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P.G. Wodehouse
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading some of the works of P.G. Wodehouse over the last couple years. If you aren’t familiar with Wodehouse, he is the author who created the character Jeeves. You might have heard or seen the web site askjeeves.com. It is based on the Wodehouse character. The Wooster and Jeeves books are wonderfully funny. I highly recommend them to everyone.
I first heard about Wodehouse from an issue Credenda Agenda did a few years ago called P.G. Wodehouse: Heart of a Goof (or pdf), in which they celebrated the humorist.
Wodehouse was not without his controversy. He caused a bit of a stir when he agreed to take part in a series of radio addresses the Germans “requested” he do during World War II. Below is an excerpt from the first radio address.
And so, day by day, all through June and July, our quiet, happy life continued, with not a jarring incident to mar the serenity. Well, yes, perhaps one or two. One day, an official-looking gentleman with none of the Labour Corps geniality came along and said he wanted my car. Also my radio. And in addition my bicycle. That was what got under the skin. I could do without the car, and I had never much liked the radio, but I loved that bicycle. I looked him right in the eye and said “Es ist schönes Wetter” — and I said it nastily. I meant it to sting. And what did he say? He didn’t say anything. What could we have said? P.S. He got the bicycle.
Comments
Das ist fantastisch.
Danke für die freundlichen Wörter. Babel Fisch ist Ihr Freund.
Si, senor.
Isn't Babel Fish a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It's been a while since I read it and a friend has my copy, so I'm not sure.
Not sure about HGG. I am probably about to have my geek badge revoked, but I have never read or seen the movie...
The Babel Fish I was referring to was http://babelfish.altavista.com/
I looked it up. Yes, the idea of the Babel fish came from The Hitchhiker's Guide, as follows:
Cool. That's good to know.
I picked up a book of stories of his a month or so ago, on your previous recommendation. So far I like his short stories much more than his novels (of which I have only actually read one).
I love how I can hear his character's voices in my head in the language of the beginning of the century.
Cool. I would also recommend picking up some of the books on tape at the Library. Heather and I have listened to most of the Wooster and Jeeves ones that the Tuscaloosa Public Library has. They have really livened up out-of-town trips in the car.
That is a great idea. If only we had a tape player in our car! I have been known to listen to books on tape while sewing--while the light lasts.
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