Ukridge on #WodehouseSeries

By now, I have introduced you to Jeeves and Wooster, Mr. Mulliner, Lord Emsworth with the Empress of Blandings in the Blandings Castle, and the characters from the school stories of Wodehouse. Finally, we meet Ukridge.

Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a very special character from Wodehouse. Before we continue- Ukridge is pronouced this way: U like it rhymes with zoo and kridge like rhymes with fridge- Yoo-krij. He is one of the most handsomest characters of Wodehouse with exceptional good looks, and he stands out in the crowd with his yellow machintosh, grey pants, a towering height over six feet, and a clearly loud voice.  

But, what sort of a chap is he?

“Ukridge was the sort of man who asks you to dinner, borrows money from you to pay the bill, and winds up the evening by embroiling you in a fight with a cabman.” - Ukridge

Most of the stories of Ukridge are narrated by Ukridge's friend Corcoran, fondly called Corky. Ukridge is a striking young man often involved plots and schemes to get rich quick. The lengths that he would go to make some money are short of nothing but infinite, except of course to actually work and earn. The hilariously comedic short stories of Ukridge leave you in a fit of laughter as you watch his desperate, comic ways to cash in some capital!

Ukridge is actually Wodehouse's longest-running character although he was only featured in the novel Love Among the Chickens and in ten short-stories in the omnibus Ukridge. I think Ukridge is also one of the most entertaining character ever of Wodehouse, though he is not as famous as Jeeves or Mulliner. 

I love Ukridge for the interesting specimen that he is- a seemingly rude fellow to those who are not familiar with his weirdly informal air, a man whose persona is so gripping and charming that people give out credit- only to never get it back again, a man who is all about thinking on how to make money in all ways except the right ones! He is a riot of a character- who'll storm in to the pages and make you laugh, and leave you giggling at his get-quick-money schemes.

You love him, and you are exasperated by him. He seems too charming to ignore, and too difficult to understand. He is one beauty of a character that Wodehouse has ever created. 

The best part about the Ukridge stories is that they are short, and give you a full spectacle of a comic tale in less than half an hour. It's the kind of reading that you can do after a busy day, and get back your cheer again!

I say, why don't you try one story today? 

Blandings Castle on #WodehouseSeries

After exploring Jeeves, Mr. Mulliner, and Wodehouse's school stories, we're in for some family drama this week as I introduce you to Lord Emsworth and the Empress of Blandings. Do you want your brain to spin in a web of far-fetched relations and a big, royal family? Go for any book in the Blandings Castle series. 

Lord Emsworth is the master of Blandings Castle, and his most treasured being on Earth is the Empress of Blandings- a huge Blackshire sow who is known for winning in most categories of the "Fat Pigs" competition in the local agricultural show. Second to the pig, what Lord Emsworth adores happens to be the Castle (his home), his garden, and his pumpkins. And, absorbed entirely by his love for the pig and his pumpkins, Lord Emsworth lives a laid back, relaxed life oblivious to the highly dramatic events that take place in the castle. 

Who creates the drama? Well, there is no dearth of that- with Lord Emsworth's ten sisters, a brother, a daughter, two sons, the infinite in-laws, their nieces and nephews- all of them waiting to stir trouble and politics in the Blandings Castle as they come and go to visit old Lord Emsworth. 

Apart from the pig, his pumpkins, and the trouble-brewing host of relatives, the Castle is also home for the innumerable staff and servants to live that royal life, some of whom we get to know over several books. Sebastian Beach is the able butler without whom the Castle activities wouldn't last a day. And, as if these people weren't dramatic enough in themselves, the Blandings Castle also regularly hosted several other Lords and Dukes of the other neighbourhoods!

From 1915 till his death in 1977- Wodehouse held on to this all-time-favourite series of Blandings Castle, with his last book, Sunset at Blandings, being incomplete. In that period, Blandings Castle had 11 novels and 9 short shorties written on it by this classic author. 

"Sunshine, calling to all right-thinking men to come out and revel in its heartening warmth, poured in at the windows of the great library of Blandings Castle." - Summer Lightning

I have read Summer Lightning, Heavy Weather, Pigs Have Wings, Service With A Smile, and most of the short stories. I love Lord Emsworth, his dramatic family, and the treasured Empress of Blandings. Emsworth is the kind of old man who can charm you till no end with his stroll in the sunshine and his relaxed persona. If you need humour, or drama, or both- this series is your one-stop destination for all of it!

