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The first entry in P. G. Wodehouse's beloved Blandings Castle Saga, Something New (also published under the alternate title Something Fresh) introduces two young writers, Joan Valentine and Ashe Marson, who find themselves flung together by an increasingly unusual set of circumstances. Forced to pose as servants for a fabulously wealthy family, the two scribes gradually soften toward one another. Can their burgeoning romance survive even as everything else around them appears to be going awry?.
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I'm not even going to try to summarize the plot of this book, because it's Wodehouse and therefore it features abundant comedic misunderstandings and complications of the initial scenario. Also, these misunderstandings are much more fun to encounter yourself instead of having me spoil them for you. So I shall restrict my comments to the level of success achieved by Wodehouse in this story. Lord Emsworth was amusing in his absent-mindedness, and the younger men constantly cracked me up with their "I say, old man"s and "Bally rotten luck"s and "Oh, rather"s. The story was probably not quite as entertaining as Jeeves and Wooster, simply due to lack of familiarity on my part, but the comedic misunderstandings in this one certainly delivered show more in spades. This is the sort of book I have to read at home because I'm forever holding a hand to my forehead and exclaiming aloud: "OH NO! He's going to be found out!" "Of COURSE he'll think that!" "How will he get out of THIS one?!"
In the course of his narration, Wodehouse also manages to make some amusing commentary on pulpy detective novels (Ashe Marson, the first character we meet in this story, is a writer of same), irritating relatives, and the "superman" sort of fellow who is exemplified by George Emerson: in his pursuit of Aline Peters, he comes off as a very controlling, patronizing sort of man who projects his own thoughts on his beloved and cannot imagine her having her own opinion. He does improve somewhat over the course of the novel but I have to wonder whether the improvements are permanent. I greatly preferred Joan Valentine, who is quite prepared to look after her own self, and Lord Emsworth as mentioned earlier, especially when the reader is made privy to his actual thought processes: we see exactly where his train of thought derails and witness the fallout for others around him.
Overall, this book was exactly what I expected it to be, so these are a positive three stars as opposed to an indifferent three stars. I will be happily reading more in the series. show less
In the course of his narration, Wodehouse also manages to make some amusing commentary on pulpy detective novels (Ashe Marson, the first character we meet in this story, is a writer of same), irritating relatives, and the "superman" sort of fellow who is exemplified by George Emerson: in his pursuit of Aline Peters, he comes off as a very controlling, patronizing sort of man who projects his own thoughts on his beloved and cannot imagine her having her own opinion. He does improve somewhat over the course of the novel but I have to wonder whether the improvements are permanent. I greatly preferred Joan Valentine, who is quite prepared to look after her own self, and Lord Emsworth as mentioned earlier, especially when the reader is made privy to his actual thought processes: we see exactly where his train of thought derails and witness the fallout for others around him.
Overall, this book was exactly what I expected it to be, so these are a positive three stars as opposed to an indifferent three stars. I will be happily reading more in the series. show less
This is hands-down the funniest novel of 1915. All of Wodehouse’s novels are hilarious. Probably the reason I didn't crown this one as the best novel is a terrible societal prejudice against comedy. This one is in the Blandings Castle series, where people end up at the country home of kooky Lord Emsworth, none of them who they are pretending to be. This time, the heroes are two young struggling but spirited writers, a woman and a man, who both become enmeshed in the quest to steal back an Egyptian scarab that Lord Emsworth has absentmindedly walked off with. There are a number of delightful subplots and love plots, and several characters have health problems with the lining of their stomachs. The only thing that was at all tough about show more this marvelous novel is that the details of all the imposters are so intricate that when I put the book down for a week I had trouble remembering what was really going on when I picked it back up. show less
Take an absent-minded English earl, his not-too-bright younger son, the son’s American heiress fiancee and her brash father, a rival for the heiress’s affections, a couple of penniless pulp fiction writers, a con artist, assorted relatives and domestics, and a missing Egyptian scarab, and throw them all in an English country estate, and you have all the makings for an entertaining farce. Wodehouse is a master of the genre. The audio version read by Frederick Davidson is laugh out loud funny.
