a delight. I always say a reader doesn't know how funny English can BE unless they've read him.

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    1. He definitely is. He always makes me laugh. He is a great writer for sad times.

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  2. I've read this one! And it is hilarious. Wodehouse has a gift for telling a humorous tale. :D

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    1. Oh, he certainly is, Lark. Glad you enjoy him, as well.

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  3. Peter loves these books! We have two shelves by the author.

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    1. I wish I had all his books, Eva. Or the possibility to read them. But I am always on the lookout, so I will get there one day. And judging by Peter's style of writing, I can imagine that he loves him.

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    2. Our copies are really old :). He liked them even in high school.

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    3. I still have books from that time, always nice to see them on my shelf. And I've read them so often!

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