So, why don't you make some cool lemonade, settle down in a nice spot of warm sunshine, and pick Pigs Have Wings to a couple of hours of unputdownable entertainment?

School Stories on #WodehouseSeries

After taking a look at the series of Jeeves and Mr. Mulliner novels in the past week, we go to Wodehouse's school stories, now. For a long time, I went about reading book after book of Wodehouse's Jeeves, Blandings Castle, and Mr. Mulliner, but didn't even know the existence of his series of school stories until the grand old man I mentioned in the introductory post gave me a copy of A Prefect's Uncle. 

"Sit down, Lorimer," he said.

There are many ways of inviting a person to seat himself. The genial ‘take a pew’ of one’s equal inspires confidence. The raucous ‘sit down in front’ of the frenzied pit, when you stand up to get a better view of the stage, is not so pleasant. But worst of all is the icy ‘sit down’ of the annoyed headmaster. In his mouth the words take to themselves new and sinister meanings. They seem to accuse you of nameless crimes, and to warn you that anything you may say will be used against you as evidence. -  A Prefect's Uncle

Only introduction was needed, and within no time I was too tempted to have not completed A Prefect's Uncle, The Head of Kay's, The Golden Bat, The Pothunters, and The White Feather. These five books were set in four different schools- Beckford, Eckleton, Wrykin, and St. Austin's. And, these were the early books that Wodehouse wrote for school children before he moved on to Jeeves and other series of novels, and they were published later on from 1901-1905.

The school stories give you the perfect picture of an all-boys, English boarding school. If you have read other English novels for children, you might be able to draw a very similar parallel with books like Tom Brown's Schooldays, which has a similar setting around school boys. Also, cricket is a staple in these books. Some of the best bits in the novels involve scenes of the loyalty that the boys show to their House team, triggering fond memories of our own schooldays.

My favourite of the lot is A Prefect's Uncle, partially because I got introduced to it first! The story involves Gethryn, a Head-prefect in Leicester's House of Beckford, and the tale takes you through the lives of Gethryn and his fellow boys as they wade through school life, ragging, house-fights, misunderstandings- all culminating in a cricket matches that seem more like two houses in war!

All these school stories are short novels that hover over or under a 150-page mark. These are an absolute pleasure to read, and would not take more than a couple of hours! Even if the setting is of an English boarding school for boys, I can guarantee that these books will kindle a warm fireplace of our memories that we can sit back, relax, and relish- with an involuntary laughter and a perpetual smile pinned to the face!

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!

My Man Jeeves on #WodehouseSeries

What better way to open the #WodehouseSeries than starting with ‘my man’ Jeeves! 

“Good Lord, Jeeves! Is there anything you don’t know?”

“I couldn’t say, sir.”

- The Inimitable Jeeves

Reginald Jeeves, but known for the most part as just Jeeves, is the perfection-personified valet of our favourite Bertram(Bertie) Wooster. Jeeves is probably the most famous character in all of Wodehouse’s creations. From Jeeves offering Bertie, an idle high-class Londoner, the perfect services of a valet to being Wooster’s all-purpose problem solver and undeclared guardian, the Jeeves series weaves a brilliant, classic relationship between these two. In the fondest terms that Jeeves, the perfect butler, would ever be seen to use, their relationship is “pleasant in every respect”.

Bertie Wooster and Jeeves go hand-in-hand in the series of Jeeves stories. It’s funny, it’s charming, and it becomes incredibly close to your heart. When the timid Wooster reluctantly gets engaged to woman after woman because he didn’t want to hurt their feelings, Jeeves always has a grand rescue plan. When Wooster is wallowing in doubt as to what advice he must give a friend, Jeeves always has an answer to sort it out. And, the whole charm of this series is that Wooster is blissfully unaware of Jeeves’ grand plan that saves him, until the end of the stories when he realizes that Jeeves had managed to maneuver him too, though it was only to safety!

So, does Bertie and Jeeves have a perfect relationship? Well, almost perfect. Jeeves was always first to record his disapproval for Bertie’s taste in purple socks and other such fashion choices, which he thought as abominable. But, Jeeves is as Bertie thinks of him: a sort of guide, philosopher, and friend.

           “It beats me sometimes why a man with his genius is satisfied to hang around pressing my clothes and what not.”

