A collection of eleven short stories by the incomparable PG Wodehouse. I am most of all a fan of his Jeeves & Wooster series, both for their ridiculous, convoluted, hilarious plots, and the equally hilarious, convoluted internal dialogue of the characters. The shorts in Young Men in Spats take place in the same universe as Jeeves/Wooster (as well as another beloved Wodehouse character, Mr Mulliner). They remind us of how far language goes - the different plots at times may blend together and many of the characters could (and might) appear in other stories, but nonetheless Wodehouse's language and wit and social commentary move each story along briskly. Highlights for me were #3 (Trouble Down at Tudsleigh) and #5 ("Goodbye to All Cats"). Both exemplify his mastery for situational comedy and masterful writing. What is it about Wodehouse? It's not just the tone, the subject-matter, his vapid, idle, unintentionally-deprecating idiots that wreak havoc on two continents while dressed in the latest fashions. He takes not only England and its society, but the usually sober themes of marriage, inheritance, death, and friends, as his own comic inventions, and makes us laugh so hard at the vagaries of existence that we burst out laughing in libraries and offend everyone around us. This book in general deals with disappointed love, and in particular that suffered by the members of the Drones Club, an institution rendered immortal by the inclusion of the honorable Bertie Wooster amongst their number. He doesn't make an appearance, alas, but it speaks volumes for this one book that he and his Jeeves are scarcely missed.
What do You think about Young Men In Spats (2013)?
I love Wodehouse's irreverent portrayal of the British upper class, of which he was a member.
—Vicky
i especially liked the one when the young man's uncle comes to visit
—James
Hilarious as usual but just fell short of Jeeves.
—carrandall
