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groucho's review
5.0
Wodehouse tangles with the corporate scene in this nicely paced book about an impecunious lord, his cash-strapped son and friend, and some evil corporate types. Much of the action is centred on the dreaded suburbs of London (Valley Fields in particular), with a number of first class bits covering the landed gentry's confusion at how to cope with suburban life. The fight scene towards the end of the book is a cracker.
lordofthemoon's review
5.0
To try and explain the plot of this book would make it sound complicated and unfunny, neither of which is really true, but I couldn't do it justice. Let's just say that it has one or more of the following elements: the peerage, the suburbs, fiancés, love at first sight, formidable aunts, an old copper mine and a dyspeptic millionaire.
I really enjoyed this book. It's got a different tone to the Jeeves books, but it really came together for me. The protagonists, Lord "Biscuit" Biskerton and John Beresford "Berry" Conway are very likeable and even (gasp) competent, if in that slightly potty upper-class way that Wodehouse could capture so well. There are fiancés by the handful (and Wodehouse's fiancés usually are a handful), misunderstandings, plots, crosses, double crosses, and much fun to be had by all.
Wodehouse's batting average is still incredibly high with me and whilst I may just be easily pleased, it's funny, light of touch and marvellously easy to read. Both a great entry point to the world of Wodehouse and a fine addition to the collection of an existing fan.
I really enjoyed this book. It's got a different tone to the Jeeves books, but it really came together for me. The protagonists, Lord "Biscuit" Biskerton and John Beresford "Berry" Conway are very likeable and even (gasp) competent, if in that slightly potty upper-class way that Wodehouse could capture so well. There are fiancés by the handful (and Wodehouse's fiancés usually are a handful), misunderstandings, plots, crosses, double crosses, and much fun to be had by all.
Wodehouse's batting average is still incredibly high with me and whilst I may just be easily pleased, it's funny, light of touch and marvellously easy to read. Both a great entry point to the world of Wodehouse and a fine addition to the collection of an existing fan.
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