Eggs, Beans, and Crumpets all assembled at the club ‘Drones’,
Discussing their friends’ stories with’Ohh’s, ’Ahh’s and moans,
Some stories end on a happy note, some incur feelings that are sad,
But there is a promise of a hilarious adventure associated with each lad!
About the Author: PG Wodehouse is my favorite author and I have written reviews of a few of his books. His powerful vocabulary woven with hilarious similes and rib-tickling metaphors give pleasure not only to lovers of humor but also to lovers of high literary content.
Plot: This book is a collection of 11 precious short stories in which young men of the men’s club called ‘Drones’ get into fights! They all usually take up a venture with the best intentions. But situations take such unprecedented and nasty turns that the venture goes down the drain in most of the stories. For some young men though, they get lucky and sail through the sticky waters with much trouble. Whatever be the case, the reader guffaws, and chuckles without inhibition.
Following are my favorite stories:
1.Fate: Freddie is newly engaged to the girl of his dreams. Due to the ecstasy of this betrothal, he has a new zeal for life and the milk of human kindness flows freely in his veins! However, when he stops one day, to help a damsel in distress carry a suitcase to her house, things quickly roll downhill!
Learning for young men - Do not help beautiful young girls when you are engaged!
2.Tried in the Furnace: Best friends Barmy and Pongo, fall in love at first sight. Unfortunately, it is with the same girl Angelica. Barmy, trying to be the better person, steps back and paves the way for Pongo. However, when Pongo tries to impress the lady by volunteering for an outing with a group of senior Village Mothers, it astonishingly turns from relaxing to raucous. The docile looking mothers start pelting tomatoes on passers-by and take the hats off cyclists heads!
Learning for young men – No matter how peaceful the conditions and noble your notions, things can go haywire if your luck is bad!
3.Trouble down at Tudsleigh: Freddie Widgeon falls in love at first sight with a girl called April. However, there is a hulky and bulky competitor Captain Bradbury to give Freddie the chills and add obstacles in his expressway towards love.
Learning for young men – When superior brawn is in competition, don’t look back. Just run.
4.The Amazing Hat Mystery: This is the best-worded story according to me. Two best friends try their luck wooing the respective ladies of their acquaintances. They count on their newest hats bought from the most famous hat-fitters to make a stunning impression. But mysteriously, the girls find the hats extreme misfits and say most appalling things about the men’s choice of style in hats. They call the hats public outrages and that no one should be exposed to such a revolting spectacle at any time of the day!
Learning for young men – Don’t depend too much on brands in clothing(however renowned).
5.Goodbye to all cats: Young Freddie falls in love with a girl whose family is animal loving. Their home is so full of cats and dogs that one has to step cautiously around to escape the animals’ and family members’ wrath! The house itself is called ‘Scratchings’ since all animals are either scratching themselves or the furniture around. Freddie tries his best to walk on eggshells in this infested ‘zoo’, trying meanwhile to impress the girl’s family. Will he fit in a prospective groom’s shoe?
Learning for young men: Beware of pet animals and their adoring fans!
Quotes:
It was out of the question that she should love a pop-eyed, pimply faced poop like you.
He had studied Woman, and he knew that when Woman gets into a tight place her first act is to shovel the blame off on to the nearest male.
I thought that hat was not yours and that you were trying it on the dog. I couldn’t think of any other reason why you should wear one six sizes too small.
My Opinion:
The pang of sympathy that arises in the reader’s heart after reading about the predicament of each of these young blighters disappears in the hilarious prose and rib-tickling metaphors. I listened to the audio book made available by our local library. I had to take care to listen to it when I was alone since I was giggling away assiduously throughout the book audio. Tha hard copy is available only in 2 libraries in the entire state of Connecticut and so it is a rare gem. The dialogs in this book have razor –sharp wit and this is one of Wodehouse’s best according to me. But I say this for each of his books, don’t I?