Wodehouse

Oh! Wodehouse, not "Road House". I... listen, I just thought about that Family Guy bit (look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it just kind of happened) where Peter Griffin takes his life inspiration from the Patrick Swayze movie "Road House" and starts round house kicking everything he can. I think that's how it went. And then later in the episode a cartoon version of House showed up, and then Peter went "Rude House"... um, because he was also constantly saying "Road House".

So, I, you know, just realized they could have made a P.G. Wodehouse gag in that episode.

I'm sorry!!

Anyways, P.G. Wodehouse is basically THE humorist of the 20th century. He was crazy prolific, and yup, the dude got knighted. He died pretty soon after that, which makes sense as the guy had said that he had now accomplished everything he wanted in life.

The lesson? Always aim to visit Alpha Centauri. That way, you'll live forever! Unless you really have done everything and are ready to check out.

Since being introduced to this writer I've easily blazed through 3 of his Jeeves novels. They're a series about a chump of an aristocrat (he calls himself a chump, what? He also tends to say what. What? But, er, rather more like an unspoken "eh, what?") who, whenever he gets into trouble, or wants to help out a chump of a pal, he rings for his "gentleman's gentleman" Jeeves who puts the old brain power to work and sets things in order.

The titles are all very similar, and though there is a continuity to the stories, it isn't needed at all, so you really can pick up any of the series and have a go at it (at least, up to the third book, I can't speak to the rest). My favourite though is the first book I read, which was that third in the series, because the stories were more self contained there than in the others. So at the begining whatever trouble would happen would be brought up, expounded upon, and solved in that chapter. Or, er, you know. Self contained.

*coughs*

I love how Bertram Wooster (that chump of an aristocrat) always sings Jeeves' praises even though the brilliant plan will very often be more beneficial to Jeeves than to Wooster. I'm not a 100% on this, but I'd probably let my butler go if he got me out of engagements by convincing the potential father-in-law that I was insane. Would hurt the old pride, what?

I tried to find a good copy of the thing, with a pair of fingers crossed for that third book, so I could give it to a friend at a Christmas party. Unfortunately, all I could find was a copy at Chapters that had a cover I really didn't like. Remember kids, always judge a book by its cover!

But it worked out in the end, I found a copy of Zot! by Scott McCloud for a great price at a book store across the street from the Chapters at Yonge and Eglinton, and it was really such a perfect thing to get for her, I'm quite happy how that worked out.

The point is, read Wodehouse AND Zot!