Wodehousekeeping

Ian talks to Ujjwal Deb about the eighth P. G. Wodehouse book, "The White Feather" (1907), a public school novel set at Wrykyn School, in some ways a sequel to "The Gold Bat". Spoilers feature early and often.

Topics discussed include:

• Wodehouse's popularity in India
• Ujjwal's experience on the TV show Mastermind
• The schoolboy code of honour
• The possible real-life origin of Wrykyn
• Whether the Jackson in this book is any relation to Mike (of Mike and Psmith)
• Motor cars and motoring regulations in the Edwardian age
• Racism in boxing in the period, and in public school life and literature.
• C. S. Calverley and Thomas Babington Macaulay (both quoted in the book)
• The history and meaning of the symbol, "the white feather"
• Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes

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Ian talks to writer Thom Robinson about the seventh Wodehouse book, "Love Among the Chickens". There will be spoilers.

Among Wodehouse's books, this is:

   The first intended for a general audience, as opposed to schoolboys or young children

   The first to involve a love story

   The first to introduce a major recurring character, which is Ukridge

   The first with golf as a major element.

   The first to be properly published in the USA

It exists in two versions (four versions actually, but two book versions): The original 1906 book and the 1921 rewrite. We look at both versions to discuss how the changes reflect his development as a writer.

Also discussed:

   William Townend, who gave him the plot

   Herbert Westbrook, partial model for Ukridge

   The trip Wodehouse took to Lyme Regis with the "Lyon cubs", that provided the setting

   Arthur Conan Doyle's The Stark-Munro Letters, a probable influence on the novel

   The narrator Jeremy Garnet's description of his working life as a novelist, and how far it is likely autobiographical

   The self-deprecating humour about being unable to write convincing female characters

   The old "Have someone pushed into the water so you can rescue them" wheeze

Thom's old podcast with Hazel Smoczynska: https://soundcloud.com/yammerofthegods

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Ian talks to his brother Josh about the sixth Wodehouse book, "The Head of Kay's". It's yet another school story. There will be spoilers.

Also discussed or referenced

Summer Moonshine

Psmith in the City

Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks

The Boys of Castle Cliff School by R. A. H. Goodyear

Toddy Scores Again by Alfred Judd

A Wodehouse Handbook by N. T. P. Murphy

Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop by Bob Stanley

N.A.Knox

Seymour Hicks.

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Ian talks to Alexander Rennie about the third Wodehouse novel, "The Gold Bat". It's another school story. Despite the title, there is no cricket this time but plenty of rugby and a bit of boxing, ferret-keeping and shadowy secret societies.There will be spoilers.

Alexander's podcast is called "Forgotten Towns".

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I talk about the third book by P.G. Wodehouse, his first short story collection, "Tales of St Austin's", again with a public school theme. There will be spoilers.

Also mentioned in the podcast: Norman Murphy's "A Wodehouse Handbook".

There is a wealth of material at Madame Eulalie including the original magazine versions of these stories.

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Ian talks to Alexander Rennie about the second Wodehouse novel, "A Prefect's Uncle". It's another school story, with a lot of cricket. There will be spoilers.

Alexander's podcast is called "Forgotten Towns".

There is a wealth of material at Madame Eulalie available as always.

Also mentioned in the podcast: Sophie Ratcliffe's "P.G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters"

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In our first episode we discuss Wodehouse's first book, "The Pothunters" (1902), a public school novel.

There is a wealth of material at Madame Eulalie including annotations of the novel, the serialised version and relevant articles by Wodehouse on school stories.

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