Leave It to Psmith

De: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrado por: Jonathan Cecil

The idyll of Blandings Castle is about to be disturbed, for the Hon. Freddie Threepwood is poised to make his debut as a jewel thief. Freddie, however, is not alone: Blandings is simply brimming with criminals and impostors all intent on stealing Aunt Constance's 20,000 pound diamond necklace. It is left to the debonair Psmith, with his usual aplomb, to unscramble the passion, problems, and identities, of one and all.

©1923 The Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate. All rights reserved. (P)2011 AudioGo

Just Fun

What was one of the most memorable moments of Leave it to Psmith?

It wasn't a single moment, just a few hours of enjoyable fluff.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Half and half. It was one I wanted to go on longer. It isn't a page turner, like some mysteries, but a pleasant escape, like a picnic on a perfect Spring day.

A Romp

This story is alternatingly amusing and frustrating, being filled by oxymoronic British humor, irony, and stereotypical American-bashing. The protagonist is sympathetic, whimsical, and a bit inane. tThe story wraps up nicely and if you want to enjoy a thirties bit of fluff you will enjoy this.

Laugh out loud

Yeah, it’s a cliche, but how many books can manage to make you laugh out loud? I absolutely adore P.G. Wodehouse and bless his books as romps and larks of an order today’s writers can’t hope to reproduce. When you absolutely can only take airy humor bc you’ve been on a Melville binge for two weeks then Wodehouse is to adults as cartoons were to us as kids. Not to mention that the guy was prolific as hell, so no point sparing his books, dig in and go bc there is such an endless supply (not to mention can be read twice and thrice over). Wodehouse would describe this review as the gushings of a school girl but what of that?

Clever, funny, and perfectly performed

As always, Jonathan Cecil’s reading of P.G. Wodehouse’s excellent book is spot-on! This particular installment is one of the best! Quirky but endearing characters abound, silliness is ever-present. Even suspense, although of a nonsensical type! I highly recommend this audio book to those who know and love their Wodehouse/Cecil books and to those who are new to them! Five Stars!!!

Descriptions

The descriptions are so funny
That it makes listening to the plot much more enjoyable

The Cry Goes ‘Round the Clubs…Perfection.

I’ve changed my mind. I’m rewriting my first review. Please remember, I was younger then. It was 2013 and, as a callow, inexperienced 52-year-old, I returned Psmith halfway through the second chapter. I griped because Jonathan Cecil wasn’t Frederick Davidson (not his fault, really; lots of people aren't). I nit-picked Cecil’s diction. I claimed that his vocal portrayal of Psmith “simply sits there”, without that character’s “…lofty unconcern for his circumstances, his unconquerable gift for persiflage in the face of every challenge”.

But, older now, I can see I was wrong. Or else I’ve forgotten Frederick Davidson’s performance. Either way, this is a bang-up recording of one of Wodehouse’s finest—though often overlooked or underrated—efforts. Fortunately, Audible Plus made this available again at no cost. I only regret that, going by the “helpful” votes my first review garnered, I may have misled other listeners.

Five stars

Absolutely love the Psmith stories and Jonathan Cecil is the only one that should be listened to when reading the book. He gets everything just right

Hilarious

I cannot decide if Psmith is more delightful or if it’s the Efficient Baxter who steals the show! A gem of a story!

"The 'P' Is Silent, As In 'Shrimp'..."

Thoroughly enjoyed this book as a lighthearted break from the history books I normally listen to on my work commute. Jonathan Cecil is fantastic, and of course P. G. Wodehouse is classic. It took about 30 minutes for me to realize and get to used to what kind of book this is and to start "catching" the humor, but once I did I found myself chuckling routinely.

The Perfect Mix of Classic Wodehouse Tropes?

I almost feel as if I have read this book before. :) The number of Wodehouse books that feature people trying to pinch and pawn a necklace is astounding. This one has all the classic Wodehouse hallmarks, remixed in a very satisfying manner. It's almost a perfection of the form, though ultimately it doesn't quite hit the heights of the best Jeeves and Wooster tales. Let's go through the checklist:

[x] smooth, urbane, witty character
[x] young wastrel looking for quick influx of cash to right the ship
[x] romantic entanglement of at least three persons
[x] humorous addlepated character
[x] English manor setting
[x] character with a fawning poetic temperament
[x] domineering matrons
[x] attempted theft of a valuable item
[x] at least one person posing as someone else
[x] ... I could go on, I really could! But you get the point.

I'm having a little fun but I really did enjoy this one. I wish it hadn't wrapped up quite so quickly, there are some definite loose ends.