Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
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Tag Archives: Reading to Know Bookclub
Read Aloud Thursday–Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace
our school room most rooms in our house on most days, you would wonder how I’d even notice) and lo and behold, it was Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. When I asked the girls about it, Lulu informed me that she had already read it several times. :-) So you see, my concern was for naught. What could I do then but read it aloud, at least for my own enjoyment (and Louise’s)? Really, though, Lulu enjoyed it as much as we did, possibly even more since she knew how it was all going to work out, and she liked teasing us with the possibility of spoiling the ending for us. ;-)
I have to say that we haven’t met a Betsy-Tacy book we don’t like, and I think this one might be my personal favorite. I say this for several reasons. First, I love that Betsy is coming into her own as a writer and her parents recognize this and send her to the library in support of this desire and talent. I also love how the librarian finds her the best, most appropriate classics for her to read. (The whole sequence with the book Betsy was given by Rena being thrown into the fire by her father is perfect for us twaddle-free homeschoolers. ;-) ) Second, I love the interplay of characters that are peripheral to this story, especially Winona Root. While Winona might be considered a “bratty, spoiled, and manipulative” child (and I agree, by the way), I still like her, for some reason. I think this book (and also her appearance in Carney’s House Party as a young adult) helped me see her as someone with potential to be something more than just a brat; she definitely has her faults, but she’s also full of spirit and moxie and a very strong sense of self. I also love the character of Mrs. Poppy in this story. I like how Maud Hart Lovelace reveals Mrs. Ray’s prejudice against Mrs. Poppy because of her wealth and perceived status, and how that is redeemed in the end through Mrs. Poppy’s actions. Third, I love the whole business with Mrs. Ray’s brother. It’s a nice little mystery with a wonderfully heartwarming resolution. Really, there isn’t an element of this story I found unappealing or boring, and judging from the smiles on my girls’ faces, they agree.
This is the second Maud Hart Lovelace book I’ve read this month thanks to Carrie’s Reading to Know Bookclub for March. I’m really glad March’s Bookclub host, Annette, chose Maud Hart Lovelace since I always mean to get back to her (and many, many other authors) but rarely make the time to do so without some sort of incentive. Thanks, friends!
This is the eighth book I’ve read by Maud Hart Lovelace and reviewed here at Hope Is the Word. Here are the others with links to my reviews:
- Betsy-Tacy
- Betsy-Tacy and Tib
- Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
- Emily of Deep Valley
- Winona’s Pony Cart
- The Valentine Box
- Carney’s House Party
Maybe I’ll get to the next Betsy-Tacy book before my girls do! :-)
What are you reading aloud at your house these days? Tell us about it in the comments, or leave a link to your own Read Aloud Thursday blog post!
Carney’s House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace
Carney’s House Party is about one summer in the life of Carney Sibley, native of Deep Valley and rising junior at Vassar College. The story opens with her contemplating whether or not she should invite her college roommate, Isobel, home with her for the summer. Isobel is a beautiful and wealthy New Yorker, and Carney’s midwestern no-nonsense tells her how different they are. However, since her best friend from childhood, Bonnie Andrews, is also coming to spend a month with her, Carney decides to invite Isobel and make it a true house party. What follows is an enjoyable summer of parties and dances and trips to the lake, with Carney surrounded by her old “gang,” as well as one newcomer, the wealthy and rather slap-dash Sam Hutchinson. Carney’s boyfriend of four years, Larry Humphreys, also returns to Deep Valley from California with the assumed plan of making his intentions toward Carney known. This story is just good, old fashioned fun, with a heavy dose of young adult romance (of the pre World War I variety, so it’s very clean). It makes me almost (almost!) wish I could go back and relive my young adult years. (Almost!) The story does end with an engagement or two and with Carney returning to Vassar to finish out her education after a summer of fun.
