Right Ho, Jeeves

[wemblee.livejournal.com]

In the interests of generating some discussion:

I'm reading Right Ho, Jeeves for the first time (or I read it so long ago that I remember none of it) and Bertie comes across as a bit of a dick! It's honestly kind of refreshing -- I'm so used to him as a sweetie-pie. (I don't know if that's fanfic merging with canon in my head, but I do vaguely remember him being more self-deprecating in later books.) It's interesting to see him be a bit arrogant. I mean, this is earlier in the chronology and in he and Jeeves' relationship (I think), so it makes sense.

I was also surprised that Wodehouse had Gussie be way into newts but simultaneously a dreamy flake, because that's definitely not how a Nerdy Newt Guy would be written now; like, those aren't traits you normally pair when you're thinking of your general Reclusive Nerdy Dude trope. I don't know if that's him turning things on their heads or if he was just working with different literary/cultural expectations than we are today. Or if he was just thinking, "Hey, whatever's funny."

What say you, indeedsir folks? (Sorry for the lack of Wodehousian patter, I'm just not capable of it.)