P.G. Wodehouse writes novels and stories that are easy to read and fairly thin on plot, but that doesn’t mean that his books don’t have substance. It’s the way he writes that’s important: the deft characterizations, the dialogue, and the quick wit that’s on display in every page that make his books so immensely readable. Very Good, Jeeves is a collection of the Jeeves & Wooster short stories, each of them showing idle bachelor Bertie Wooster involved with some sort of very upper-class tragedy that somehow goes even further downhill, but is always pulled out of the soup by his ingenious “gentleman’s personal gentleman”, Jeeves. This third volume of the Jeeves & Wooster stories is, like all the others, worth reading, especially if you like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams, both of whom were influenced by Wodehouse’s writing style and sense of humour.

“Very Good Jeeves” is the third book to be ‘completely’ dedicated to PG Wodehouse’s famous duo – Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. The book, first published in 1930, is a collection of eleven short stories that had previously been published in Strand Magazine.

The book features Wodehouse’s best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book’s wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He’s a member of the “idle rich” and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie’s life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie’s more garish items of clothing, and will – occasionally – take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

Bertie’s fearsome Aunt Agatha plays a small part in some of the stories, but the consequences tend to be immense. Agatha, who regularly takes it upon herself to decide what’s best for Bertie, holds her dog, Macintosh, in higher esteem than her nephew. It’s not only Bertie’s life she interferes with, though. Te story I enjoyed most centred on Bertie’s Uncle George – who’d been prevented from marrying the love of his life (a barmaid) by Agatha many years earlier. Now, George has set his sights on marrying a waitress – and Agatha, once again, has decided this must be stopped. Needless to say, she decides to drag Bertie into it.

Tuppy Glossop also turns up in a few stories – Tuppy and Bertie were at school together, though following a prank at the Drones Club, Bertie is in the mood for a spot of revenge. However, Bertie’s cousin Angela is very taken with Tuppy and, when the course of true loves doesn’t run running smooth, Aunt Dahlia drafts Bertie and Jeeves to help. Tuppy is also a nephew of Sir Roderick Glossop, who holds the view that Bertie is insane – largely thanks to Bingo Little, it has to be said. Unfortunately, Sir Roderick turns up again in this book, and Bertie doesn’t do much to improve Sir Roderick’s opinion of him. (Bingo, now married, also appears in a couple of stories).

There are also a couple of appearances for Bobbie Wickham. Where Bertie regularly finds himself accidentally engaged, Bobbie is – very unusually – someone Bertie actually wants to marry. However, Jeeves doesn’t approve – while she is a little free-spirited and something of a practical joker, I’m not entirely sure Jeeves was being entirely altruistic in ‘rescuing’ Bertie from her womanly snares. (There’s also a brief appearance of another girlfriend – an artist called Gwladys Pendlebury. In this case, Aunt Dahlia joins Jeeves in disapproving. Luckily, Bertie also has to deal with a rival by the name of Pim).

A very easy and enjoyable read, certainly recommended.