Nonsuch Book

the ninth day of wodehouse: the girl on the boat

 

On the ninth of Wodehouse, my book love gave to me: The Girl on the Boat. Now I know that some of you may lose enthusiasm for this title once you grab a glance of the undeniably trollish man on the cover, but give it a chance. Trolls can be very entertaining. I've heard. Here's the synopsis:

"The Girl on the Boat features red-haired, dog-loving Wilhelmina "Billie" Bennet, and the three men, a long-time friend and admirer of Biller, a lily-livered poet who is engaged to Billie at the opening of the tale, and his dashing cousin, who falls for Billie at first sight. All four find themselves on an ocean liner headed for England together, and typically Wodehousian romantic shenanigans ensue."

Now see? All is well in the ways of Wodehouse. This novel from later in his career is also notable for the fact that he speaks directly to his readers throughout, questioning whether or not the novel is progressing as planned. Most amusing given Wodehouse's obvious skill at this stage of his writing life. His trademark self-deprecating humor.

And who won the book love on the eighth day of Wodehouse? Steph of Steph and Tony Investigate who commented:

"Wodehouse really has a way with names, wouldn't you say? Please pick me!"

Consider yourself picked, Steph. You can thank my eleven year old daughter who is the contest administrator for the twelves day of Wodehouse. Email me your address so we can get this right out to you?

The Wodehouse fun will be all over on Saturday when we select a final winner who will take away a priceless Jeeves. Not literally priceless of course. But a really lovely Overlook Press edition. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Four more days, four more chances. Comment below for a chance?

the eighth day of wodehouse: barmy in wonderland

 

On the eighth day of Wodehouse, my book love gave to me: Barmy in Wonderland. Where Wodehouse shows us once again that the path to true love is paved with the comedic humiliations of its pilgrims. What the hell did I just write? Pay me no mind. The day has been long. What is this one about?

"The Wodehouse series continues—a sparkling novel from the master of hijinks and social comedy.  

A penniless Englishman falls in love with a lively American girl, loses her, finds her again, is rejected, but finally discovers true love after many comic adventures. In Barmy in Wonderland this classic plot of 1920s musical comedy, so familiar to Wodehouse from his own stage works, becomes the basis for a brilliant satire on theatrical life. Featuring monstrous producers, vain film stars, impossible critics, temperamental actresses and a whole chorus of sharply drawn minor parts, this is one of Wodehouse's most enticing later novels. 

 With each volume edited and reset and printed on Scottish cream-wove, acid-free paper, sewn and bound in cloth, these novels are elegant additions to the legions of Wodehouse fans' libraries."

And who won the book love on the seventh day of Wodehouse? Lena of Save Ophelia who commented:

"On the seventh day of Wodehouse, Frances gave to me... :)"

The book you want, Lena? Email me that shipping address so we can get this lovely out to you? Only four days to go friends. Comment below for your chance to win.

the seventh day of wodehouse: something fishy

 

Half way done already? These Wodehouse holiday festivities are flying by! Many thanks to all of you who have stopped by to chat and enter. And as a little helper to all of you who can't wait to win or read the inimitable words of Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, many of his works are available for free on the internet from reliable sources like the Project Gutenberg. While not as lovely as the Overlook Press editions, the online sources can get you through during a Jeeves lunchtime craving or as a gentle push to all you Wodehouse virgins looking to consummate your reading relationship as soon as possible. 

And today's offering? Something Fishy, well-described here:

"It was while Keggs was little more than a stripling of a butler in the service of J. J. Bunyan of New York that he permitted himself to eavesdrop on a meeting between his millionaire employer and a covey of Wall Street tycoons. White he listened his pencil went speeding busily across the pages of his notebook as he wrote down the details of the tontine being born—a scheme in which J. J. and his associates each agreed to put up $50,000, the grand total to go to whichever of their sons was the last to marry. That was nearly thirty years ago and time has since wrought many changes. Keggs is now living in comfortable retirement in the pleasant London suburb of Valley Fields, and of the various offspring nominated in the Tontine Stakes only two remain in the race. It is time, Keggs thinks, to cash in on what he knows. Immediately a number of typical Wodehouse characters become involved. These include Lord Uffenham, Keggs's last employer, an impoverished peer with an annoying habit of going into trances; Jane, Lord yffenhairTs niece, an enchanting girl who could fall in love with a millionaire's son even if he was a pauper—like Bill Hollister; and Mortimer Bayliss who loves his fellow men only if he can insult them. . . . When Keggs ceremoniously opens his notebook and ticks off all the names but two, the fun gets fast and furious. Eleven times fifty thousand—in dollars—is the prize that provokes one of P. G. Wodehouse's brightest and funniest novels."

