Wodehousekeeping

The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories


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A solo episode this time, as I (Ian Cockburn) turn to 1917's The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories, P. G. Wodehouse's second collection of short stories for adults, which includes "Extricating Young Gussie", the story that first introduces the legendary characters Bertie Wooster (here apparently called Bertie Mannering-Phipps), Aunt Agatha and - in a cameo role - Jeeves. There are plot spoilers. Content note: see below next to individual stories.


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Stories covered, with start times:

"Bill the Bloodhound" 6m 

"Extricating Young Gussie" 17m  

"Wilton's Holiday" 33m 46s

"The Mixer: He Meets a Shy Gentleman" 42m 

"The Mixer: He Moves in Society" 49m 

"Crowned Heads" 54m

"At Geisenheimer's" 1h 1m

"The Making of Mac's" 1h 11m (CN: suicide)

"One Touch of Nature" 1h 22m

"Black for Luck" 1h 27m

"The Romance of an Ugly Policeman" 1h 35m

"A Sea of Troubles" 1h 43m (CN: suicide)

"The Man with Two Left Feet" 1h 46m


Other works by Wodehouse mentioned

The Man Upstairs and Other Stories

Piccadilly Jim

Something Fresh

The Reggie Pepper stories

"Three From Dunsterville"

"Deep Waters", 

"Fixing it for Freddie"

The golf stories

The Girl on the Boat

Bustanoby's

"In Alkala"

"By Advice of Counsel"

"Something to Worry About"

"The Man Upstairs"

"The Man Who Disliked Cats"

My Man Jeeves

The Prince and Betty

Uneasy Money

Joy in the Morning

Nuts and Wine (revue)

A Man of Means


Reference works consulted

Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters

Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life

Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook

Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End

Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website


Also mentioned

George Grossmith, Jr.

Harry Leon Wilson, Ruggles of Red Gap

Percy Jeeves

Leslie Havergal Bradshaw

The Beatles, "Get Back"

Magnetic Fields, "Goin' Back to the Country"

O. Henry

The Golden Butterfly (film adaptation of "The Making of Mac's")

M. F. Carey, "Learning McFadden to Waltz"

Leonora Cazalet

Denis Mackail "At Mr Besley's"

Do the Right Thing podcast

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WodehousekeepingBy iandishes