Sunset at Blandings (original 1977; edition 1977)

This is the last of Wodehouse's books, unfinished on his death at the age of 93. Coincidentally, "Aunts Aren't Gentlemen" which I read recently, was his last completed book.

He had written 16 of the 22 chapters, although they were not yet in their final polished state. The book includes his chapter notes, surmises about how the story would have ended, a picture of Blandings Castle and its surroundings, and an Emsworth family showing a total of 10 unbearable bossy sisters for Clarence and Galahad (2 of whom are only introduced in this final book) plus numerous nephews and nieces whose romantic travails provide plots for the Blandings books.

There is also an essay about the search for the house that inspired Blandings Castle. Knowing that W liked to use real houses in his books, in order to keep the layout of the rooms clear in his mind, N.P.T. Murphy narrowed the possibilties down to 30 and started visiting them. He found the grounds at Weston Park near Bridgnorth in Shropshire, complete with terraces, lake, boathouse, Greek temple and cedar tree, but the house was completely wrong, so he continued his search. He eventually found Blandings at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, which is wonderful, as I have been there a couple of times and it is my all-time favourite stately home. Sudeley is an old and beautiful stone building dating from 1441, with a ruined wing, and Katherine Parr lived there when she re-married after Henry VIII's death.

On a visit to Hunstanton Hall in Norfolk, Murphy also tracked down a black pig that could well have inspired the creation of the Empress of Blandings in the mid-1920s, and a photograph of her rounds off the book nicely. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1252410.html

This was Wodehouse's last book, unfinished when he died aged 93 in 1975, here published just as he left it, with extensive notes by Richard Usborne. It is a Blandings Castle story, with the usual clutch of romances: one of the Emsworth nieces is in love with with a young man deemed unsuitable by her mother but who Galahad Threepwood smuggles into the castle; slightly more unusually, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is in love with one of the Earl's widowed sisters, but feels his wooing style is being cramped by his police guard; and the Earl himself, of course, remains dreamily obsessed with the Empress (his pig). It is all very familiar, comforting and funny. I lent it to an eastern European friend last night who had never heard of Wodehouse, and she was laughing out loud by the second paragraph. I may see how easy it is to find cheap paperbacks of his earlier, complete books on eBay. (Especially the early Blandings ones, Summer Lightning, Heavy Weather and Full Moon.)

I must say that I approve heartily of the decision to publish the book as it was when Wodehouse left it, with Usborne's detailed notes (which include also appendices on the floor plan of Blandings Castle and the train timetable). In the sf and fantasy world we have seen a number of posthumous or near-posthumous collaborations, and I have not yet heard of one that was any good. ( )

must the sun set at Blandings. I could read about Blandings till the pigs came home. PGW has brought me more pleasure than i can say. not that i would ever find myself at B. and environs. doesn't matter, i'm not one of those moquers that Mencken always carped about. ( )

http://nohablo.vox.com/library/post/the-return-of-jeeves-sunset-at-blandings-wod... ( )