A couple of things struck me about this book. The most noticeable one is that it almost feels like a state of Minnesota tourism brochure at times, so much is the state lauded throughout the story. Because of Isobel’s presence (and Carney’s time at Vassar), too, there is a lot of contrast between the East and the Midwest. It is obvious that Maud Hart Lovelace loved the state of Minnesota, and of all her works I’ve read thus far, it comes through the most in this story. The other thing that stood out to me is the treatment of religion, specifically Christianity. Carrie touches on this a bit in her review at Reading to Know, and while I don’t have much to add to what Carrie says, I will note that it seems like Maud Hart Lovelace is trying to make a point of some kind. In addition to the fact that Carney seems to only appreciate or even participate in church-going in a very nebulously spiritual sort of way, Sam Hutchinson seems rather extreme in his reaction to it in that he is unwilling to attend church, even when presented with the opportunity to attend with his love-interest. This just struck me as sort of odd.
A word of warning: it’s extremely easy to get confused about characters when you’re reading two books from the same place at the same time. I was reading one of the Betsy-Tacy books aloud to the girls (review coming this week, I hope!) while I read Carney’s House Party, and while it is neat to see the older and younger versions of the same characters, it also gets sort of muddling. Maybe that’s just me, though.
Bottom line? Read Maud Hart Lovelace if you like sweet, old-fashioned stories that make you wish you could jump right into the book and become one of the characters yourself! Thanks to Carrie for organizing the Bookclub and to Annette for being this month’s hostess!
Other books by Maud Hart Lovelace I’ve read and reviewed:
Read Aloud Thursday–A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
) would likely think it far above their abilities to comprehend. This was also the first time I’d read the whole thing myself, so while I was very familiar with the story through cultural exposure, I got to enjoy Dickens again without knowing exactly what to expect next specifically. I thought early on in the reading that we would have to abandon this one as a read-aloud because the girls were a bit frightened by Marley’s ghost. However, we persevered and the ghosts got less frightening, or at least the girls got more comfortable with them. I personally found the story moving, as I usually do with Dickens’ stories. I would stop periodically and briefly discuss the plot or some description with the girls, but mostly I just let the book speak for itself.
I don’t know much else to say about it, really–I mean, how does one really “review” such a classic? Instead I’ll share a few short passages that I particularly enjoyed. This is of the Cratchits:
There was nothing of high mark in this. They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker’s. But they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time; and when they faded, and looked happier yet in the bright sprinklings of the Spirit’s torch at parting, Scrooge had his eye upon them, and especially on Tiny Tim, until the last. (99-100)
I know Dickens often gets a bad rap for his wordiness and overblown descriptions, but I like them. I especially love this description of Scrooge’s transformation at the end of the story:
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for the good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset: and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. (165)
I like the repetition and especially the picture of Scrooge, finally at peace with himself and even with his naysayers.
I have to say a word, too, about the edition of the book that I purchased (linked above). On the title page it bears this inscription–
A facsimile of the Original Edition
And also–
With four illustrations in Colour and four Woodcuts by John Leech
Although a larger book would’ve been kinder to my eyes, I’m glad I chose this little slipcovered, “Deluxe Gift Edition,” old-fashioned hardback. Everyone enjoyed poring over the illustrations.
Their enjoyment of it (for yes, they did enjoy it, even when they didn’t “get” every little detail) is only slightly outdone in my mind by the DLM’s exuberant (and randomly timed) bah humbugs.
Heidi at Mt. Hope Chronicles offers a few related suggestions for the sharing of A Christmas Carol with children. I’d like to get my hands on every one of these! 
Character one: “Isn’t this story a little creepy for children?”
Character two: “No. We’ll let them watch anything in the name of culture.”
I guess the point of this post really is that over time I’ve learned to jump in without much apprehension and at least try a book with my children, even if it’s really over their heads. I know they mostly followed the story, and while they probably did miss a description here and there, subsequent readings of it will only be easier for them.
Reading aloud is the BEST!
Next week I’ll be sharing our favorite chapter book read-alouds of 2012. Feel free to join in with your own bookish list, or your usual RAT post.
Read Aloud Thursday–Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor
Hi everyone! Welcome to Hope Is the Word. I hope there are at least a few new Read Aloud Thursday (otherwise affectionately known as RAT) participants this week thanks to this week’s Top Ten {Tuesday}. To all participants, new and old, I am so glad you’re here this week. Really–you’re what make RAT so wonderful! I thought today would be a good day to go over a bit of RAT etiquette, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Here you go:
- When you enter your link, please, please, please do it in this format.
