Saturday, March 31, 2007

P G Wodehouse – Right Ho, Jeeves (Audio)

Title: Right Ho, Jeeves
Author: P G Wodehouse

Narrator: Mark Nelson

Publisher: www.librivox.org

First Published: 1934

Running time: 7hrs 57 mins 17 secs

Format: Audio Book

Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:
Bertram Wooster’s manservant, Jeeves, is renowned for his ability to apply his keen intellect to solve all problems domestic, and Bertie’s friends and relatives flock to him for his counsel. But
Wooster, jealous of Jeeves’s fame, decides to step in and take over as the fixer of his pal’s engagement, his aunt’s gambling debts and old school-mate’s desire to propose marriage. How far will Bertie sink them all in the soup? Will Jeeves come to the rescue? “Right Ho, Jeeves” features of course Bertie and Jeeves as well as Gussie Fink-Nottle, Tuppie Glossop, Aunt Dahlia and Anatole the high-strung French chef in this P.G. Wodehouse farce of England’s upper crust.

Review:
Slightly different from My Man Jeeves in that this is only one story over the whole book, rather than a collection of shorter fiction. This means there's a lot more character development throughout, rather than people just popping in briefly or being mentioned in passing. The narrator is American, so it's a little off-putting at times, when I know that the characters are all supposed to be upper-class English (this one is set firmly in London and the British countryside), but he's managed to give each of the characters a very distinctive voice, so it's easier to forgive, and besides, I can hear only the voices of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry in my head for Bertie and Jeeves! This has been rather a giggle and I fear that I may start spouting such words as "what-ho!" and "spiffing!" at any given moment. I think the Jeeves books would certainly be worth taking a look at in book-form too...

3 Comments:

Blogger Furaha said...

You're right, Fry and Laurie spoilt me for any other readings. Librivox is great, but I could only get through about a minute of this particular audio book!

2:55 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

I think Mark Nelson does a first-rate job. No, he doesn't speak in a British accent, but his recording is professional, lively and engaging. (And don't forget - as a Librivox volunteer - he did it for free!)

9:21 pm  
Blogger Jill said...

I just finished the audiobook of this one, but my reader was Alexander Spencer, who is British. It's hard to imagine an American voice reading these! But either way, I bet the story takes over in no time. I really had great time with this one.

2:32 am  

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