"My Man Jeeves (Jeeves #1)" by P.G. Wodehouse

I wouldn't say I'm particularly enchanted by short stories, so in general, I avoid them. But in the case of Jeeves, I decided to try it anyhow- I had become familiarized with Jeeves during my childhood thanks to the website that had been AskJeeves.com (once they retired Jeeves, I never used their site again- who wants to use Ask.com? No one!). Although Jeeves isn't the main character of this novel- the story is told through Bertie Wooster's eyes- he is the reason you keep reading.

For your information, I love British humor. The more outrageous it is, the more I tend to love it. The reason why I disclose that is I think you need a love of that sort of humor to properly enjoy this book (and likely, this series). This is also a play on manners comedy, situational comedy- really every type of comedy, but it most certainly has a British slant to it.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Who can forget our beloved gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves, who ever comes to the rescue when the hapless Bertie Wooster falls into trouble. My Man Jeeves is sure to please anyone with a taste for pithy buffoonery, idiotic misunderstandings, gaffes, and aristocratic slapstick.'

Another thing this book has in spades is slang- some of which I can't even decipher myself. It makes for fun and quirky reading. For example instead of b.s. or straight out bulls**t, it's b.-and-s. There are a thousand more examples, but the fun of it is in the discovery- just make sure you have internet access on hand when you read this.

But what really makes this book are the characters- Wooster and Jeeves are the central bromance, but every other sort of character you could imagine (or even beyond that) comes into contact with them. Without the strength of the characters, the comedy in this book would fall completely flat. Even with the wonderful wordplay, it would simply not be a five star read for me without them.

A favorite quote beginning to one of the funniest (for me) stories in the book, "Absent Treatment":

I want to tell you about dear old Bobbie Cardew. It's a most interesting story. I can't put in any literary style and all that; but I don't have to, don't you know, because it goes on its Moral Lesson. If you're a man you mustn't miss it because it'll be a warning to you; and if you're a woman you won't want to, because it's all about how a girl made a man feel pretty well fed up with things.

            ~My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse, 41% Kindle edition


My Man Jeeves is one of those books that best represents the human condition- in a wickedly humorous manner. With a cast of characters I simply adore, cutting dialogue that is right on target, and situational humor in the vein of too strange to be fiction, it isn't any wonder why I didn't hesitate to rate this five stars. I recommend My Man Jeeves for those who love British humor, un-monotonous writing, and life in general.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars for an extraordinary collection of misadventures!

Content: Ages 14+ for satire that sometimes goes a little too far.

Page Count: 256 pages
FYI: You can get this online for free as a digital version, here.