Did I enjoy Blandings Castle? Oh I say, rather! I've been to Blandings before, usually with Uncle Fred, but this is the first time I've felt like a resident of the asylum. Though similar to say a Totleigh Towers of the Jeeves & Wooster world, Blandings nonetheless has its own set of rules, its own cast of loons. Lord Emsworth, aka Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth is the principle character and a good ol' bean. In some stories he comes off as a doddering old Methuselah, but apparently he's meant to be only in his 60s. Irregardless of whatever story you're reading, Emsworth has a fairly one-track mind, he worries over his prize pig, the Empress of Blandings. If it's not the pig, then it's a pumpkin, but mainly it's the pig. Hardships and annoyances are tossed at him from every corner, yet he always keeps his eyes on the prize...pig.Some of the hardships and annoyances include his constantly pestering sister Lady Constance Keeble, his good-for-nothing young son Freddy, his gravelly-souled gardner Angus McAllister, and bank holidays in August. When Emsworth and his pig and pumpkin are not the focal point of the story, the topic almost inevitably is love. Some young couple, or rather I should say, some young trio is always falling in and out of love in Wodehouse's stories. Just as often as not, the young lovers are running from engagements as they are running to them. I can't count the number of times I've read about Bertie Wooster making a near escape from the alter. Rounding out the collection of tales in Blandings Castle, nearly half the book to be more precise, are stories centered around the Hollywood movie scene of the early days. Wodehouse wrote a film script or two and committed his experiences to paper in the form of fictional, wacky misadventures. Some good satirical barbs at the industry provide a few laughs. However, good as these stories are, I can't help but feel that they are a tack-on to pad out the page total to make up a full book. That said, it's a very enjoyable book!Addendum For Your Viewing Pleasure: I almost forgot, did you know there's a BBC tv series based on the Blandings books? I haven't seen it yet, but it's a comin' via the Netflix. I'm pretty excited, because it stars some actors from the Harry Potter movies as well as Jennifer Saunders of Ab Fab. I am however tempering my excitement, knowing full well that it will probably be flawed as any Wodehouse adapted story for the screen has been. Without his witty narration, it just isn't the same. But, we'll see!
‘Blandings Castle’ or ‘Blandings Castle and Elsewhere’ to give it its full title is a collection of short stories set, surprising enough, in Blandings Castle and elsewhere. It is really a book of two halves with the first half chronicling the Threepwood family of Blandings, the second half concerning Mr Mulliners tall tales and a brief interlude of a story about Bobbie Wickham, a thoroughly modern girl.The Blandings short stories allow the Threepwoods and particularly Lord Emsworth to come out of the shadow of being in the supporting cast of Wodehouse’s novels to take centre stage. These six stories highlight whilst a character actor can make a story in support he cannot necessarily carry it alone. The stories which feature Lord Emsworth in the lead are the poorer stories whilst the ones which follow the novel template of boy meets girl, Aunt Constance refuses match, Lord Emsworth brings things to a satisfactory conclusion for the sake of an quiet life, are where these characters really shine.The Bobbie Wickham story is, in my opinion, the best story in this collection, as Bobbie manipulates all the men captivated by her vivid red hair to get the better of her mothers desire to marry her to the nearest novelist or poet.The five Mr Mulliner stories are better than the majority to populate his solo ventures possibly due to them being themed around the Mulliners whom work in the Hollywood film industry. No doubt tempered by Wodehouse’s own experiences of being a staff man at MGM where he famously said ‘I’ve never been paid so much; for doing so little’. His stories of yes men and nodders (junior yes men whom agree with their superiors without recourse to chanting yes) are fantastic. The action in ‘Monkey Business’ is worth the price of admission on its own.Another great collection in the Wodehouse cannon and if I had a critism it is that it should be reverted to its original title to prevent it being used as an introduction to the Blandings stories. ‘Summer Lightening; A Blandings story’ is the best introduction to Blandings Castle and I imagine this book has put off more weary travellers to the castle grounds than it has attracted.