And who won the book love on the sixth day of Wodehouse? Marie of Boston Bibliophile who commented:

"I would love to win this. Love Wodehouse."

Right to the point, that Marie. And this book belongs with someone who will love it. Email me your shipping address so I can get this right out to you? And as for the rest of you, keep trying all the way through this Saturday on the final day of Wodehouse.

short story sunday: "don't prey for me" from we are the friction

 

Wrote about this book of short stories some weeks back when it was merely an object of book lust. And now that I own it and have read it cover to cover, more than once, it is now an object of print junkie porn. Allow me to explain. 

Jez Burrows and Lizzy Stewart of Sing Statistics paired twelve writers with twelve illustrators: "published and unpublished, established and emerging." Half of the participants took part in a "stories from illustrations" exercise and the other half in an "illustrations from stories" exercise. The breadth of narrative here is mind-blowing. The invitation to engage either one piece or the other of each pair and decide how you might have tackled the assignment is irresistible (and time-consuming, I warn you). It is also difficult to focus on just one piece here because they are all worthy of mention, but let me draw your attention to "Don't Prey for Me" written by Caren Beilin from an illustration by Verity Keniger.

 

If you click on the image above, you should see a larger version. You will probably even be able to read the entire text. The imagine is evocative, prompting the question of whether the leaves are adhering to the blank canvas of what is intended to be a tiger or if the tiger is shedding its ill-suited garb where one might have expected stripes. And then you turn to the text, and confront defied expectations.

"I have not even dreamed. And I do not watch those specials on TV. I have not read that poem by Blake and have not myself wondered at its spirited mechanisms. Its lungs like dark bells clanging death to deer. A woodshark. Its teeth unfurled from its heart. Its muscles full of dark, of violet drink that pumps demonology into its head. A woodgod."

Now imagine an entire book filled with such captivating pairings. That may be enjoyed outright for their craftsmanship or explored in depth as a reflection of process for both author and illustrator. Art informing art. The possibilities are stunning.

 

One thousand produced. I own #641. The website indicates that there are still some available, and there is time to meet the shipping deadlines before Christmas. But time and books are limited if this catches your fancy or if you know a print or design junkie that needs some holiday love. Addictive. Gorgeous. Will prompt glorious flights of imagination and will potentially exceed the power of the internet to command one's attention and time for a spell. Imagine that.

 

the sixth day of wodehouse: my man jeeves

 

"Jeeves--my man, you know--is really a most extraordinary chap. So capable. Honestly, I shouldn't know what to do without him. On broader lines he's like those chappies who sit peering sadly over the marble battlements at the Pennsylvania Station in the place marked "Inquiries." You know the Johnnies I mean. You go up to them and say: "When's the next train for Melonsquashville, Tennessee?" and they reply, without stopping to think, "Two-forty-three, track ten, change at San Francisco." And they're right every time. Well, Jeeves gives you just the same impression of omniscience."

Jeeves and Wooster. Wooster and Jeeves. And here in My Man Jeeves you have the stories that started it all plus the Reggie Pepper stories, the character who served as a prototype for Bertie Wooster. When many people hear Wodehouse, they automatically think of the bumbling Bertie and his domestic savior Jeeves. So friends, if you have yet to pick up a Wodehouse, this is the time. Comment below to win this beautiful edition from Overlook Press. And get ready to laugh. A lot. Open to all. You only have until midnight. And then on to tomorrow and the next day of Wodehouse.

And who won the book love on the fifth day of Wodehouse? Nymeth of Things Mean a Lot who commented:

"Neil Gaiman mentioned the other day that this was his favourite Wodehouse, and his recommendations have yet to let me down. I would love to be entered!"

If no less than Neil Gaiman loves this book ... well, that says something. Congrats to Nymeth! Email me that shipping address so we can get that book right out to you? 

And as for the rest of you, go ahead and comment. This next gem might be yours.

a little snow was here and there

 

For the third time in five years, the first snow of the season in DC comes on December 5. This is what it looked like out my back door about a half hour ago. Beautiful. The house smells of the pumpkin bread baking in the oven. All eyes keep turning out the windows. When will be the right time to play? And of course, I have laid down a few adult supplies as well.

 

the fifth day of wodehouse: psmith, journalist

 

On the fifth day of Wodehouse, my book love gave to me: Psmith, Journalist. Eton man, dandy, silver-tongued wit, Rupert Psmith is an unforgettable character. Just remember, the "P" is silent, added by Rupert to distinguish himself from other "Smiths."