        -Carry on, Jeeves

Jeeves and Bertie were usually used as characters in short stories initially by Wodehouse from 1917 to 1930. The first two full length novels in the Jeeves series, which also happen to be in my favourites, are Thank you, Jeeves and Right ho, Jeeves- both in 1934. I absolutely loved Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen, which is the last novel that featured Jeeves. In this, the doctor advises Jeeves to lead a quiet, resting life for a while, so Jeeves and Wooster head to Maiden Eggesford, where Jeeves helps Bertie deal with the unexpected problem that comes in the form of Aunt Dahlia. Well, what we learn, and what Bertie observes:

“Whatever aunts are, aunts aren’t gentlemen.”

Open a Jeeves book, and you are sure to see an orchestrated grandness by Jeeves to save our Bertie from the most trivial of trivial issues that he manages to entangle himself in. Fueled by the classic English sarcasm and impeccable humour, the Jeeves series entertains you with the stories of young Wooster who is led through life by his perfect valet, whose respectful replies sometimes hide the biggest sarcasm! 

Jeeves was a series that Wodehouse continued to write through 60 years! And as you read, you get bits and pieces of these characters revealed to you through the most hilarious stories. The first book that I ever read of Wodehouse was Thank you, Jeeves. And, since then there has been no stopping me from devouring Jeeves novels with the utmost expectations, and they never fail!

If you are someone who has never read Jeeves, then I think you should start with Carry on, Jeeves- a set of ten short stories involving this hit pair, and the first story of which actually gives an insight into how Bertie and Jeeves met! Let me know your favourite Jeeves novel in the comments if you’ve read before! And, if you haven’t, why don’t you pick up Carry on, Jeeves? 

How Many Characters Should A Book Have?

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Have you ever read a book and thought- woah, woah so many characters! And, have you read a book and felt there are way to less characters? So, how many characters should a book have? There really is no answer. Here are two examples to understand.

Hatchet. Gary Paulsen weaves for you a story that is bounty with adventure, thrill, and leaves you mindblown and spellbound. A city boy named Brain goes in a plane with a pilot. He is the only passenger in the plane. His plane crashes, and the pilot dies in a heart attack. He learns to survive alone by making fire, catching fish, building a home in the forest. After his 53rd day alone in the forest, he makes a hole in the plane which had crashed and takes out the survival bag from it. The same day he sees a plane land and come his rescue. But by then, he learns to live alone and save his life. That's it. Yeah, that's a full blown adventure with just one single, small kid as the only and main character. 

Bleak House. It is an elaborate, family drama involving around twenty main and impacting characters, and more than forty supporting characters, who also have a key role in how the story moves. 

This is just an example. There are other books, with a set of characters that is not unusually low or high. But, even though there is no definite rule to find how many characters a book should have, here are two rules that I follow as a general concept, more out of common sense than anything else, to guide me: 

1. Every character in the book must have a role in the story or the plot.  If you want to know what is the difference between them, and what they mean, check out my earlier post on a Screenplay and Story Ideas. 

2. Every character you introduce must have an ending. It is easy for writers to get lost in the story so much that they forget about certain characters that they introduced in the beginning. A simple way to look at this is run the book in your mind like a play. Every character who enters the stage needs an exit. They cannot be left standing without a purpose in the story. 

Depending on the timeline, tone, story, plot and scope of the novel, the number of characters that can satisfy these conditions vary. And, no number is too less or too much, as long as they have a purpose, and they have an ending in the story. 

Now, what if your whole purpose is to leave the character without an ending? That's creativity, too! No doubt. If your whole plan is to purposefully to leave a character hanging to let your readers take on it, that clearly doesn't violate the rule because that exactly is the purpose and the exit of the character. 

You can write a gigantic epic, or you can write a short story, but the same two rules apply with respect to characters for any form of storytelling. So, next time you read a book, why don't you observe if these rules play out! Are there any other visible patterns? Or, does some brilliant book break this pattern? It's all about creativity, and it's best when they keep evolving!

And, hey, have you ever read or heard the stories of the Indian epic Mahabharata? Finding out the number of characters, their role in the story, their entry and exit would be an interesting exercise! 

The Nine Most Favourite Characters: All Time (And, Six Of Them Happen To Be Women!)

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The most natural thing for a staple fiction reader is to constantly fall in love with so, so, so many characters. It’s actually impossible to number them. I’d hate if somebody asked me to name one favourite book or one favourite character because it would be the meanest question on Earth, or it’d be from someone who doesn’t really read. But, still over the years, some of the love fade a little for some characters, but some others are just as strong as the first ever day we set eyes on them! Here’s the list of my 9 most favourite characters, who I’ve loved through all the books I’ve read, and I’ll also tell you why I really love them. These are some of the characters from whom I’ve been inspired through how I grew up.