A comedy of manners and misunderstandings, Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse was a light, playful read that lifted my mood and brought more than a few smiles to my face. This is the first book in the Blandings Castle series, and as in all his works, it is witty, amusing and just slightly silly.
This episode introduces the readers to the Earl of Emsworth and the plot is centered on his son the Hon. Freddy Threepwood’s engagement to a rich American heiress The Earl, who is very absentminded accidentally pockets a valuable scarab that belongs to the heiress’ father. With a superb sense of timing, the author gathers an assortment of characters together at Blandings and with the scarab as the target, lets the mayhem begin.
Originally show more published in 1915, this story retains it’s slapstick humour and envelopes the reader in a delightful, whimsical and very upper class English setting. show less
This episode introduces the readers to the Earl of Emsworth and the plot is centered on his son the Hon. Freddy Threepwood’s engagement to a rich American heiress The Earl, who is very absentminded accidentally pockets a valuable scarab that belongs to the heiress’ father. With a superb sense of timing, the author gathers an assortment of characters together at Blandings and with the scarab as the target, lets the mayhem begin.
Originally show more published in 1915, this story retains it’s slapstick humour and envelopes the reader in a delightful, whimsical and very upper class English setting. show less
Sometimes the world gets into such a state that only the refined silliness of PG Wodehouse will do as an escape.
I read all of the Jeeves stories as a boy, and many times since, but I have never read any of his Blandings series before. Something Fresh is the first in this series, which is centred on the doings at Blandings Castle, owned by the absent-minded Lord Emsworth.
Lord Emsorth's hopeless son Freddy is engaged to the daughter of US millionaire J. Preston Peters. Emsworth is invited to visit Peters to be shown his valuable collection of scarabs. In the process, Emsworth absent-mindedly pockets a scarab worth thousands, and walks off with it. Peters, thinking of it as theft, is aghast and determined to recover his prize.
Meanwhile, show more pulp fiction authors Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine are bored with their writing and seeking a change. Ashe answers an ad placed by Peters and gets a job as a pretend valet, with a view to sneaking into Blandings and stealing the scarab back for a reward. Independently of this, Joan hears about the scarab and the reward from her friend Aline - Peters' daughter - and insists on Aline hiring her as a maid so that she can also go to Blandings and steal the scarab back.
Once everyone descends on Blandings, the usual Wodehouse hi-jinks ensue, involving subterfuge, misunderstandings, embarrassment and, ultimately, a happy resolution for all. His writing is full of sardonic observations; the narrative commentary is probably more witty than the actual plot. It's a typical Wodehouse outing and, as such, a brief and welcome distraction. show less
I read all of the Jeeves stories as a boy, and many times since, but I have never read any of his Blandings series before. Something Fresh is the first in this series, which is centred on the doings at Blandings Castle, owned by the absent-minded Lord Emsworth.
Lord Emsorth's hopeless son Freddy is engaged to the daughter of US millionaire J. Preston Peters. Emsworth is invited to visit Peters to be shown his valuable collection of scarabs. In the process, Emsworth absent-mindedly pockets a scarab worth thousands, and walks off with it. Peters, thinking of it as theft, is aghast and determined to recover his prize.
Meanwhile, show more pulp fiction authors Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine are bored with their writing and seeking a change. Ashe answers an ad placed by Peters and gets a job as a pretend valet, with a view to sneaking into Blandings and stealing the scarab back for a reward. Independently of this, Joan hears about the scarab and the reward from her friend Aline - Peters' daughter - and insists on Aline hiring her as a maid so that she can also go to Blandings and steal the scarab back.
Once everyone descends on Blandings, the usual Wodehouse hi-jinks ensue, involving subterfuge, misunderstandings, embarrassment and, ultimately, a happy resolution for all. His writing is full of sardonic observations; the narrative commentary is probably more witty than the actual plot. It's a typical Wodehouse outing and, as such, a brief and welcome distraction. show less
P. G. Wodehouse, you've done it again. You've made me laugh while reading your book in a public place, thereby exciting comment among the bystanders (one of whom asked me outright what was so funny). I can't take you anywhere!
