Wodehouse On Crime

A very good collection of stories. Some I liked more than others, of course, but that's to be expected. The Jeeves stories (especially the one involving Bertie and the policeman's helmet) were absolutely capital, and the first story, "Strychnine in the Soup", was hysterical. Fortunately, I was reading that one at home and did not have to worry about laughing out loud and disturbing others around me (always a danger with Wodehouse). The Blandings story ("Crime Wave at Blandings") was a nice treat as well, all about air guns and the inordinate amount of temptation they present.

The only stories I got tired of were the Anglers' Rest ones. Granted, Soup was a story in this vein, but it was the first and also it was a hoot. It seemed like at show more least a good third of the 12-story collection was Anglers' Rest stories, and they all follow the same kind of format: some pub chitchat to start, with patrons referred to by their drink of choice (a Whisky Sour, for instance, or a Pale Ale), then Mr. Mulliner starts up a tale about one of his seemingly myriad nephews who get into spots of bother. Seeing so many of these stories in such short order was a bit tiresome. I probably would have enjoyed the stories more had they just been straight narratives, forget the framing device of the pub guy. And I can't say I found the golf story interesting, but that's because I am not a golf enthusiast. Golf enthusiasts would enjoy the story.

To sum up, this is a good collection with a strong start and fairly consistent quality throughout. Recommended for Wodehouse fans. show less

Wodehouse is always a delight. Those who have not discovered have missed a real treat. His short stories are always light and full of wonderful humor. All the usual suspects are here: Ukridge, Mulliner, Bertie and Jeeves. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon than with Wodehouse in an England and/or New York that was better than real.

I wish I could imitate Wodehouse's writing technique and his flow of words. Alas, it is impossible for me. If you have never read Wodehouse this is a good place to start. These are good stories with a variety of his regular, beloved characters. If you are a Drone then you will get the book as soon as you can. If Wodehouse is unknown to you, I envy you a first acquaintance with him. I highly show more recommend this book. show less

A wide variety of Wodehouse masterpieces that contain some degree of humorous crime. In "The Crime Wave at Blandings" a child's toy air rifle quickly becomes an instrument of black deeds. In "The Purity of the Turf" gambling and bribery defile the girls egg and spoon race at a country gathering. A famous photographer who won't photograph ugly people is kidnapped in "The Romance of a Bulb-Squeezer" in order to photograph an extremely ugly man's daughter.

These stories all combine Wodehouse's version of crime with his usual humor and wacky characters.

This fine collection consists of a dozen tales by the masterful PG Wodehouse, first published between 1921 to 1967. On the whole, the selections are variable in appeal, with a focus on crime, criminals, and cunning detectives. Isaac Asimov presents them in an introduction, one written in Wodehouse's inimitable style, Below are the selections, with my personal rankings (on a 5 star scale).

Strychnine in the soup -- 1*
The crime wave at Blandings -- 3*
Ukridge starts a bank account -- 1*
The purity of the turf -- 2*
The smile that wins -- 3*
The purification of Rodney Spelvin -- 1*
Without the option -- 3.5*
The romance of a bulb squeezer -- 1*
Aunt Agatha takes the count -- 4*
The fiery wooing of Mordred -- 4*
Ukridge's accident syndicate. -- show more 3*
Indiscretions of Archie -- 3* show less

A nice collection of stories from various series---Mr. Mulliner, Jeeves and Wooster, Ukridge, Golf---originally published from 1921 through 1967. "Strychnine in the Soup" has a character named Mapledurham, pronounced Mum.

found in storage May 2026; no idea from whence it came