The Girl in Blue by P.G. Wodehouse(April Book Club)

My Rating 3/5 stars (Fun!)

My Thoughts:

I had intended on treating this month as somewhat of a "Wodehouse Challenge". I discovered that Wodehouse's writing is kind of slow reading for me. I couldn't just sit and devour the story. I DID enjoy it, though, and I had fun reading The Girl in Blue. It kind of surprised me that I had a hard time getting into it. I love many of the actors considered to have a dry, British humor(Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, for example), so I had no doubt I would love these books, even though it was my first attempt at reading that type of humor. When I first started reading, I was afraid I was going to have to say I wasn't a Wodehouse fan. It was going painfully slow for me. It wasn't until a nice, quiet trip to the park that I was able to immerse myself into the story enough to enjoy it.

I think, in general, I simply prefer the female writing voice. There are exceptions! (Trenton Lee Stewart, for example) I know some of you will probably want to smack me upside the head for saying this, but even though I don't have any plans to pick up any more Wodehouse books anytime soon, I do have plans to watch the T.V. series, Jeeves & Wooster. I think I would really enjoy it.

Just to give you a taste of the humor, here are a few fun quotes:

Crispin uttered a laugh of the variety usually called mirthless, and Willoughby regarded him with some concern.
'Your asthma bothering you again?'
'I was laughing.'
'Are you sure? It didn't sound like it.'
(page 25)

Jerry collapsed on to the banquette beside her.
Somebody in the vicinity seemed to be playing the trap drums, but investigation told him that it was only his heart beating.
(page 53)

'Hullo, ugly,' said the butler. 'And what might you be wanting?'
'Not any of your impertinence,' was the frigid reply. 'I wish to see Mr Scrop.'
'Does he wish to see you,' said the butler, 'that's the question. All right, go on up and spoil his day. He's in the library.'
(page 65)

'It's gone. I went away for a few days, leaving it on the mantelpiece in my study, and when I got back it wasn't there.'
'Have you looked everywhere?'
This query, like the previous one, seemed to give offence.
'Don't talk as if I mislaid my spectacles!'
'Did you say you had mislaid your spectacles?'
'No, I did not say I had mislaid my spectacles.'
'I'm always mislaying my spectacles.'
'Curse your spectacles!'
'Yes, Bill.'
(page 75)

Content:

There's quite a few mild words of profanity scattered throughout(various forms of da**, bas****, a**, he**)(God's name is used in vain pretty often....Good G**, etc)

*I strongly encourage you to go HERE and read more thoughts on Wodehouse!