I bought “Wake Up, Sir”, by Jonathan Ames, lured by “hilarious” being quoted five times across the top of the cover and this quote from The New York Times Book Review; “A Wodehouse novel for the recovery era”. What could possibly go wrong? Well don’t listen to me……..
“I say, Jeeves, have you seen that book by Jonathan Ames? Should be jolly good; I expect he’s related to Sir Kingsley and Martin.”
“I fear not, sir. The gentleman is American.”
“Well, we’re both in it and we haven’t had a book about us for a while. I’m jolly well looking forward to it, better than Nietzsche, what, Jeeves?”
“I have already perused the volume to which you refer and I do not think you will find it edifying.”
“Eh, slushy stuff, like Rosie M Banks?”
” No sir, rather the contrary, stronger than Tabasco. And, in point of fact, you do not feature.”
“Dash it, Jeeves, you mean I’m not in the book at all?”
“No sir.”
” And I suppose you jolly well are.”
“Not exactly, sir. There is a character who shares my name and is an English valet but I do not recognise myself in his characterisation. The central character fortunately bears no resemblance to you, sir, and if I may say, you should be most grateful. His escapades do have a certain humour but much of the content of the book is deeply unseemly.”
“A bit close to the bone, what?”
“Precisely, sir; even the broader-minded members of The Drones will find much of it most unpalatable.”
“So you think I should give it a miss, then?”
“Indubitably, sir, and I would go so far as to say that other readers should do likewise if they do not want their idyllic Wodehousian world sullied.”
“Oh well, I’ll just have to wait for Sebastian Faulks to write another one and next time I jolly well think he should include Bertram W in the title; last time was 1938 and I’m not getting any younger.”
Bertie’s memory has not failed him. He refers to The Code of the Woosters.