When I first got my kindle, lo these many years ago, one of the first "books" I picked up was the complete early Wodehouse (everything that's out of copyright). As I've chronicled here & there on my blog, it's been a mixed bag, with a lot of dross. After a string of the "school" books, which I didn't bother blogging about, I was beginning to regret the purchase. But The Indiscretions of Archie was like the return of an old friend -- not that I've read the book before, but the sparkling Wodehouse wit is back.
Archie is a well-meaning dimwit who marries the daughter of a hotel magnate. (What she sees in him is never really clear -- later Wodehouse is usually a bit better on showing why romantic matches happen). Archie's father-in-law doesn't like him, since he sees Archie as a twit and a ne'er-do-well, so Archie tries one scheme after another to put himself back into his father-in-law's good graces and help out friends at the same time. The situations are funny, but, more importantly, Wodehouse's writing is crisp and hilarious.
In some ways, Archie is like a practice run for Bertie Wooster -- not very smart, but always trying to help out friends. However, without a Jeeves figure, Archie's antics can occasionally get wearisome. I think it helps to read this book as the collection of short stories it obviously started as; there's no development at all, and then there's a very sudden ending tacked on. I think this novel is not top-notch Wodehouse, but it's the next-best thing, which is still quite good.
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