Blog Name (Book title)
Example: Hope Is the Word (Little Pilgrim’s Progress)
Doing this makes it possible for readers to quickly decide which links are of interest to them. It will probably increase the number of hits your link gets. 
- Take a moment and visit someone else’s RAT post if at all possible. I know how valuable your blogging and blog reading time is, so I get that it’s not always possible. (In fact, I don’t always get around to every single link. I try, but sometimes it’s just not possible.)
- Spread the word. The more folks who participate, the better RAT is.
Now, on to this week’s post!
As for the spiritual implications of the story, I tried very hard not to lecture or point things out to my girls, which I think is the biggest danger in a story like this. I’d rather have their imaginations furnished with all the pictures this wonderful story provides (Christian losing his burden at the cross; the dangers of Vanity Fair; the bravery of Greatheart; you know) at this stage in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual development than overburden them with the meanings. As Charlotte Mason herself said in volume five of her works,
We miss the general principle that critical studies are out of place until the mind is so “thoroughly furnished” with ideas that, of its own accord, it compares and examines critically.
Of course, the fact that this is an adaptation (albeit a good one) would probably disqualify it for use by Charlotte Mason herself. At any rate, the girls found this adaptation challenging enough. The only problem, if it can be called that, that I had with the story is that the very short chapters actually made it more difficult to get through, I think. It was way too convenient (though truthfully, often necessary, with the DLM and his interruptions) to stop after a few pages. Of course, this might also be considered a plus, so I guess this is just a bit of FYI. I guess the most telling proof that this was a winner at the House of Hope is that Lulu, a rather discriminating reader (at times), took it when we finished Christian’s story and finished the rest–Christiana’s story–in no time. Now that’s a good story. I really consider this story a must-read for Christians–really, it’s a must-read for anyone who wishes to be an “educated” person. I’m glad my girls have a headstart on this story. (Moody Press)
Related links:
- Review of The Pilgrim’s Progress at Reading to Know
- Review of Pilgrim’s Progress for Kids at Reading to Know
- Reading to Know Bookclub post
- Review of Pilgrim’s Progress picture book at Learning How Much I Don’t Know
Also, don’t miss all the wonderful read-aloud posts this week at the iHomeschool Network blogs and at Top Ten {Tuesday} at Many Little Blessings. There are enough book suggestions in these posts to last several lifetimes of reading aloud!
Have a wonderful Thursday, friends!
Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter
Freckles is the story of a young man who turns up in the Limberlost Swamp of Indiana, looking for employment in the Grand Rapids Lumber Company camp that is logging there. This young man who is Irish by his appearance and the lilt of his voice, homeless and without even so much as a name to identify him, and missing a hand, is also desperate for work. The boss hires him on faith to guard the swamp since it is home to some valuable trees (birdseye maples). The young man is given the name Freckles because of his red, freckled skin, and he soon proves his mettle and endears himself to the manager and the boss. The plot involves some swamp robbers who are determined to get the prized maples from the swamp. It also involves a very idealistic, youthful romance between Freckles and a young beauty he calls the Swamp Angel. All of this is couched in Freckles’ newly-birthed love for nature and the swamp. In fact, it is this love for the flora and fauna of the Limberlost that helps him become at home in the Limberlost and brings the Swamp Angel to him. There’s an exciting climax to this story and a rather protracted ending which involves a promise from the Swamp Angel’s father that she and Freckles will one day be together. Inherent in all this is the idea that Freckles must be of noble, “worthy” birth because of his own loyal heart and character. It would be impossible for him to be born of ne’er-do-wells, as he supposes he must be thanks to his early years in an orphanage and the mysterious loss of his hand. Of course, the Swamp Angel solves the mystery of his birth and confirms that yes, as his character indicates, he is indeed the shining son of an aristocratic Irish family.
Something in me rebelled against this book a bit as I was reading it. First, I wasn’t all that crazy about Freckles’ youthful infatuation with the Swamp Angel, though I suspect that this has more to do with my own (ahem) mature years than anything. I’m just not a fan of romance, even clean, idealistic, sappy romance. The other thing that stuck in my craw a bit was the whole idea that Freckles must not be of common birth. In my mind, it would be far more of a triumph if his parents had wilfully abandoned him and he rose above it. I thought there were some elements of his character and the plot that were undeveloped, too. Specifically, he has a beautiful singing voice, but unlike in A Girl of the Limberlost (Elnora plays the violin), we don’t really see the development of that that plot thread. Still, though, there is much to recommend this book: Freckles is the epitome of bravery and heroic devotion to duty, and his love for the Swamp Angel (and hers for him) is above reproach, if rather sappy. I think the thing that turned the tide of my opinion for this book instead of against it is this quote, attributed to Albert Einstein (thanks, Carrie):
Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else.
