A humorist praised by humorists, P. G. Wodehouse here introduces two of his most beloved characters.
My Man Jeeves, first published in 1919, introduced the world to affable, indolent Bertie Wooster and his precise, capable valet, Jeeves. Some of the finest examples of humorous writing found in English literature are woven around the relationship between these two men of very different classes and temperaments. Where Bertie is impetuous and feeble, Jeeves is coolheaded and poised.
This collection, the first book of Jeeves and Wooster stories, contains eight stories, including “Leave It to Jeeves,” “Helping Freddie,” “Rallying round Old George,” “Doing Clarence a Bit of Good,” “Absent Treatment,” and “Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg.”
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"I am not much of one for British humor. I don't do Monty Python. Dr. Who doesn't amuse me (I know Who fans do not regard their hero as comical, but with hair and special effects like those, surely it was intended to be funny.). I did not really expect to like Jeeves but I loved it! I felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel except it was written from the perspective Bingley or some other poor sot at whom Elizabeth Bennett would have laughed. Really rummy stuff. What!"
— Jeffrey (4 out of 5 stars)
“There is not, and never will be, anything to touch him.”
— Christopher Hitchens“Mr. Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale.”
— Evelyn Waugh“Wodehouse is the greatest comic writer ever.”
— Douglas Adams“Wodehouse’s novels are the very definition of British humor—bubblingly witty and dryly loony.”
— Entertainment Weekly“All one can do [with Wodehouse’s books] is read them and laugh like an idiot.”
— Bookforum" Witty and fun, but I always like vignettes less than longer fiction. "
— Lindsey, 2/18/2014" I don't know how I managed to stay away from Wodehouse for this long? Jeeves is as sarcastic, witty and charming as a person can get! Looking forward to reading more of P G. "
— Manasi, 2/16/2014" Fun. Silly, clever, intelligent fun. "
— Ann, 2/16/2014" Typical Woodhouse although not all the stories are about Bertie and Jeeves. "
— Jack, 2/12/2014" Even though they're practically the same, I love Bertie Wooster much more than the other guy. "
— Daniel, 2/11/2014" Funny and fun to read! I liked the characters of Jeeves and Bertie, but Reggie Pepper lacks the same appeal for me. If all the stories in this collection had Jeeves in them, I'm sure I'd have given this 4-5 stars. "
— Erica, 2/9/2014" I laughed too hard at all the 'rewarding Jeeves' stuff, because I am a bad person with a terrible, terrible mind. Still, just a bit of fun, what? I have invented a new game, in which one vies for the title of Most Foppish Gent by adding "what?" to the ends of as many sentences as possible. Let the games begin, and all that, what? 4.06am "
— Sarah, 2/8/2014" Hilarious, classic Wodehouse, one of the first that mentions Jeeves by name. Some of the material may not be appropriate for young children. In general, however, this series is G-rated and works well for young proficient readers. "
— Marynna, 2/6/2014" Not really my thing; short stories with really dry British humor. Definitely some amusing bits here and there, but on the whole, eh. "
— Will, 2/3/2014" Read most of these before, but they were well worth the re-read. "
— Steve, 1/31/2014" Humorous book -- not as many funny parts as I would have liked, but over the course of the book I got the sense of the "world" that the main character lives in that conveys the sense that something will play out in a funny way. I'll probably give this author another try. "
— SweetPea, 1/31/2014" Good English period classic. Funny and I can imagine the England that my grandparents grew up in (they were not like Wooster though! More like Jeeves!) "
— Slboland, 1/28/2014" Funny, but not really thought-provoking enough to hold my attention. "
— Jenni, 1/27/2014" There it is, all the Wooster/Jeeves goodness has finally grown into something really enjoyable and deliciously funny. "
