Hey guys, please
forgive my absence. I don’t have a great reason for being gone that long, it
was mostly because of work. And partly because of winter. Anyways, I’m back
and eager to share my latest obsession: P. G. Wodehouse.
But let’s start from
the beginning.
Back in December, I
read a million books just to finish my 2013 to-be-read list. One of the
books I read was a collection of Chekhov’s plays.
Wait, let me go even
further back.
Winter sucks. I
don’t want to complain because, chances are, you live in a much colder climate than me. But I’m Brazilian. Snow days have zero appeal to me.
So, if you’ve ever
read Chekhov, you know that even though it's incredible, it is also depressing as hell.
Characters are stuck in the Russian countryside, sick of the snow, wishing to scape their own hopeless emptiness. Just like me during winter.
But I exagerate. I just wanted to read a funny book, but not any funny book. A classic funny book, which is hard to find. That's when I discovered P. G. Wodehouse. I started with one of his earlier novel, Something New (or Something Fresh, the U.K. title).
The story is about two young Americans who find themselves in London, bored with their writing jobs. An opportunity arises
for them to go to Lord Emwrosth’s castle in search of a stolen collectible item
(a scarab). Both want the 5 thousand-dollar reward. Competition and
romance ensue as the American characters
try to come to terms with odd aristocratic customs.
In truly Seinfeld
manner, the plot gets tricky and complicated but eventually all characters and circumstances are interconnected somehow.
I’m not really sure
what subgenre this book is in. Romantic comedy/light detective story? Whatever it is called, I love this genre. This book is right there with Moonlighting
and The Thin Man.
Needless to say, I couldn’t put the book down. I was reading it at home, listening to it in my car, sneaking a chapter here and there at work
However, before my enthusiasm gets out of control, let me give a little warning: comedy is subjective, tragedy is universal. My sister tells me that I’m not funny. My mother is the only person in the world who found In Bruges funny. Some people find violence funny (Quentin Tarantino, I’m talking to you).
So, to be more specific, this book will most likely attract the anglophile that finds English castles interesting and aristocracy hilarious. It will also attract readers that like a touch of romance but don’t want it to dominate the plot.
Unlike most classics,
Something New was a laugh-out-loud page turner gem. A real winter-blues
antidote for those times where a search for a lost scarab is the only thing
that will get you out of your funk.
Have you read any of P. G. Wodehouse's novels? Check out 13 P. G. Wodehouse quotes guaranteed to make your day better
Have you read any of P. G. Wodehouse's novels? Check out 13 P. G. Wodehouse quotes guaranteed to make your day better
