Here’s another hefty group of P. G. Wodehouse audiobooks that I’ve been listening to. For those of you who haven’t tried Wodehouse’s wonderful confections, you’re missing some entertaining delights. I’m very fond of the CDs narrated by Martin Jarvis (Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves), Jonathan Cecil (Very Good, Jeeves, and even Ian Carmichael (Jeeves in the Offing. Right Ho, Jeeves is a BBC full-cast production with plenty of comic situations to laugh at. No matter who narrates these humorous stories, Wodehouse’s cleverness and wit shine through. Reading these stories is fun, but listening to them is even more fun! Check your local public library for these CD sets and find some time to listen to them. You’ll love it!
I’m one of those that somehow have missed reading Wodehouse over the years. I do have an omnibus of a half dozen novels that i need to get to. if only I had the time for everything…
You’ll thank your lucky stars when you start reading that Wodehouse omnibus, Randy. A treasure-house of pleasures awaits you!
I checked when you last mentioned them but no luck. Not sure it would be my thing on audio since the accents can be hard to listen to. I generally listen to an audiobook as I clean so it must be easy to follow in both plot and accent.
I’ll send you a sample CD, Patti. If you like it, I can send more.
Most of our library’s audio collection of Wodehouse seems to be ebooks, but they do have a smattering by Cecil, Jarvis and others, including a full cast edition with Michael Hordern (Jeeves) and Richard Briers (Wooster).
I prefer Martin Jarvis, Jeff. He’s the Gold Standard. But Cecil is very good, too.
I’ve never understood the devotion you and Art have to Wodehouse. I think I tried him long ago. I’ll definitely have to try him again. You two couldn’t be wrong!
Maybe you need to be in the mood for Wodehouse’s zaniness, Beth. I find that one Wodehouse short story swiftly leads to another! Such fun!
Ian Carmichael WAS Bertie Wooster when I was growing up (along with Dennis Price, who always reminded me of George Sanders, as Jeeves). Carmichael later made a very good Lord Peter Wimsey. As much as I love Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, I wasn’t as keen on their take on Jeeves and Wooster, respectively.
I’m with you, Deb. Somehow Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie didn’t quite click as Jeeves and Bertie. I always imagined Jeeves as older than Fry.
I knew Carmichael had portrayed Bertie in a mid-60s BBC series, but had never seen one. Deb’s comments prompted me to look about, and sure enough there’s a complete episode of The World of Wooster on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEj2nzKWbf0). According to someone on the web, most of the episodes were erased, and this may be the only survivor. It’s both amusing and appalling. The show was evidently done live with an audience, and in style is broad farce in the vein of “Nothing On” in Michael Frayne’s “Noises Off”. Carmichael was too old for Bertie even then, and the monocle and stammer are mistakes. Though they’re not without flaw, it makes me appreciate Laurie & Fry all the more.
I’ll have to check out that Youtube episode of THE WORLD OF WOOSTER, Art. Thanks for the heads-up!
Well Art, it has been over 45 years since I’ve seen any of those Carmichael Wooster shows. As I said, it was during my childhood and I had yet to develop my razor-sharp critical discernment. However, I’m saddened to hear that most of the episodes did not survive (although based on your comments, I probably won’t go out to YouTube and have my childhood memories shattered). I can still sing the theme songs, “Oh, what would I do without you, Jeeves?/I’d be in the most frightful stew, Jeeves.”
It goes on….