I was constantly considering this book in light of modern sensibilities, which is a mistake. Instead of wondering whether or not a modern audience would find anything appealing in such an idealistic (although really not exactly saccharine) story, maybe I should instead think of Freckles as a great model for modern young people. I’d certainly be thrilled if one day my own girls have boyfriends (suitors?) as noble as Freckles. ;-) Taking that train of thought just a bit further, I really think reading old fashioned fiction is what developed my sensibilities about the type of man I’d date and eventually marry. While I certainly give God all the credit for bringing Steady Eddie and me together to begin with, I am thankful that I had an ideal in mind long beforehand. My reading definitely shaped that, and I think what stood me in good stead can certainly continue to do so for others.
Bottom line? I’m really glad I read this one, though I wish I had read it immediately before or after I read A Girl of the Limberlost. I really would like to “see” Freckles as an adult, with a wife and a family and a string of worldly success to further commend his character, as he appears in A Girl of the Limberlost. Of the two, A Girl of the Limberlost is definitely my favorite, but I really think that they should be enjoyed together in quick succession. (Doubleday, 1904)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
When Carrie asked me to be a part of her bookclub as a host, choosing a book was easy. 
There’s a quote by Charles Dudley Weaver from a December 1876 issue of the Hartford Daily Courant on the back of my paperback copy of the book. It says, “The book is full of quotable things. . . but it is unnecessary to quote from a book which everybody will read.” That sums up how I feel about anything I could possibly say about this book. I feel like it’s a joke that everyone has already hee-hawed over, only I’m itching to share it with someone. You’ll excuse me, then, if what I say here seems rather elementary.
First, I had built this book up in my mind to be something that it isn’t at all. I think after years of laboring through obtuse minor works of literature, I expected this one to be hard to understand and complicated, but it is neither. Why didn’t we read this, then, instead of something like S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders way back in seventh grade? I have nothing against The Outsiders at all, but Tom and Huck are definitely more important cultural icons than Pony Boy and Johnny. I suspect that as a college-bound, Advanced Placement-taking high school English student, I was supposed to have read this at some other point in my education, but I didn’t. Yes, there are gaps.
Second, I kept thinking while reading this story that it’s really nothing more than the story of a boy’s life and experiences. It’s not really different from many, many other children’s stories that I’ve read. Stories like Understood Betsy(linked to my review), Hans Brinker (link), and Caddie Woodlawn come to mind, with the obvious difference being that Mark Twain makes Tom and his friends “normal” boys instead of paragons of virtue. (I know that comparing books about girls and books about boys in this era especially is comparing the proverbial apples and oranges, but I happen to have read far more books about girls than boys, so that’s what comes to my mind.) Tom Sawyer really is just a coming-of-age story, something that you’re very apt to find if you browse the middle grade section at your local bookstore or library. Something in me asks what makes it so, well, special in the face of so many similar tales, but I do have the perspective of time and familiarity. I know that at the time it was groundbreaking because it depicted a real boy’s life, and when placed in its historical perspective there’s a whole lot more to appreciate. (I’d really, really like to learn more about this from an expert, and since I’m not going back to college to do it, I guess I have more reading to do. )
Third, the best part about the story to me is the very sophisticated humor with which it is infused, mostly in the descriptions and purely joyful incorrigibility of the boys. I can see the roots of so much of American comedy and humor in this story. This is from Tom’s and the new boy’s altercation in chapter one:
“You’re a coward and a pup. I’ll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I’ll make him do it, too.”
“What do I care for your big brother? I’ve got a brother that’s bigger than he is—and what’s more, he can throw him over that fence, too” [Both brothers were imaginary.]