— Mabomanji, 1/25/2014" An excellent palate-cleanser! Not that I don't love me some YA, you understand, but it gets to be a smidge much. "
— Katie, 1/23/2014" Again, Wodehouse is brilliantly funny---especially when writing in Bertie Wooster's voice. The Jeeves and Wooster stories here are, again, laugh out loud funny. The Reggie stories are, perhaps, a little less so; Reggie's voice is not quite as rip-roaring, although still worth the time. "
— Anie, 1/23/2014" Classic P.G. Woodehouse. Jeeves is running the show as always. "
— Georgia, 1/19/2014" Listened to the audiobook which was enjoyable but not all that funny to me. Dumb master and smart butler then another guy who got the occasional smart idea. First in series, so may read/listen to later works. "
— Kassandra, 1/19/2014" I thought I would adore it but it was only OK. Maybe the TV show will be better. "
— Nina, 1/17/2014" I actually listened to a downloaded audio version of this and I must say I most thoroughly enjoyed Wodehouse's humourous tales all with the likes of Jeeves, Reggie Pepper, and others... "
— Marts, 1/16/2014" Wodehouse is quite repetitive, but brilliant. "
— Brendan, 1/14/2014" Several stories of Jeeves and Bertie but also some of a young man named Pepper. An early Wodehouse. "
— Patty, 1/13/2014" a collection of short stories set in the 1920's featuring an english aristocrat and his man jeeves who has enough brains for both of them! cute stories, though not my usual taste. another free book which i am grateful for! "
— Diane, 1/13/2014" Usually love him, but this is a book of apparently practice works for the eventual series of Jeeves and Wooster and I didn't find the characters as interesting. Fun to see how they evolved though. "
— Patricia, 1/11/2014" So I've already read Carry On, Jeeves, and this book has a lot of the same stories in it, plus a few more starring Reggie Pepper instead of Bertie Wooster. Bertie's better. "
— Kaitlyn, 1/9/2014" Classic P.G. Woodehouse. Jeeves is running the show as always. "
— Georgia, 1/8/2014" I have listened to three of these Wodehouse books on audio--two narrated by Jonathan Cecil and one narrated by David Thorn. I would probably enjoy reading the books as well, but these British narrators make the story, with all its wit and fun, come to life. I have heartily enjoyed pulling weeds and gardening while listening to the antics of the British upper crust of a certain era. Bertie Wooster and Jeeves are priceless. Highly recommend. "
— Robin, 1/7/2014" Very light reading and very pleasurable. I enjoyed it so much I downloaded 5 more books by Wodehouse. "
— Carol, 1/6/2014" Utterly sublime and unbelievably funny. That applies to all the Jeeves books (and the Blandings ones.) I never get tired of them and return to them constantly. "
— Virginia, 1/5/2014" The Wooster stories are better than the Pepper stories. "
— Gregory, 1/2/2014" Charming stories, but could become repetitive for the long haul "
— Joni, 12/31/2013" Funny! A book that actually struck me as goofy enough that I would laugh hysterically out loud. "
— Genevieve, 12/29/2013" Another great read by Wodehouse! "
— David, 12/23/2013" Mildly entertaining as an audio book. I imagine this would translate wonderfully well to a BBC show and as soon as we have internet set up at home I will be testing this theory. "
— Keller, 12/19/2013" Ripping good read. Fun, funny, clever and habit-forming. Should come with a warning. "
— Zelda, 12/17/2013" Read in honor of C.H. "
— Michael, 12/12/2013" Let down significantly by the pre-Jeeves stories. "
— Tony, 12/6/2013" "She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season." Read this to yourself with a British accent, and you've experienced the gold standard in urbane wit. "
— Joseph, 11/21/2013" Though the short stories all follow the same style, I found them more enjoyable as I worked through the book. The details are dated, but the humor still worked (for me). "
— Andrew, 11/19/2013" Wodehouse is quite repetitive, but brilliant. "
— Brendan, 11/8/2013" What's not to like about these stories? Half are Jeeves & Wooster, the other half are Wodehouse's "rough sketches" of Bertie in the form of Reggie Pepper. Fry and Laurie were THE perfect men to play these roles. A pity they didn't do more. "
