The Queue
At the peril of being pilloried as a philistine, I cannot say that I enjoyed P. G. Wodehouse's Mike at Wrykyn. It was not so much a novel as a series of vignettes; the plot does not so much conclude as simply end. And that style of writing is just not to my taste at present. Though clearly light and humorous in tone, I found little amusement in the enterprise. All that said, I have not deviated from my intention to read also Wodehouse's Mike and Psmith, quite often published with Mike at Wrykyn as a single volume, I'm just taking a little break before introducing myself to Wodehouse's much more famous character than Mike Jackson, the irrepressible Rupert Psmith.
First, though, I have reshuffled the queue, elevating Ian Fleming's Casino Royale all the way to the top of the reading list. There is of course considerable danger in this undertaking; I am tremendous fan of the James Bond film franchise, but have never read any of the 007 novels. Will I be able to judge Fleming fairly, or always view his prose in light of the subsequent films, which deviated, so I am given to understand, considerably from the source material? Will I be so infatuated with Fleming's literary Bond that I come to view his cinematic counterpart as a clownish caricature? Will I enjoy the book on its own merits? I know of only one sure way to answer all of these questions. Forward ho!
Recently
Agatha Christie, Crooked House
Marshall Jevons, The Fatal Equilibrium
P. G. Wodehouse, Mike at Wrykyn
Currently
Ian Fleming, Casino Royale
Presently
P. G. Wodehouse, Mike and Psmith
Agatha Christie, Passenger to Frankfurt
Agatha Christie, The Murder at the Vicarage
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Joe Jackson, "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"They say that looks don't count for much
And so there goes your proof."
4 comments:
When you're done with Casino Royale, I'll be interested in your reaction to reading Sir Ian. I won't weigh in at present, but I read a few of the Bond books a while back for the first time.
Roger dodger, California dreamer.
My introduction to Wodehouse was Leave it to Psmith, and since have read several of his other books. They were of varying quality, but I think Leave it to Psmith exemplifies his best work. You may want to move that up your queue to be the next Wodehouse book you read.
I shall consider it, Professor, but Mike and Psmith is the character's introduction and there is something in mine own character that enjoys starting at the beginning. Plus, once I've read an author's masterpiece, I often find myself bereft of the motivation to read the rest of his canon; after all, if I've read the best, isn't it all downhill after that? But I've far from given up on Wodehouse, especially in light of the influence you've cited Psmith as having on King Celsius.
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