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Tales of Wrykyn and Elsewhere
Ian looks at the 1997 posthumous collection of Wodehouse short school stories, Tales of Wrykyn and Elsewhere, featuring stories that first appeared in magazines from 1901-1911. No plot spoilers for once, except one that comes with an advance warning.WIkipedia page for the bookMadame Eulalie's Rare Plums links:List of Doyle/Holmes references in Wodehouse's early worksIndex to school stories viewable at Madame EulalieGuide to early series characters, and an attempted explanation of which Jackson is whichOther Wodehouse works mentionedAll of the school novelsTales of St Austin'sPsmith in the CityThe Prince and Betty The Luck of the BodkinsNot George WashingtonJeeves and the Feudal Spirit"Treating of Cribs""The Fifteenth Man""From a Detective's Notebook" (The World of Mr Mulliner)"The Great Sermon Handicap"The Joan Romney storiesAlso mentionedDaniel H. Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse (Third Expanded Edition)Tony Ring and Geoffrey Jaggard, Millennium Wodehouse ConcordanceHenry Bohn's Classic Library (used as "cribs" by Edwardian schoolboys)Barry PainThe works of Sir Arthur Conan DoyleOtto Penzler (ed.) SherlockPeter Cannon, "The Adventure of the Noble Husband"Without A ClueCharles Hamilton, the Greyfriars StoriesF C Burnand, "Happy Thoughts"Sir Walter Scott, "Marmion"Lewis Carroll, "Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter Writing"Punch Wodehousekeeping Podcast linksWodehousekeeping on BlueskyWodehousekeeping on Facebookemail: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:10:01
Psmith in the City with Josh Cockburn
Ian is rejoined by his brother Josh to scrutinise "Psmith in the City" AKA "The New Fold", the second Psmith novel, serialised in 1908-9 and collected in book form in 1910. It is a highly autobiographical account of reluctantly working in a London bank. Mike and Psmith's schooldays are behind them, but Mike is still fixated on cricket and Psmith is still out to cause disruption wherever possible. There will be spoilers and a soupçon of politics. Special thanks to the website Madam Eulalie's Rare Plums.Article mentioned in the show that helped explain the reference to the Unionist partyBradshaw's interview with Wodehouse, quoted in the episodeMark Hodson's annotations of the novel Other Wodehouse books and stories mentionedThe Gold BatMike at Wrykyn (Jackson Junior)Mike and Psmith (The Lost Lambs)Psmith JournalistLeave it to PsmithBig MoneyNot George WashingtonOver Seventy (Autobiography)The Luck StoneThe SwoopMoney in the Bank"The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat""L'affaire Uncle John""Comrade Bingo"Wodehouse reference books mentioned and/or consultedRichard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the EndRobert McCrum, Wodehouse: A LifeNorman Murphy, A Wodehouse HandbookSophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in LettersAlso mentionedThe Fosters of WorcestershireSir Arthur Conan DoyleLeslie Havergal BradshawHall CaineManchester UnitedJimmy and Tom TurnbullJerome K Jerome, Three Men in a BoatGeorge AdeJack HobbsThe Marx Brothers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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58:12
A Gentleman of Leisure with Gavin Bradbury
Ian is joined by former teenage Wodehouse obsessive Gavin Bradbury to look at Plum's first country house novel, A Gentleman of Leisure AKA The Intrusion of Jimmy from 1910. The book is at once a light romantic story, an exposé of the corruption in the New York police force, a satire of "gentleman criminal" style stories, and a precurser to the Blandings novels. Ian is unable to be impartial about one of the first Wodehouse novels he ever read, whereas Gavin is more critical.We discuss the differences between the novel and the related novella "The Gem Collector", why this book was such a hit on stage and screen, changing mores in acceptable morality in early twentieth century entertainment, how Jimmy Pitt differs from our ideal Wodehouse leading man, and what's still missing from the later classic formula.Other Wodehouse books mentioned:The World of Mr MullinerThe Coming of BillSomething FreshThe Man UpstairsThe Heart of a GoofPsmith in the CityPsmith, JournalistThe Luck of the BodkinsAlso mentioned:Fawlty TowersThe Young OnesThe Kenny Everett ShowCoronation StreetA Sharp Intake of BreathThe Lennie and Jerry ShowTony HancockJames CagneyPhiladelphia StoryBringing Up BabyCary GrantWodehouse TV adaptationsJohn StapletonDouglas FairbanksJohn BarrymoreTim KeyE.W. Hornung, Raffles(The real) Spike MullinsTrading PlacesAlan BennettSteve CooganMiguel de Cervantes, Don QuixoteCharles Dickens, Pickwick PapersSir Walter Scott, "Marmion"The Seven Inches, "Stop Pestering Me" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:21:19
The Luck Stone
Ian looks at the final public school novel by Wodehouse, a lurid adventure story called The Luck Stone, first published in Chums magazine from 1908 to 1909 under the pseudonym "Basil Windham". It was first published in book form posthumously in 1997. There will be spoilers.The story can be read hereContent note: national stereotyping, imperialism, racism.Other Wodehouse works mentioned:Performing FleaMike at WrykynMike and PsmithThe Head of KaysLittle NuggetPsmith Journalist"The Man Who Disliked Cats""Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch""The Metropolitan Touch"The Mating SeasonNot George WashingtonOther books mentionedSophie Ratcliffe, ed., P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in LettersRichard Usbourne, Wodehouse at Work to the endWilkie Collins, The MoonstoneSir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the FourRudyard Kipling, KimF. Anstey, Baboo JabberjeeFrank Richards, The Greyfriars storiesAlso mentioned:Dennis the Menace/The Bash Street Kids (The Beano)William TownendHerbert WestbrookAnthony HomeLord Roberts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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54:32
Mike And Psmith with Matthew Bellwood
Ian is joined by storyteller Matthew Bellwood to discuss Mike and Psmith, the second half of the double novel Mike, published in 1909. This is the debut of the beloved character Psmith, and the final public school novel by Wodehouse published in his lifetime.There will be spoilers. May contain knuts.Mike and Psmith at Project GutenbergThe Lost Lambs (magazine version) at Madame EulalieOther Wodehouse works referenced:Mike at WrykynPsmith in the CityPsmith, JournalistLeave it to PsmithSomething NewJoy in the Morning (Preface)The Globe By The Way Book"The Reformation of Study Sixteen""The Stone and the Weed""Society Gossip"Also referenced:Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work To The EndNorman Murphy, A Wodehouse HandbookDoris Buckler, "Thanks to Psmith"Terry PratchettDouglas AdamsJane Austen, Pride and PrejudiceStella Gibbons, Cold Comfort FarmKen Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestRupert D'Oyly-Carte (the inspiration for Psmith)Sir Kreemy Knut (Sharp's Toffee mascot)E C Segar, Thimble TheaterSir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sherlock Holmes storiesF Anstey, Babboo JabberjeeCharles Dickens, David CopperfieldRudyard Kipling, Stalky and CoE W Hornung, the Raffles storiesC. J. Cutcliffe Hyne, the Captain Kettle storiesArthur Ransome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:12:56