Meet Mr. Mulliner on #WodehouseSeries

Last Thursday, we met Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. And today, let me introduce you to another classic character of Wodehouse- Mr. Mulliner. This character is one of the most liveliest creations of Wodehouse, and one of my favourites.

Mr. Mulliner is an old man famous in Angler's Rest, a lively pub, who has a story or an anecdote for every situation you talk about (but the stories are almost never about himself). He is an irrepressible storyteller, who brings anyone to rapt attention as his anecdote unfolds, one after another, amusing everyone who listens, including us readers. A raconteur is what they call him, and that is where I first learnt that word. In the Mulliner series, Wodehouse unleashes a riot of forty short stories as the narration of Mr. Mulliner.

The Mulliner stories ran from 1901 to 1910, and for ten years Mr. Mulliner goes on to narrate absolutely amusing stories at Angler's Rest.  When a man announces that his dog won a prize at a cat show, Mr. Mulliner has a story about his nephew Lancelot to show how what is expected never happens. When an American claims that California is perfect, old Mulliner is quick to dole out an anecdote involving his uncle, William Mulliner, experiencing an earthquake and its effects in California. Visiting his nanny reminds him of a story on another nephew Frederick Mulliner. And, even a picture in the weekly paper does not escape from teasing a memory and anecdote of our dear Mulliner, to narrate an entertain an audience!

Most of these short stories feature in the three main books of the Mulliner Series: Meet Mr. Mulliner, Mulliner Speaking, and Mulliner Nights. I have read Meet Mr. Mulliner, and other short stories of Mulliner that featured in Weekend Wodehouse. If I could guarantee a book that could entertain with the most hilarious characters and stories, it'd be one from the Mulliner series! As you read more of those stories, you become comfortably familiar with the regular visitors of  Angler's Rest, with a unique identity- what they drink. If you want me to break it: Mulliner is Hot Scotch and Lemon! All the forty stories of Mulliner are collated in the omnibus titled The World of Mr. Mulliner. 

I think the best part of these stories is their narrative pattern- with an incident or a situation in the pub that triggers the irrepressible Mr. Mulliner to tell a story that it reminds of, and then the story unfolds! The Mulliner series is one of the short ones of Wodehouse, but undeniably fond to the readers. The improbable stories entertainingly narrated by the raconteur involving an unending list of uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, and other acquaintances are such a charm! 

Most people know and get introduced to Wodehouse through Jeeves. But, there is much more to Wodehouse than just Jeeves, and Mr. Mulliner tops this list. I'd say try one story, or one chapter in one of the Mulliner series- you'd be left wanting more before you finish reading it!

Meet Mr.Mulliner

1st US edition 

Title: Meet Mr.Mulliner

Author: P.G.Wodehouse

Main Characters: Mr.Mulliner, James, Wilfred, George, Augustine, Lancelot.

Description of one of the main characters: Mr.Mulliner loves to sit in the Angler’s Rest and tell tall tales about his far-flung family. He takes part in all gossips and starts telling stories.

Whom I like and why: I like Wilfred very much. He always advertises his inventions like Raven Gypsy face-cream and Snow Of The Mountain lotion. He also invents Buck-U-Uppo, a tonic given to elephants to enable them to face tigers with necessary nonchalance.

Whom I dislike and why: I do not dislike anyone. All the characters are funny and charming. The characters do nothing to make me dislike them. The whole book is filled with characters who cannot be disliked.

Setting/theme of the story: Mr.Mulliner sits in Angler’s Rest drinking hot scotch and lemon. When he gossips with others, he starts telling stories of his far-flung family. He talks about his nephew George once, and then another time he talks about his brilliant brother Wilfred who invents lotions and tonics like Mulliner’s Reduc-o and Mulliner’s Ease-o. Another day he talks about another nephew of his called Augustine who drank Wilfred Mulliner’s Buck-O-Uppo, which was meant for elephants. He talks about Lancelot Mulliner (one of his nephews) who was a poet. He talks about his uncle William and his cousin John San Francisco Earthquake Mulliner (J.S.F.E.Mulliner). He talks about one other nephew of his named Federick. He talks about Clarence Mulliner and his photographic techniques. At last he talks about James Mulliner, a detective story writer and about how James Rodman spent some weeks in a hounted house for 5000pounds. He ends saying that he shouldn’t bore others with family gossip.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Mulliner kept telling that his cousin’s name was John San Francisco Earthquake but the other repeatedly told him that there was only a fire in San Francisco and not a Earthquake.

“Brother William’s eldest son, my cousin John San Fransisco Earthquake got this name,” said Mr.Mulliner.“There never was a San Fransisco Earthquake,” said the Californian “only a fire”.