NOTE: There is no preferential order whatsoever in the list below. The numbering is just to make sure I stop at 9!

1. Reginald Jeeves (Wodehouse)

Now, Jeeves is the coolest guy I’ve ever met. With that clever and witty English humour, Jeeves is just the perfect valet to have. Not just is he polished, sincere, and fun, he is also a life-saver. Jeeves captures your heart with that rib-tickling humour, and makes you wish you had that sense of humour and sarcasm, or atleast a friend like Jeeves! If you won’t love Bertie Wooster, and his cheery and sarcastic valet Jeeves, will you love anyone at all?

2. Strider (Tolkien)

By now, it’s clearly established that I’m a big Tolkien fan. I have to say that I was actually reluctant about reading the Hobbit initially, and look at me now! Fun note, most of my absolute favourite books were once something that I was reluctant to read. I have many, many favourites from Middle Earth, but Strider is my absolute favourite. A king, a royal, an all-deserving, warm-hearted, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, was the bravest of all characters, and he went through things that he did not deserve at all. But, that’s not the point. He never gave up, and he never backed out, and he stood up for himself. Strider has been one of the strongest characters I’ve come across. And somehow, he played a big role in my mind when I grew up. 

3. Henry Higgins (Bernard Shaw)

Ah, Higgins is a beauty. You start admiring him from the opening scene of Pygmalion. Higgins comes off as a smart, extremely shrewd, and talented phonetic professor, bordering on arrogant. But, Higgins knows how to learn and unlearn. With Shaw’s moulding of the relationship between Eliza and Higgins, you learn so much about perspectives, and the phonetics professor, cockney specialist, is bound to stay in your heart.

4. Miss Marple (Agatha Christie)

Who doesn’t love the cheery old detective lady who gets around solving crimes through gossip and intelligence? While Poirot’s methods were those of neatly aligned, methodical investigations, Marple uses her ‘grey cells’ in her own style. And, yes, I love Poirot but he couldn’t make the cut. Miss Marple is one of the fictitious woman I look up to. She always taught me that what necessarily has been followed by all need not be how you do it. The old lady is so inspiring, and absolutely kick-ass!

5. Tuppence (Agatha Christie)

Tuppence, or Prudence, is Christie’s young detective, a sleuth, and a spy with a passion for espionage. Running a detective agency with her husband Tommy, she’s the boss, inside and outside! There was a time when I seriously hoped and believed that I’d become a detective like Tuppence one day!

6. Sophie Amundsen (Jostein Gaarder)

A 14 year old girl becomes the student of an old philosopher, Alberto Knox, and is pushed to think beyond her barriers into a world of wonder, possibilities, and innovative thinking. No wonder she was a favourite to another 14 year old girl who read Sophie's World! Sophie is someone who is ready to learn, challenge herself, and look at things with a neutral perspective even when things are against her! She opens you to a world of absolute wonder and strength.

7. George (Enid Blyton)

George has been my most favourite character since 2007! Georgina, or George, is the kick-ass adventurous girl all teens want to be. I loved and read all the books in the Famous Five series, and George is a beauty that Enid Blyton gave us! For a 8 year old, George is the only lesson they need to be strong, bold, and fearless!

8. Hermione Granger (J. K. Rowling)

I think Hermione was the first character to normalise being a “cool nerd”. Why can you not top the class, and still be the most fun and cool person to hang out with? Why not pour over books, and still be adventurous? She is a character who broke stereotypes of nerds being a bore! And, me being decently smart kid (haha, yes, I’m praising myself, excuse me), she was one of the characters whom I loved to identify with when I was in school.

9. Anne Shirley Cuthbert (L. M. Montgomery)

Oh, Anne and speculations of her imagination are treasures for a child. When Anne drifted down the Lake of Shining Waters lost in thought, I could swear that I did too! Anne is a very progressive character, displaying passion, strength, and kindness all at the same time. She is a pure character, and again, a heavy influence since I read Anne of Green Gables.

Holy gods, it’s already 9?! Did you notice that out of the nine, six of them happen to be women? I did not pick on purpose, but it was something I realized when I was writing point 9! And, that’s probably because I am a female, and naturally some of the strongest, inspiring female characters have left a strong impression on my mind! I thank all of them for teaching me all the things that I’ve learnt from them, and they definitely play a significant role in who I am today.

Who are your favourites?