And this is Tom, just after the object of his affection tosses a pansy flower his way and then disappears into her house:
The boy ran around and stopped within a foot or two of the flower, and then shaded his eyes with his hand and began to look down the street as if he had discovered something of interest going on in that direction. Presently he picked up a straw and began trying to balance it on his nose, with his head tilted far back; and as he moved from side to side, in his efforts, he edged nearer and nearer toward the pansy; finally his bare foot rested upon it, his pliant toes closed upon it and he hopped away with his treasure, and disappeared round the corner. But only for a minute—only while he could button the flower inside his jacket, next his heart—or next his stomach, possibly, for he was not mouch posted in anatomy, and not hypercritical, anyway. (Chapter 3)
Isn’t this the epitome of “cool” adolescence and absurdity? I love it! I found myself smiling and chuckling often while reading this book.
I’m so glad I read Tom Sawyer, and I am eager now to go on and read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as Mark Twain’s other novels. If you’re a Mark Twain aficionado, which of his books is your favorite?
Thank you, Carrie, for the nudge to do this! I am so happy to have experienced this great piece of American literature!
Exciting happenings at Hope Is the Word this month
No, I’m not pregnant.
A couple of exciting things are happening around these parts this month, though, and I wanted to give all my regular readers early notice so you all can join in the fun.
First, I am this month’s hostess of the Reading to Know Book Club, which just means that I chose this month’s title and Carrie’s likely to mention my blog once or twice as she encourages folks to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer this month and share their thoughts about it by linking up at Reading to Know at the end of May. I’ll share my thoughts here before then. (It’s my first time to read it, and I am prepared to be amazed and amused.) I hope you’ll join us!
The other exciting happening is that I am hosting this month’s Carnival of Children’s Literature here at the end of the month. This is a great blog carnival that unfortunately I usually fail to submit to because I am just so forgetful. I’m turning over a new leaf with this month’s carnival since I am the hostess, and I do hope that you will join me. You can read more about the carnival here and about how to submit your entry here. Visit April’s carnival at A Curious Thing to sample some of the yummy carnival fare.
Have a marvelous May, everyone!
Jeeves and the Tie That Binds by P.G. Wodehouse
- Florence Craye
- Magnolia Glendennon
- Gussie Fink-Nottle
- Madeline Bassett
- Ginger Winship (a man)
- Spode, a.k.a. Lord Sidcup
- Bingley
- L.P. Runkle
- Tuppy Glossop
And some of the places in the story:
- Totleigh Towers
- the Junior Ganymede
- Market Snodsbury
See what I mean? How could one possibly write a serious story about these people and places? Wodehouse is quite the witty word engineer.
The plot of this story revolves around Ginger Winship’s run for the House of Commons. Ginger is one of Bertie’s old college chums, so Bertie agrees to travel to Market Snodsbury to canvass the town’s inhabitants in hopes of helping Ginger win the election. While in Market Snodsbury, Bertie and Jeeves stay at the home of Bertie’s Aunt Dahlia, which is quite the happening place. What ensues is a comedy of errors involving (but certainly, certainly not limited to!) a wealthy businesss man who stole a patent from one of his employees, from whom Aunt Dahlia is determined to wring some restitutionary payment since the son of the now-deceased employee happens to be the fiancée of her daughter. (Clear as mud?) Of course, there’s also the matter of a certain notebook, property of the Junior Ganymede, which contains all the fits and foibles of London’s elite, as observed and recorded by their butlers. This notebook has been “pinched,” and its existence threatens to wreak havoc on Ginger’s campaign and his love-life, not to mention potentially the lives of many other a fine gentleman. And then there’s the fact that Ginger’s fiancée (and the moving force behind his run for Parliament) is none other than Florence Craye, former intended of Bertie. My head fairly spun with all the comings and goings of the characters and all of the switching and swapping of love interests. It is pure, absurd fun.
A few things I noticed that are apparently quite common in Wodehouse‘s Jeeves and Wooster stories:
- a tongue-in-cheek approach to romance and marriage, or at least romance and marriage for Bertie. His near miss with Florence Craye is legendary, and by the end of the story yet another girl has declared her intentions toward him. When that falls through, he says that he “would send camels bearing apes, ivory and peacocks” to the address of the person who “saved [him] from a fate worse than death,” marriage to one Madeline Bassett.