What do You think about Blandings Castle (2012)?
A constant is scatter-brained youths who get their girls, by accident, by intervention of kindly elder, such as Lord Emsworth. Nonsense is convoluted, names silly. Mr Jacob Z Schnellenhemer is forced by housemaid Prebble to merge company Colosssal-Exquisite with Fishbein's Perfecto-Fishbein, and Zizzbaum's Zizzbaum-Celluloid. "For 15 years" Clarence, Lord Emsworth, "had been reluctantly helping Freddie" Threepwood, younger son "out of trouble"p 100 but Blandings Castle draws children home, matches cousin Gertrude to Beefers, now vicar in need of living. Niece Angela gains James Belford after he teaches Clarence magic phrase "Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey" p 60 for bringing prize-winning sow Empress to the trough. Freddie begs Clarence to intervene when wife Aggie moves away to hotel with friend Jane Yorke who "poisoned her mind" p 43. Bobbie misleads admirers Clifford Gandle, and Hamilton Potter, promised rest cure by her dominating mother, publisher Lady Wickham, so men believe other is crazy. "Is everybody mad?" p 187. In a bar setting, Mulliner tells of Hollywood relatives who get the girl. Cousing Montrose faces gorilla (view spoiler)[ human (hide spoiler)]
—An Odd1
The first half of this book tells of the further adventures of the Threepwood family and friends. The second half are tall tales from Hollywood featuring a new character, Mr. Mulliner. I quite enjoyed the Blandings Castle stories. Freddie Threepwood is growing up and growing a brain! I liked him much more now that he's more steady. Lord Emsworth remains a dear most of the time, but he can be just as snobby as his sisters when he wants to be. Pig Hoo-o-o-o-ey! made me laugh so hard. I just love stories involving The Empress of Blandings. Who ever though a story about a pig could be so funny? I really didn't like any of the Mulliner stories. The plots were bland and seemed too over the top. I don't know Mr. Mulliner or care why he's telling these stories or whether they're supposed to be true or tall tales. They don't have as well-drawn characters as the Blandings Castle stories. The characters are all the same and basically boring. Some of the plots are typical Wodehouse formula plots. I really don't like how the heroines love the heroes only when the heroes become alpha males. The point was for them to stand up for themselves but the heroines who like take charge heroes come across as weak and unlikeable. I also don't like brooding heroines. I'm obsessed with Blandings Castle and I want to read more. I think the stories work better in the shorter format because the plots of the novels are basically the same and tend to drag on too long. The shorter format allowed Wodehouse to exercise his comic genius without getting hung up on plot.
—QNPoohBear
It would probably be considered cheating to mark this as "read" because I haven't read any of the "Elsewhere" stories & it's time to send this book on to other locations. That said, couldn't we all use some Wodehouse at the end of the day? Or should I say, couldn't all of us who can fully appreciate Wodehouse use some at the end of the day? B asked me what I was chortling about, but when I read him some of the real choice bits (gyrating dog, I am looking at you particularly), he looked at me like I was touched. But never mind him! I will always have a warm spot in my heart for a certain dreamy peer & all other inmates of this certain stately home in England. "Beach understood. If he was surprised at the presence of a the younger son of the house in the amber drawing-room with a sack of rats in his hand, he gave no indication of the fact. With a murmured apology, he secured the sack and started to withdraw. It was not, strictly speaking, his place to carry rats, but a good butler is always ready to give and take. Only so can the amenities of a large country house be preserved.""Gazing at him, she was reminded of the heroes of old. And few could have denied that he made a strangely impressive figure, this large young man, standing there with bulging eyes & a gyrating dog in each hand."And finally, "Nature has made some men quicker thinkers than others. Lord Emsworth's was one of those leisurely brains." Beautiful.
—Melissa
