I have always been a fab of British humor. I have a pretty dry sense of humor myself and enjoy watching British shows and movies but I have not had the pleasure of reading many books. I was sent an audio book for review set in England and I was looking forward to listening to it.
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks Audio Book
Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (November 5, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-1427237828
Synopsis: Bertie Wooster (a young man about town) and his butler Jeeves (the very model of the modern manservant)—return in their first new novel in nearly forty years: Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks.
P.G. Wodehouse documented the lives of the inimitable Jeeves and Wooster for nearly sixty years, from their first appearance in 1915 (“Extricating Young Gussie”) to his final completed novel (Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen) in 1974. These two were the finest creations of a novelist widely proclaimed to be the finest comic English writer by critics and fans alike.
Now, forty years later, Bertie and Jeeves return in a hilarious affair of mix-ups and mishaps. With the approval of the Wodehouse estate, acclaimed novelist Sebastian Faulks brings these two back to life for their legion of fans.
Bertie, nursing a bit of heartbreak over the recent engagement of one Georgina Meadowes to someone not named Wooster, agrees to “help” his old friend Peregrine “Woody” Beeching, whose own romance is foundering. That this means an outing to Dorset, away from an impending visit from Aunt Agatha, is merely an extra benefit. Almost immediately, things go awry and the simple plan quickly becomes complicated. Jeeves ends up impersonating one Lord Etringham, while Bertie pretends to be Jeeves’ manservant “Wilberforce,”— and this all happens under the same roof as the now affianced Ms. Meadowes. From there the plot becomes even more hilarious and convoluted, in a brilliantly conceived, seamlessly written comic work worthy of the master himself.
My Thoughts: I have not read any of the books by P.G. Wodehouse and apparently from what I learned, that is unfortunate. From everything I read about the series this book is modeled after, they are quite the read. So I went into this book without any prior knowledge of the characters and I am not sure if that is good or bad.
The story is read by a very talented guy with just the right voices to carry you through the story. The story itself grabs you from the beginning. There is no long drawn out wind up to this book. It starts with a bang and continues right through the whole book. I enjoyed listening to all of the crazy antics between Jeeves and Bertie. It is very fast paced and sometimes I had to listen to what was being said twice so I could follow the story. No multitasking with this book on!
The author has a great sense of humor and certainly knows how to write in that manner as well. Humor is tough to get across on paper sometimes, but this book is loaded with quirky British laughs that makes this story a winner. I enjoyed it greatly and it is just the right choice for a boring weekend when you need some amusement, especially if you are a fan of dry humor. Be prepared to be transported to another world, even for a short time!
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
My husband is a big fan of the British sense of humor and I enjoy most BBC show, so I am sure he will be interested in this audio book. ( although he might want to read the original book first)
I was a big fan of the BBC’s version of Jeeves and Wooster, but like you, I never read the original Wodehouse. I think I might want to check out some of the original books before diving into this sequel. Glad you enjoyed it–thanks for the review.