07-19-2016, 11:59 PM | #1 |
Bah, humbug!
Posts: 39,073
Karma: 157049943
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA
Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.
|
July 2016 Discussion: Something New (spoilers)
The time has come to discuss the July 2016 MobileRead Book Club selection, Something New* by P.G. Wodehouse. What did you think?
* AKA Something Fresh. |
07-20-2016, 01:40 AM | #2 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,631
Karma: 73864785
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDXish
Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices
|
I'm not finished yet, so first impressions only.
I am very glad I stuck this out past chapter 3, and probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for the book club, I was having a very hard time getting into this book but it has become much better after the "intros" were done. I am finally at Blandings Castle and things are much more interesting now. It looks like Wodehouse and the publisher changed several characters to American for the US version ("Something Fresh"). I assume that made sense at the time but I think I would have preferred the original, unfortunately my library doesn't have it. I know Harry Potter was changed a little when it was brought here too, but I really hope that practice goes away. |
07-20-2016, 06:36 AM | #3 |
o saeclum infacetum
Posts: 20,226
Karma: 222235366
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New England
Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5
|
Something New, the American version, came first. Wodehouse was living in America and The Saturday Evening Post paid him $3,500 for it. It was published the following year in Britain as Something Fresh.
|
07-20-2016, 07:52 AM | #4 |
Bah, humbug!
Posts: 39,073
Karma: 157049943
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA
Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.
|
Even the lips of this MobileRead editor uncurled into a not unkindly smile upon reading this tale of British aristocratic families and their misadventures. My only question is who was Algernon Wooster? Is this a relation of Bertie's? I know Wodehouse sometimes used characters from one book in another.
|
07-20-2016, 11:01 AM | #5 |
Home Guard
Posts: 4,729
Karma: 86721650
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6
|
Bertie mentions Freddie in The Code of the Woosters.
|
07-20-2016, 11:07 AM | #6 |
Bah, humbug!
Posts: 39,073
Karma: 157049943
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA
Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.
|
|
07-20-2016, 12:40 PM | #7 | ||||
Wizard
Posts: 2,631
Karma: 73864785
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDXish
Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices
|
Quote:
Here is the intro for Something Fresh from Wikipedia: Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Or, since some of these characters appear elsewhere (do Ashe and Joan?), were the nationalities changed back to the UK to help with continuity elsewhere? Although, given the close publication dates, I don't see how he could have known to make these changes for continuity's sake. |
||||
07-20-2016, 08:38 PM | #8 |
(he/him/his)
Posts: 12,159
Karma: 79742714
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8
|
Spent today listening to the Frederick Davidson reading of Something Fresh. Wonderful, with the sole exception of an awful southern accent for one character. I'm not finished, and won't finish until the ride home on Friday, but I'm sure enjoying it!
|
07-20-2016, 09:09 PM | #9 | |
Bah, humbug!
Posts: 39,073
Karma: 157049943
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA
Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.
|
Have some favorite lines from this book? Several made me smile. Like this one:
Quote:
|
|
07-21-2016, 05:38 AM | #10 |
Guru
Posts: 880
Karma: 7556602
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: UK
Device: Kindle PW, Win 10 thinkpad 8in
|
It was wonderful. Thanks issybird for the nomination and Charlie for the Frederick Davidson recommendation. It was a perfect match.
It was the most fun I had reading a book in a long time. I actually had to stop listening to the book when Mr. Peters was showing his beloved collection of scarabs to Lord Emsworth because I could not stop laughing in the train. I now have more appreciation for the lords of castles |
07-21-2016, 09:46 AM | #11 |
Home Guard
Posts: 4,729
Karma: 86721650
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6
|
I liked the sequel, Leave it to Psmith even better.
|
07-23-2016, 01:12 AM | #12 |
(he/him/his)
Posts: 12,159
Karma: 79742714
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8
|
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this. His Blandings stories have never been my favourites of his (that rests with the Jeeves/Wooster stories), but they are still quite wonderful.
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
MobileRead June 2016 Discussion: The Future of the Mind (spoilers) | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 11 | 06-22-2016 10:36 AM |
MobileRead May 2016 Discussion: The Steerswoman (spoilers) | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 58 | 05-29-2016 06:20 PM |
MobileRead April 2016 Discussion: Red Mars (spoilers) | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 16 | 05-02-2016 12:16 PM |
MobileRead March 2016 Discussion: The Night Life of the Gods (spoilers) | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 10 | 03-21-2016 09:48 PM |
MobileRead February 2016 Discussion: Brat Farrar (spoilers) | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 17 | 02-25-2016 12:56 PM |