Having been a huge fan of Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse for over 45 years, it’s not surprising that I chose to write about his works for my first foray into non-fiction. Let me explain what I have in mind. There have been many biographies about him. The ones by Frances Donaldson and Robert Crum come readily to mind. I decided to follow another route, the one taken by renowned experts like Jaggard, Garrison and Hill, which is to compile a compendium of his works. Years ago, I remember reading ” Blandings The Blest” and enjoying every word of it. It listed and described quite delightfully the characters who made up the world of Blandings Castle . More recently, for my 60th birthday, my son gifted me with another landmark publication, Daniel H. Garrison’s “Who’s Who In Wodehouse.” This is an extremely comprehensive volume which goes beyond any one series of Wodehouse and covers almost every character in, what we fondly call, the canon.
I was encouraged to attempt a book which hopefully some day will find a place in the library of every Wodehouse lover. I would like to think that it could complement rather than substitute a Garrison. I have sketched out the broad parameters of the book. It will be divided into different categories and will be, in a sense, a concordance of items under each of the ten categories I have identified so far.
To start with ” A Toast To Plum-Celebrating P.G.Wodehouse” will be a concordance of, amongst others, peers, people, pigs, places, pretty girls and pubs in the works of The Master. It’s been great fun creating this and I recognize that the task is huge. I already have over 1,000 listings, but still have miles to go.
The categories I broadly have in mind include: The Nobility; The Others; The Girls; The Clergy; The Military Men; Butlers et al; Books et al; Birds & Animals; Homes; and Clubs & Pubs.
To elicit ideas and keep those interested informed of developments in this work in progress, I have a Facebook Page, which you are most welcome to join.
As always, your suggestions and comments are most welcome.
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This is an exciting prospect. I’m glad to see you are including Butlers. Perhaps an expanded category of ‘Below Stairs’ could allow for other ‘domestics’ of note (a number of cooks, maids and imposters spring to mind) .
Thanks, Honoria. The “Below Stairs” crew is very much there under “Butlers et al”. Isn’t it awfully exciting? Look forward to your ideas.
I’m getting more excited about this by the minute.