Jeeves Takes Charge, by P.G. Wodehouse
Beautifully read by Alexander Spence
Sometimes the oldies really are the best, or at least what you're exactly in the mood for. That's how I felt listening to Jeeves Takes Charge, a collection of lovely, humorous, short stories, the first of which was published in 1915. If you're unfamiliar with the series, Jeeves is an incredibly intelligent and efficient British man-servant, the epitome of the prefect valet. He is in service to Bertram Wooster, a British gentleman, and himself the epitome of the privileged upper classes in early 20th century England. Bertie is a sweet, well-meaning, and foppish young man who cares equally for his friends and for his leisure time. He pops into and out of matrimonial engagements with alarming regularity, attempts to dress in a fashion distressingly modern to Jeeves, and lives in perpetual fear of his stern and ever disapproving Aunt Agatha. Bertie's own lack of brainpower and addle pated friends seem to land him in one spot of bother after another, with Jeeves always ready and willing to help his master out of a jam, be it with a resorative drink or a clever plan.
Wodehouse wrote quite a bit about the adventures of Jeeves and Wooster and at least one fantastic television series was made from the books, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. (I used the photo from that series in this post.) The stories are lighthearted and clever, and a perfect escape.
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