Big Money

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Jonathan Cecil

Most of the big money belongs to Torquil Paterson Frisby, the dyspeptic American millionaire--but that doesn't stop him wanting more out of it. His niece, the beautiful Ann Moon, is engaged to "Biscuit", Lord Biskerton, who doesn't have very much of the stuff and so he has to escape to Valley Fields to hide from his creditors. Meanwhile, his old school friend Berry Conway, who is working for Frisby, himself falls for Ann--just as Biscuit falls for her friend Kitchie Valentine. Life in the world of Wodehouse can sometimes become a little complicated.©2012 The Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate. All rights reserved. (P)2012 AudioGO

Every line a happy amusement

Wodehouse at the top of his inventive yet familiar form, a surprise and a laugh in every line practically, The performance absolutely could not be improved upon, except maybe that the very British narrator’s American accent isn’t complete, but then neither is Wodehouse’s writing of American speech. Made me feel happy.

Funny and sweetly romantic!

A favorite which I enjoy again and again. The Biscuit seems a version of Psmith, and Berry is a sweet stand-up guy.

Another great PG Wodehouse!

As always, Jonathan Cecil is perfect. Fun story. Wonderful humor. Clever writing. Great audio book!

Wonderful, unless laughing aloud is unacceptable

What made the experience of listening to Big Money the most enjoyable?

British storytelling at its best, with a big dose of humor. A must read for anyone who believes, or once did believe, that dubious schemes to get rich without much effort will succeed. I plan to listen to it again soon.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Cecil’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Superb, one of the finest I have heard.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Where is that mine?

Fun story, great narrator

The combination of a P.G. Wodehouse story and Jonathan Cecil’s narration is unbeatable! My favorite

Another Dry Martini. Another Perfect Souffle.

Someone, one of those big-brained chaps no doubt, like Darwin or Shakespeare or Thomas Hardy, once said that trying to describe the pleasure of reading Wodehouse was like trying to describe the perfect dry martini. Similarly, someone else equally brain-burdened likened any attempt at criticizing a Wodehouse story to taking a spade to a souffle.

Just so. Therefore I'll limit myself to saying this story is standard Wodehouse fare, which means it's a cut above most other humor you're likely to find out there. Another tour of life among the inane and the earnest, the lovelorn and the broke. Of course, it all comes out right in the end. The fun is seeing how that happens. And the fun is also hearing Jonathan Cecil narrate how it happens. Like Frederick Davidson, Cecil gets Wodehouse and never overdoes it, giving the words and the humor the right, light touch.

Entertaining but not Wodehouse’s best

Even a lower tier Wodehouse is worth a listen but the language and dialogue lacks the lightness and sparkle of his other books. There are rather ponderous explanations and dragged out dialogue unusual from the master. Jonathan Cecil does his usual sterling work with it regardless.

Plum + Cecil = Perfection, always.

These crowded Wodehouse capers--mismatched lovers , American millionaires, penniless English aristocrats, incognito con-men--become somewhat formulaic after a while, but a 4-star Wodehouse is still superior to almost anything else in the way of light-hearted fiction and listening to Jonathan Cecil is always a pleasure.

Good, but not Wodehouse's best work

Some funny parts, but overall dry and slow. It had too much of a serious time as well

Jonathan Cecil is the cat’s meow

Silly plot and not up to the Bertie and Jeeves series, but Jonathan Cecil is excellent impersonating the many characters in the story. In these times, when fate sneaks up on you with a sock full of sand, it is great escapist fun to read of characters where the scales fall from their eyes and they find the lodestar of their life- ah love