A suitably witty homage to one of the best writers of all time. 4/5.
Thank you to Random House UK/Cornerstone for providing me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley.
The blurb:
The Drones club’s in peril. Gussie’s in love. Spode’s on the war-path. Oh, and His Majesty’s Government needs a favour. I say – it’s a good thing Bertie’s back!
One man – and his Gentleman’s Personal Gentleman – valiantly set out to save the Drones, thwart Spode and nobly assist His Majesty’s Government.
From the mean streets of Mayfair to the scheming spires of Cambridge we encounter a joyous cast of characters: chiselling painters and criminal bookies, eccentric philosophers and dodgy clairvoyantes, appalling poets and pocket dictators, vexatious aunts and their vicious hounds.
Replete with a Times crossword, and classic Schottian endnotes, you hold in your hands the most blissfully entertaining means to while away an idle hour.
P.G. Wodehouse has long been a panacea for the woes of the world… have we ever needed a new Jeeves and Wooster more?
My take:
I love P. G. Wodehouse and the Jeeves and Wooster stories in particular. So I was immediately drawn to this new story but also went in with a sizeable concern: could it possibly live up to the beloved Wodehouse originals?
The answer is: nearly. I enjoyed Jeeves and the Leap of Faith very much. To be honest, I think the comic combination of Bertie and Jeeves is indestructible and, as with the originals, the story itself is pretty incidental. All the truly important elements are here: the small sly jokes, the witty turns of phrase, Jeeves’ jaw-dropping ability to always see 10 steps ahead, hideous aunts, preposterous friends…
Art and Soul 