- lots of stealing or “pinching” of items. Much of the humor in the stories depends on something being swiped and then Bertie (and therefore, Jeeves) having to get the stolen items back into the room of its owner before its absence is noticed.
- some physical humor. Bertie sometimes finds himself hiding uncomfortably in the bushes to eavesdrop on a conversation, etc.
- Just like any good Butler, Jeeves really doesn’t enter into the story very much, but he always saves the day. I love this description of his reaction to the news of Ginger’s engagement to Florence Craye:
Well, I hadn’t expected him to roll his eyes and leap about, because he never does no matter how sensational the news item, but I could see by the way one of his eyebrows twitched and rose perhaps an eighth of an inch that I had interested him. And there was what is called a wealth of meaning in that “Indeed, sir?” (35)
However, the real star of the show in my opinion are the words, even more than the story itself. This is Bertie on Florence Craye and Ginger’s engagement to her:
Looks, however, aren’t everything. Against this pin-upness of hers you had to put the bossiness which would lead her to expect the bloke she married to behave like a Hollywood yes-man. From childhood up she had been. . .I can’t think of the word. . .beings with an i. . . no, it’s gone. . .but I can give you the idea. When at my private school I once won a prize for Scripture Knowledge which naturally involved a lot of researching into Holy Writ, and in the course of my researches I came upon the story of the military chap who used to say “Come” and they cometh and “Go” and they goeth. I have always that that that was Florence in a nutshell. She would have given short shrift, as the expression is, to anyone who had gone when she said “Come” or the other way around. Imperious, that’s the word I was groping for. She was as imperious as a traffic cop. Little wonder that the heart was heavy. I felt that Ginger, mistaking it for a peach, had plucked a lemon in the garden of love. (32)
And some funny one-liners:
. . . against a woman with a brain like that, Ginger hadn’t the meager chance of a toupee in a high wind. (107)
I suppose if he had been slenderer one might have described him as a figure of doom, but even though so badly in need of a reducing diet, he was near enough to being one to make my interior organs do a quick shuffle-off-to-Buffalo as if some muscular hand had stirred them up with an egg whisk. (198)
Many years ago in our pre-parenthood days, Steady Eddie and I attended a fantastic performance of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. That and the movie Arsenic and Old Lace are what came to mind while I was reading Jeeves and the Tie That Binds. Although I was often a little fuzzy on who now is engaged to whom and in whose possession the pinched porringer (or the pinched notebook) currently resides, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
I am so happy to add my review to Carrie’s list of links for April’s Reading to Know Book Club. This is also the first book I can mark off my list for The Classics Club.
I meet Bertie Wooster & his man, Jeeves
I read “Jeeves Takes Charge,” the short story in which Bertie Wooster hires Jeeves to be his valet, last week while walking on a treadmill in a hotel south of Montgomery, Alabama. (You can read more about my very first encounter with Wodehouse here.) It’s a good thing the exercise room was empty, too–I’m sure I would’ve been unable to contain my glee and would’ve laughed aloud despite the presence of an audience. However, anyone familiar with Wodehouse would’ve understood completely my unabashed exuberance. What I want to do here is simply make note of a few excerpts from the story that capture the flavor of Wodehouse and what makes his writing so enjoyable.
Bertie hires Jeeves after Jeeves gives him his own special remedy for “a morning head”:
I would have clutched at anything that looked like a life line that morning. I swallowed the stuff. For a moment I felt as if somebody had touched off a bomb inside the old bean and was strolling down my throat with a lighted torch, and then everything seemed suddenly to get all right. The sun shone in through the window; birds twittered in the treetops; and, generally speaking, hope dawned once more.
———————-
I might be a chump, but, dash it, I could out-general a mere kid with a face like a ferret.
———————-
I don’t know whether you have ever experienced it, but it’s a dashed unpleasant thing having a crime on one’s conscience [. . .] I found myself getting all on edge; and once when Uncle Willoughby trickled silently into the smoking room when I was alone there and spoke to me before I knew he was there, I broke the record for the sitting high jump.
Wodehouse is just plain funny, and I can definitely use more funny in my life. I finally got my hands on a stand-alone novel, Jeeves and the Tie That Binds, which I hope to have finished for this month’s Reading to Know Bookclub.