Something Fresh, the first installment in what became the Blandings Castle Saga, was first published in 1915 and introduces such iconic characters as the vague Lord Emsworth, the efficient Baxter, the Hon. Freddie Threepwood, and the dignified butler Mr. Beach. There is also a host of other minor characters like Ashe Marson, a hack detective story writer who is thoroughly sick of his job; Joan Valentine, a fellow sufferer with Ashe in her choice of an authorial profession; George Emerson, the very definition of a show more manly man; and J. Preston Peters, the American millionaire and accidental Egyptian scarab enthusiast.
When Lord Emsworth absentmindedly purloins one of Peters's prize scarabs, the solution would seem simple: Peters should do a little slick purloining of his own. But when one considers that his daughter Aline is engaged to Lord Emsworth's son Freddie, complications arise. It is precisely this sort of domestic intrigue that calls for the assistance of an outside party. Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine both jump at the job, but who will snatch the scarab first and claim the reward? And can love bloom amidst such unpropitious (and frankly, competitive) circumstances?
Wodehouse's introduction is wonderful. In it he tells how Something Fresh (originally titled Something New) was published — it must have been because he signed himself Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, in that age of triple-barrelled authorial nom de plumes, and "a level-headed editor like Lorimer was not going to let a Pelham Grenville Wodehouse get away from him." He also warns young writers about to embark upon a series to be very coy about committing themselves to dates. For you never know when you may want to write thirteen more volumes of something and are restrained from doing so by the inevitable aging of your characters.
Swedish exercises that provide endless amusement to lookers-on; fictional detectives who are loathed by their authors; dastardly night-time doings of a larcenous nature; and of course, Mr. Beach's stomach lining... it's all here. Don't miss Something Fresh — but I do advise reading it in private. The aforementioned bystanders looked quite blank when I attempted to explain the cause of my involuntary giggles. show less
Something Fresh, the first installment in what became the Blandings Castle Saga, was first published in 1915 and introduces such iconic characters as the vague Lord Emsworth, the efficient Baxter, the Hon. Freddie Threepwood, and the dignified butler Mr. Beach. There is also a host of other minor characters like Ashe Marson, a hack detective story writer who is thoroughly sick of his job; Joan Valentine, a fellow sufferer with Ashe in her choice of an authorial profession; George Emerson, the very definition of a show more manly man; and J. Preston Peters, the American millionaire and accidental Egyptian scarab enthusiast.
When Lord Emsworth absentmindedly purloins one of Peters's prize scarabs, the solution would seem simple: Peters should do a little slick purloining of his own. But when one considers that his daughter Aline is engaged to Lord Emsworth's son Freddie, complications arise. It is precisely this sort of domestic intrigue that calls for the assistance of an outside party. Ashe Marson and Joan Valentine both jump at the job, but who will snatch the scarab first and claim the reward? And can love bloom amidst such unpropitious (and frankly, competitive) circumstances?
Wodehouse's introduction is wonderful. In it he tells how Something Fresh (originally titled Something New) was published — it must have been because he signed himself Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, in that age of triple-barrelled authorial nom de plumes, and "a level-headed editor like Lorimer was not going to let a Pelham Grenville Wodehouse get away from him." He also warns young writers about to embark upon a series to be very coy about committing themselves to dates. For you never know when you may want to write thirteen more volumes of something and are restrained from doing so by the inevitable aging of your characters.
Swedish exercises that provide endless amusement to lookers-on; fictional detectives who are loathed by their authors; dastardly night-time doings of a larcenous nature; and of course, Mr. Beach's stomach lining... it's all here. Don't miss Something Fresh — but I do advise reading it in private. The aforementioned bystanders looked quite blank when I attempted to explain the cause of my involuntary giggles. show less
Something Fresh was surprisingly fresh for its age. It even featured quite a feminist heroine (or as close as the story got to having a heroine, at any rate). Funny how sometimes something written as recently as the 1970s, say, can seem so dated, but this little gem from 101 years ago can seem so up-to-date in tone. Sure, the characters have maids/valets/butlers/footmen, but the style is sprightly and modern.
Not laugh-out-loud funny (I've only read five books that did that for me: the Lucia series, Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Young Visiters, and any Dorothy Parker collection, but I smiled throughout. A delight.
