The Code of the Woosters, P G Wodehouse

The Code of the Woosters is another book covering the exploits of Bertie Wooster and his “gentleman’s gentleman” Jeeves. It was written by the comic master P G Wodehouse in 1938. It was initially serialised in America in The Saturday Evening Post from 16 July to 3 September 1938 and in the UK in the London Daily Mail from 14 September to 6 October 1938.

At the beginning of the book Bertie is somewhat worse for ware after a night at the drones celebrating the approaching nuptials of Gussie Fink-Nottle to Madeline Bassett. We can be sure that this state of happy nuptials will be broken, putting Bertie in the unwanted position of next in line to the affections of Madeline (who has the mistaken belief that Bertie is hopelessly in love with her). Until Jeeves arrives with the restorative Bertie is unaware whether it is morning or evening. With his eyes back in their sockets and his skull back on his head he is restored enough after Jeeves’ famous pick-me-up. Jeeves has been hinting that he would like to go on a round-the-world cruise. Bertie tells Jeeves to put such thoughts away. Jeeves leaves with his usual “Very good sir.” Bertie can help feeling that Jeeves, “if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.” We can be assured that Jeeves will soon be crusing round the world.

Jeeves informs Bertie that Mrs Travers has telephoned. This being Bertie’s favourite aunt Dahlia he went straight down to see her in person. This is when Bertie gets cought up in such an embroglio that “would test the Wooster soul as it had seldom been tested before.” All I can say is that it involved an eighteenth-century cow creamer, Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeline Bassett, old Pop Bassett, Stiffy Byng, the Rev. (‘Stinker’) Pinker and a small, brown, leather-covered notebook.

Sit back and enjoy this marvelous tour de farce. Bask in the warmth of this true wordsmith. His genius was in making the words flow so effortlessly. That takes effort. Open the book and you are immediately transported into the idyllic world of Bertie Wooster.

P G Wodehouse in 1904, aged 23 By Unknown – The American Legion Weekly (Volume 1, No. 17, 24 October 1919), p. 21., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46270