THE BOOKS: AUGUST EDIT

Bookchair - no student should be without one! (Well, no student that actually likes studying)

The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse

I read this while on holiday at the Gower Peninsula a few weeks back ready to study in my next module at uni: 'The Middlebrow Novel'. I was so happy to finally read something by P. G. Wodehouse as the author in general has been on my 'to-read' list for yonks, and let me tell you it did not disappoint! I had the best time reading this and got through it in about 2 days as it was just hilarious. 

Based on main character Bertie Wooster and his stressful one-thing-after-another ordeal life of a snob, we see into a world of upper-middle class/ rich people in 1930s England, where their biggest problems are holding onto their personal chefs and getting their hands on that cow creamer first...

What makes it a great and hilarious read are firstly the funny character names - Fink-Nottle, Stiffy, Stinker Pinker - no doubt to emphasise poking fun at the richer half of society. Secondly, the overly figurative language used to describe all these scenes of ridiculous mayhem - example below - when Jeeves and Wooster (did you just click?) sneak into Stiffy's room to steal back Gussie's naughty notebook, forgetting her vicious dog is on guard resulting in them jumping onto drawers and cupboards to avoid being bitten to shreds, only then for Stiffy to come back to her room and find them in said safe spots. All in all a ridiculous mental image to be enjoyed thoroughly and there are plenty more!

More serious/ interesting themes to be explored in the book are the focus on these rich society characters, Wooster's lack of smarts compared to Jeeves despite his stellar education and the role of marriage - both the need for Stiffy to trick her uncle into allowing her to marry the man she loves and the ease in which Madeline Basset becomes engaged, then breaks it off, then becomes engaged again, then breaks it off, then becomes engaged again... you get the picture, which brings us to our next book...

"I soared like an eagle onto the chest of drawers, Jeeves was skimming like a swallow onto the top of the cupboard. The animal hopped from the bed and, advancing into the middle of the room, took a seat ... looking at us from under his brows like a Scottish elder rebuking sin from the pulpit." - Bertie Wooster

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos

Again, for my next module and again I devoured this on holiday in just a few hours as it is very short but rather entertaining. It is written as the diary (or journal) of young Lorelei (not her real name, but one a gentleman gave her as apparently it suited her more than the name she already had) who lives in 1920s flapper New York as a society girl after already having been in the Hollywood movie scene and doubtless engagements by the dozen. 

Her diary follows her journey with best friend Dorothy (not as refined as Lorelei, but she tries to change her for the better, as good friends obviously do) from New York to London, Paris and more before returning to New York and her beloved maid Lulu whose tasks include reading a book, then telling Lorelei about it so that she may appear to have 'improved her mind' for the gentleman who gave her the book when she went to dinner with him, hmmm. 

Her talents include befriending men (or rather letting them befriend her) of all ages but only one financial range (££££) and, er, actually that is her only talent. It is an amusing book, not hilarious like The Code of the Woosters but I enjoyed following Lorelei around as she digs deeper than any other blonde to find the shiniest of all the gold...

In my edition I also have the sequel But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, but haven't read it yet as I'm only required to read GPB for my module.

I like the parallel between Lorelei and Dorothy, they both go through a number of men but Lorelei is attracted to money while Dorothy falls in love easily with less flashy men, which Lorelei sees as unrefined...

Illustrations in my copy of GPB

"But Dorothy really does not care about her mind and I always scold her because she does nothing but waste her time by going around with gentlemen who do not have anything" - Lorelei

Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger

"Everything everybody does is so - I don't know - not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid necessarily. But just so tiny and meaningless and - sad-making." - Franny

 I read this a few months ago and fell in love with it. I immediately thought 'I want to work with this book' it has so much to discuss, analyse and generally chew on, so if you are a literary larry (?) this one is for you. 

Originally two short stories, now separated into parts 'Franny' and 'Zooey', the novella begins with Franny, a college girl, going to meet her Yale boyfriend Lane to attend a sports game. They go to a restaurant first and Lane drones on pompously about himself and his academic achievements while Franny stews until she faints and embraces her quarter-life crisis sort of episode, example of her feelings below. She has become obsessed with the 'Jesus Prayer' she found in a book called The Way of a Pilgrim, meaning she repeats this prayer over and over without ceasing, aiming for it to become so internalised it is almost an unconscious act.

The second part, set at the Glass family abode, sees Franny indulge in her breakdown while Zooey reluctantly attempts to pull her out of it. We learn about their family politics and history, through a bizarre conversation between Zooey and his mother and a letter from his brother, Buddy. 

This is a hard book to describe, as it is not the story that draws the reader in first and foremost, rather, it is the compelling characters and their relationships and repercussions of their shared histories. It is a book with philosophical offerings, arguably a critique or representation of modern society and just generally really compelling. I've only read it once and that is really not enough, perhaps when I have read it one or two more times I will be able to write something better about it, but I just had to include it as a recommended read because it must be read far and wide, so go on, what are you waiting for?!