— Rob, 11/6/2013" A bit of lighthearted humor to drive away the winter blues. "
— Yzza, 11/4/2013" Absolutely hilarious! Don't you know it? ;) "
— Inayat, 11/3/2013" For larks and rummy tales, you can't beat Wodehouse. "
— Brian, 11/2/2013" Man, how could I have forgotten how much P.G. gets me guffawin'? I'll admit that the highlights of this collection are the Jeeves and Wooster stories. "
— Jinny, 10/31/2013" Light and uplifting, each story takes about an hour to read, so perfect for night-time breastfeeding... "
— Adriana, 10/15/2013" Although formulaic, the Jeeves and Wooster sections of this book were entertaining. I had to give this only three stars, however, because I thought the Reggie Pepper sections were not as good, as they lacked Jeeves as a foil. "
— Suzanne, 9/27/2013" Listened to the audiobook which was enjoyable but not all that funny to me. Dumb master and smart butler then another guy who got the occasional smart idea. First in series, so may read/listen to later works. "
— Kassandra, 9/13/2013" Although formulaic, the Jeeves and Wooster sections of this book were entertaining. I had to give this only three stars, however, because I thought the Reggie Pepper sections were not as good, as they lacked Jeeves as a foil. "
— Suzanne, 9/6/2013" I love the character and Stephen Fry brought him to life on PBS- "
— Denise, 7/8/2013" An excellent palate-cleanser! Not that I don't love me some YA, you understand, but it gets to be a smidge much. "
— Katie, 6/29/2013" This was a Blackstone audio version narrated by Simon Preble. He was thae perfect reader for this sort of thing. It's hard to belive it was written in 1919 - the humor and situations hold up so well. "
— Jenny, 6/26/2013" I love me some Wodehouse. "
— Gemma, 6/23/2013" Who doesn't want a Jeeves of their very own? "
— Pinkie99, 6/11/2013" Done, and with many laughs! "
— Alyssa, 5/17/2013" Laughed so hard that I cried. "
— Sorcha, 3/30/2013" On balance, I think I prefer Fry's Jeeves and Laurie's Bertie to the originals. "
— Koen, 1/17/2013" This is really only a two star book, but I give it three based on how old it is and how funny it remains without being dated! "
— Shannon, 1/17/2013" The book is split between the narrations of Bertie Wooster and Reggie Pepper, and while Reggie has a tad more brain than Bertie, I sorely missed Jeeves comments. "
— Madalina, 12/18/2012" Humorous and clever. Also, New Yorky. "
— Ian, 11/11/2012" I loved this book! The characters cracked me up. A very entertaining read! "
— Meg, 9/28/2012" The Jeeves stories are great; the Reggie Pepper stories can probably be skipped. Fortunately this is free in the Kindle Store so you can just read the first half and disregard the rest. "
— Zach, 9/7/2012" I didn't like the switch from Bertie to Reggie, but overall I was very amused by the writing. I will definitely read more Wodehouse. "
— Kristi, 9/5/2012" What a blast! Why did it take me so long to get around to this? "
— Marc, 8/31/2012" Quaint, amusing and very English. "
— Hermien, 8/29/2012" I love the character and Stephen Fry brought him to life on PBS- "
— Denise, 7/26/2012" And there was Mary, determined that he shouldn't be a chump. And Nature, mine you, on Bobbie's side. When Nature makes a chump like dear old Bobbie, she's proud of him, and doesn't want her handiwork disturbed. "
— Rachna, 7/6/2012" The Bertie and Jeeves books continue to be among the few that truly make me laugh out loud. I can only give this three stars, however, because despite the Jeeves title, there is a chunk of Reggie Pepper stories in the middle! R.P. is clearly a sub par character. "
— Christina, 7/3/2012" Glad to have finally read this classic. Cute little stories. "
— Marlies, 7/2/2012" the recent pick of mine he he he:) its as usual one of PG s amazin works "
— Bharathi, 6/27/2012" This is the first time I've read something like this and I really enjoyed it. Jeeves has quite the knack for getting his lordship out of all manner of ridiculous situations. "
— Me, 6/18/2012" I love the character and Stephen Fry brought him to life on PBS- "