Not laugh-out-loud funny (I've only read five books that did that for me: the Lucia series, Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Young Visiters, and any Dorothy Parker collection, but I smiled throughout. A delight.
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Author Information
P. G. Wodehouse was born in Guildford, United Kingdom on October 15, 1881. After completing school, he spent two years as a banker at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in London and then took a job as a sports reporter and columnist for the Globe newspaper. His first novel, The Pothunters, was published in 1902. He wrote over 100 novels and short show more story collections during his lifetime including A Perfect Uncle, Love Among the Chickens, The Swoop, P. Smith in the City, Meet Mr. Milliner, Doctor Sally, Quick Service, The Old Reliable, Uneasy Money, A Damsel in Distress, Jill the Reckless, The Adventures of Sally, A Pelican at Blandings, The Girl in Blue, and Aunts Aren't Gentlemen. His most famous characters, Bertie Wooster and his manservant, Jeeves, appeared in books such as Much Obliged, Jeeves. He also wrote lyrics for musical comedies and worked as screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s. In 1939, he bought a villa in Le Touquet on the coast of France. He remained there when World War II started in 1939. The following year, the Germans appropriated the villa, confiscated property, and arrested him. He was detained in various German camps for almost one year before being released in 1941. He went to Berlin and spoke of his experience in five radio talks to be broadcast to America and England. The talks themselves were completely innocuous, but he was charged with treason in England. He was cleared, but settled permanently in the United States. He became a citizen in 1955. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1975. He died from a heart attack after a long illness on February 14, 1975 at the age of 93. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- Something Fresh
- Original title
- Something New
- Original publication date
- 1915
- People/Characters
- Ashe Marson; Joan Valentine; Clarence Threepwood (Lord Emsworth, Earl of Emsworth); Frederick Threepwood (the Honourable); Aline Peters; J. Preston Peters (show all 12); George Emerson; R. Jones; Rupert Baxter; Sebastian Beach; Lady Ann Warblington; Mrs Twemlow
- Important places
- Shropshire, England, UK (Blandings Castle)
- First words
- The sunshine of a fair Spring morning fell graciously upon London town.
- Quotations
- I have always had the idea that Lorimer must have been put in a receptive mood the moment he saw the title page. My pulp magazine stories had been by 'P. G. Wodehouse", but Something Fresh was the work of: PELHAM... (show all) GRENVILLE WODEHOUSE, and I am convinced that that was what put it over.
A writer in America at that time who went around without three names was practically going around naked. (Preface, Wodehouse on the first time that his work was accepted by George Horace Lorimer, the editor of the prestigious Saturday Evening Post)
One of the Georges---I forget which---once said that a certain number of hours' sleep each night---I cannot recall at the moment how many---made a man something, which for the time being has slipped my memory. Baxter agreed w... (show all)ith him. (p. 164)
'Do you ever get moods when life seems absolutely meaningless? It's like a badly constructed story, with all sorts of characters moving in and out who have nothing to do with the plot. And, when somebody comes along who you t... (show all)hink really has something to do with the plot, he suddenly drops out. After a while you begin to wonder what the story is about, and you feel that it's about nothing ---- just a jumble.' 'There is one thing,' said Ashe, 'that knits it together.' 'What is that?' 'The love interest.'(p. 235)
'What is the good,' said Ashe, 'of travelling fast if you're going around in a circle? . . . . You think that there is something tremendous just round the corner, and that you can get it if you try hard enough. There isn't. O... (show all)r, if there is, it isn't worth getting. Life is nothing but a mutual aid association. . . .' (p. 236) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'I'll have a jolly good stab at it, governor,' said the Hon. Freddie.
- Blurbers
- Sheed, Wilfred; Waugh, Evelyn
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- UK title 'Something Fresh', US title 'Something New.' Although the canonical title would normally be Something New, it seems to be most often known under the UK title.
It was first published as a book in the U... (show all)nited States, by D. Appleton & Company on 3 September 1915, under the title Something New, having previously appeared under that title as a serial in the Saturday Evening Post between 26 June and 14 August 1915. It was published in the United Kingdom by Methuen & Co. on 16 September 1915 as Something Fresh - Wikipedia
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