"Journalism has always been a desperate business. That's the subtext of P.G. Wodehouse's 1915 novel Psmith, Journalist, which has just been reissued as part of a project meant to preserve all of the author's 90-something books. 

Wodehouse, of course, is best known for his novels about the butler Jeeves and his dandy, Bertie Wooster, parodies of English manor life. Psmith, though, was a recurring early character, an overstuffed British public school product who blunders in and out of extreme situations yet is actually much smarter than he looks. That personality is on full display here as Psmith comes to Manhattan and gets involved with a bland family newspaper called Cosy Moments, which, in collaboration with its fill-in editor Billy Windsor, he turns into a muckraking rag par excellence.

Given the trend in contemporary news to go in a softer direction, it's refreshing to read about a pair of journalists who want to stir up trouble; the main action of the novel involves the conflict between Cosy Moments and a particularly nasty slumlord who calls in the gangs of New York in an effort to shut the paper down. This being farce, there is no real sense of risk, and Wodehouse delights in all sorts of narrative devices -- he especially loves a deus ex machina -- but the ride is so enjoyable we hardly care." (David Ulin, LA Times)

And who won the book love on the fourth day of Wodehouse? Sandy of You've GOTTA Read This! who commented:

"OK, everyone else should just stand back because this one is mine. Especially once I saw the thing about the pet pig. I love pigs. And that cover is priceless. (Crossing fingers this time.)"

Oh my god, is she psychic? How did she know it would be hers? Well, prepare the pen Mrs. Nawrot because there is a pig coming your way in the mail. Email me with that shipping address?

For those of you who have yet to snag one, comment below for a chance at today's offering. And don't forget to come back tomorrow for one of my favorites.

where books come to life

the fourth day of wodehouse: galahad at blandings

On the fourth day of Wodehouse, my book love gave to me: Galahad at Blandings. Now some of you may be familiar with the Wodehouse books about Blandings Castle. Eccentric upper classes wander the environs of the ancestral home under the eye of Lord Emsworth and his pet pig, domineering sisters, and numerous house guests. Libations included of course to fuel the foolishness. 

"P. G. Wodehouse is recognized as the greatest English comic writer of the twentieth century. His characters and settings have entered our language and our mythology. Launched on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, the Overlook Wodehouse will eventually contain all the novels and stories, edited and reset. Each Overlook volume will be the finest edition of the master ever published . . . and we're over two-thirds of the way there! 

In Galahad at Blandings, Lord Emsworth's idyllic demesne, Blandings Castle, is as usual overrun with overbearing sisters, overefficient secretaries, and the lovestruck; even worse, an alleged old flame has appeared, determined to put an end to the Earl's peaceful, pig-loving existence. All Galahad's genius is required to sort things out satisfactorily."

Now for those of you new to the contest, simply comment below by midnight tonight to win a chance at this lovely. All are welcome. Nonsensical comments always appreciated.

And who won the book love on the third day of Wodehouse? Sarah of What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate who commented:

"I always need more goofball romps in my life! Even if I don't win any of these, I'm going to have to get my hands on some Wodehouse somehow - too good to resist! Toss my name in once again, please!"

Your goofball romp will be en route shortly, Sarah. Email me that shipping address? And as for the rest of you goofballs, do not despair. More days of Wodehouse ahead. Thanks to all for playing along!

the third day of wodehouse: indiscretions of archie

 

On the third day of Wodehouse, my book love gave to me: Indiscretions of Archie. This new edition from The Overlook Press will not be available to the public until April 2010. But you are special. Well, the one of you that wins is special. What's this one about? Total goofball romp.

"It wasn't Archie's fault really. Its true he went to America and fell in love with Lucille, the daughter of a millionaire hotel proprietor and if he did marry her—well, what else was there to do? 

From his point of view, the whole thing was a thoroughly good egg; but Mr. Brewster, his father-in-law, thought differently, Archie had neither money nor occupation, which was distasteful in the eyes of the industrious Mr. Brewster; but the real bar was the fact that he had once adversely criticised one of his hotels. 

Archie does his best to heal the breach; but, being something of an ass, genus priceless, he finds it almost beyond his powers to placate "the man-eating fish" whom Providence has given him as a father-in-law."

And who won the book love on the second day of Wodehouse? Nadia from A Bookish Way of Life who commented:

"Count me in! Short stories sound right up my alley at this point in the year - when I am barely able to finish a whole book because I am challenged out! I think a little Plum Pie will do the trick to get me back on the wagon of reading! Cheers!"

Help for the challenge weary is on the way! Email me that shipping address? As for everyone still hoping for a win, comment below for a chance today. Contest open to all.