— Denise, 6/11/2012" Well, I like Bertie better than Reggie. The stories in this volume are divided between the two of them. P.G. Wodehouse is a delight. "
— Kelly, 5/18/2012" I really enjoyed this set of stories and am so glad I picked them up for free on my Kindle. If you're a fan of early 20th century humor, I recommend picking it up! The twists and turns of these charming little stories are always a treat. "
— Eileen, 5/2/2012" More of the same. A mix of light, charming, mildly offensive patter and light, sickening, extremely offensive patter. "
— Gabriel, 4/10/2012" what can i say? dry british humour. the jeeves books read a bit like british detective stories of that era too. the material becomes a bit repetitive. once you've read a few of the stories then you've read them all. "
— Calvin, 3/2/2012" Loved it. Put me into fits of laughter :-) "
— Reshma, 2/26/2012" This book is a collection of short stories, very well written, entertaining. I would have liked to have had the whole book center around one story, but it was a fun quick read. "
— DeAnn, 2/2/2012" High brow silliness, with Jeeves consistently and practically stealthily saving the day. A very light and fun break from heavier reading, yet somehow leaving me feeling smart....and smiling. "
— Kay, 1/30/2012" Hilarious. A fun, swift read. "
— Brenna, 1/19/2012" Jeeves does it again! Another fantastic Wodehouse novel. "
— Micha, 1/12/2012" i really enjoyed this book. i got such a chuckle out of the stories. "
— Michelle, 9/26/2011" If you've never read any Wodehouse, this is a good place to start. I was reading this on a plane, and I laughed so hard, I cried. (I wish I could say anyone asked me WHAT I was reading, but no. They simply looked pityingly at me). "
— Kathy, 9/21/2011" Quaint, amusing and very English. "
— Hermien, 9/20/2011" These stories are excellent humor and full of great fun. I consider them a treasure and an exceptional find for quality and enjoyable reading. "
— Travis, 8/20/2011" A great freebie from Project Gutenberg. Very entertaining. However, only half the stories involve Jeeves and Wooster. "
— Clay, 7/10/2011" Enjoyed this one very much. British humor based in the early 20th century. It's a collection of short stories, mostly featuring Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. Jeeves is much smarter than his boss and is able to pull him out of all sorts of scrapes. "
— Lesley, 7/7/2011" Been meaning to read Wodehouse for ages as I keep hearing good things.. but got to say - meh - just didn't do it for me and can't see what the appeal is... "
— Red, 6/24/2011" Done, and with many laughs! "
— Alyssa, 6/17/2011" It fills it's purpose for me to distract my wandering mind while I am doing dishes or laundry and the like. It is a series of short small tales. Since it is men usually trying to solve problems with women I find it hilarious and ridiculous, but entertaining enough. :) "
— Kirsten, 6/8/2011" A good read, but eventually all these books seem the same. "
— Spoffy, 5/27/2011" Wodehouse is a comic master. I listened to this book on the podcast The Classic Tales and the reading is phenomenal. And hilarious. "
— Pandanator, 5/20/2011" Different time, different culture, different place. But I found it hilarious. I wouldn't mind having a Jeeves to get me out of various scrapes! "
— Maria, 5/16/2011" Different time, different culture, different place. But I found it hilarious. I wouldn't mind having a Jeeves to get me out of various scrapes! "
— Maria, 5/16/2011" For larks and rummy tales, you can't beat Wodehouse. "
— Brian, 5/13/2011" For larks and rummy tales, you can't beat Wodehouse. "
— Brian, 5/13/2011" I really enjoyed this book, well at least the parts about Jeeves and Wooster. I wasn't so pipped about the non Jeeves bits. I must say though that I read it in Hugh Laurie's voice with Stephen Fry's voice for Jeeves. Some of the slang was a little hard to understand.<br/>Overall a very good read. "
— Lisa, 5/5/2011" I really enjoyed this book, well at least the parts about Jeeves and Wooster. I wasn't so pipped about the non Jeeves bits. I must say though that I read it in Hugh Laurie's voice with Stephen Fry's voice for Jeeves. Some of the slang was a little hard to understand.<br/>Overall a very good read. "
— Lisa, 5/5/2011" I love me some Wodehouse. "
— Gemma, 5/3/2011" I love me some Wodehouse. "
— Gemma, 5/3/2011" I thought I would adore it but it was only OK. Maybe the TV show will be better. "
— Nina, 4/28/2011" I thought I would adore it but it was only OK. Maybe the TV show will be better. "
— Nina, 4/28/2011" My second attempt at reading Wodehouse went much better than the first. Funny, fluffy, substance-free entertainment. "
— Djinnjer, 4/25/2011" My second attempt at reading Wodehouse went much better than the first. Funny, fluffy, substance-free entertainment. "
— Djinnjer, 4/25/2011" Dated but funny--for about 100 pages. Then it's just dated. "
— Marie, 4/20/2011" Dated but funny--for about 100 pages. Then it's just dated. "
— Marie, 4/20/2011" I come from H.H. Munro Saki, these are incredible funny stories, can't put it down, so different style of writing, with a huge laugh ----more later "
— Adrien, 4/14/2011" I come from H.H. Munro Saki, these are incredible funny stories, can't put it down, so different style of writing, with a huge laugh ----more later "
— Adrien, 4/14/2011" Hilarious! Love Wodehouse, love Jeeves :-) "
— Jane, 4/9/2011" Hilarious! Love Wodehouse, love Jeeves :-) "
— Jane, 4/9/2011" Great stories! Each one made me laugh. Couldn't have asked for better books than Jeeves :D "
— Allison, 4/7/2011" Great stories! Each one made me laugh. Couldn't have asked for better books than Jeeves :D "
— Allison, 4/7/2011" Got this free from Project Gutenberg. I think it may have been published as a serial by the way it's built in vignettes.<br/><br/>The best part is that he compensates his butler Jeeves by making fashion choices that Jeeves approves of. Funny retro lingo is kind of fun too. "
— Patrick, 4/6/2011" Got this free from Project Gutenberg. I think it may have been published as a serial by the way it's built in vignettes.<br/><br/>The best part is that he compensates his butler Jeeves by making fashion choices that Jeeves approves of. Funny retro lingo is kind of fun too. "
— Patrick, 4/6/2011" My Man Jeeves feels as if it is early days in the Jeeves and Wooster partnership, with the relationship and writing half jelled. My least favorite Wodehouse book so far. "
— Julia, 4/1/2011" My Man Jeeves feels as if it is early days in the Jeeves and Wooster partnership, with the relationship and writing half jelled. My least favorite Wodehouse book so far. "
— Julia, 4/1/2011" I read this one on a Kindle and the most fun part was highlighting all the funny British expressions to "save" for later. The stories themselves were light but amusing fare; a quick read available electronically from my library. "
— Cid, 1/25/2011" Great stories! Each one made me laugh. Couldn't have asked for better books than Jeeves :D "
— Allison, 1/19/2011" Listened to the audiobook which was enjoyable but not all that funny to me. Dumb master and smart butler then another guy who got the occasional smart idea. First in series, so may read/listen to later works. "
— Kassandra, 12/28/2010" I'll be honest here, I haven't read the entire book. It's a compilation, and it is HUGE. What I have read, I enjoyed. There are a lot of Jeeves & Wooster stories, and most of the others I've read are in the same mode. Very fun stuff. "
— Russ, 12/3/2010" I'll be honest here, I haven't read the entire book. It's a compilation, and it is HUGE. What I have read, I enjoyed. There are a lot of Jeeves & Wooster stories, and most of the others I've read are in the same mode. Very fun stuff. "
— Russ, 12/3/2010Jonathan Cecil (1939–2011) was a vastly experienced actor, appearing at Shakespeare’s Globe as well as in such West End productions as The Importance of Being Earnest, The Seagull, and The Bed before Yesterday. He toured in The Incomparable Max, Twelfth Night, and An Ideal Husband, while among his considerable television and film appearances were The Rector’s Wife, Just William, Murder Most Horrid, and As You Like It.
Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.