DE DRONES CLUB

Pelham Grenville Wodehouse

door Kris Smets, voorzitter

His life

P.G. Wodehouse was born in Guildford (GB), on 15th October 1881, the third of four sons, whose parents spent most of their time in Hong Kong, where Wodehouse's father was a judge.

‘Plum', as he is affectionately known, grew up at the end of the Victorian age and he became famous in Edwardian England. His first novel, The Pothunters, was published in 1902. The last one, called Sunset at Blandings, remained unfinished after he died on Valentine's day in 1975. Wodehouse's literary output is simply huge. He wrote 96 books, contributed to 16 plays and wrote lyrics for 28 musicals. His books have sold in their millions all over the world. Among his admirers are many writers of great international fame and reputation, like Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell, to name but two. In June 1939 Wodehouse received an honorary degree in literature at Oxford University. At the outbreak of the Second World War he was staying at Le Touquet. Like so many other British citizens in occupied France in 1940 he was arrested by the Germans. He was imprisoned at Huy fortress for a month and then taken to an internment camp in Poland. His reputation got quite seriously damaged, however, when he agreed to contribute to a series of radio talks that were broadcast from Berlin and which were aimed at a mainly American audience. In a succession of five programmes Wodehouse talked about his experiences at the camp. Many people thought the broadcasts created the impression that the nazis treated their prisoners rather well, and there was a public outcry. Sales figures of his books plummeted and in 1947 he settled in America, never to return to England again.

In 1975 Wodehouse was knighted, which can be regarded as an official rehabilitation on the part of the British government. Sadly, he died before the British Consul could officially hand over the title. His widow, Ethel, received it on his behalf.

His work

Wodehouse created an artificial and timeless world, populated by characters such as Bertie Wooster, Jeeves, Lord Emsworth, Galahad, Ukridge, and many others.

Many of the young heroes of the books are members of the Drones Club, situated in the heart of London. It is an establishment where time is passed drinking, betting and telling exaggerated, unlikely stories. Hard up Drones are continually trying all sorts of cunning plans to diddle money out of wealthier club members. Next to financial concerns, the Drones are forever involved in complications of a romantic nature The main ingredients are classic unrequited love, or its opposite, whereby the naive gentleman is terrified of promises of marriage expressed in haste, but repented the following day. The elderly heroes are a mixed bag of pompous earls, spry old men and wonderfully wacky Lords. Galahad Threepwood, former member of the Pelican Club, e.g., plans to publish his memoirs, which frightens the life out of his settled and well respected contemporaries, who fear that their youthful exploits will be out for all the world to read. Lord Ickenham, on the other hand, likes nothing better than uniting young lovers by smuggling them into romantic castles under a false pretext. And above all, there is Lord Emsworth, a perfectly happy and harmless old man, who is devoted to the Empress of Blandings, a huge pig that annually competes for the gold medal in the Fat Pigs class at the Shropshire Agricultural Show. The colossal animal is constantly being abducted, poisoned or disturbed in her rather precarious feeding habits. No Edwardian comedy would be complete without domestic servants. There are quite a number of them in Wodehouse and most are a lot more intelligent than their masters. First and foremost, there is Jeeves, Bertie Wooster's gentleman's gentleman. Be warned, though and never call him a ‘butler' ! He has a formidable brain and shrewdly manipulates his master. We are also introduced to Beach, the hypochondriac butler at Blandings Castle, who is particularly fond of vintage port and who threatens to resign when he notices his master is growing a beard.

There are few innocent women in Wodehouse's stories. In his own words ‘the female of the species is more deadly than the male". Either they are well-educated, serious creatures, who trouble their fiancés with the great works of classic literature, or else they are red-haired young ladies of a fickle disposition, who order their young men to steal policemen's helmets. Or let us not forget the sentimental, romantic types who are very keen on sweet verse, and who yearn for chivalry and heroic behaviour by their future husbands. But worst of all are the aunts, who constantly make life difficult for their young nephews. In short, behind every spineless nephew we find a demonic aunt…

Literature or not …

Not many critics regard Wodehouse as a ‘great writer', possibly because his work is not innovative enough or doesn't have a message. He may not have been a ‘serious' writer, but he took his profession very seriously nevertheless and he did not pretend to expose his readers to any deep reflection. His humour lacks malice, sex is non-existent, the viciousness of the world does not affect his characters. Some researchers believe his work is to a large extent autobiographical. In other words, he wrote about people and places that he was familiar with from his schooldays, family visits in the country, his stay in America etc.

As a writer Wodehouse was a typical product of the boom in the popular magazine market around the turn of the centuries. Like Conan Doyle, he didn't aim to publish in prestigious magazines. This partly explains the lack of interest shown by literary critics. However, his great professionalism shines through the unique way in which he uses the characteristics and restrictions of the popular magazines in his own work, e.g. by repetition, clichés, exaggerations, quotes etc.

The result of the subtle and never offensive way in which he does this, is that you can enjoy reading the novels over and over again, despite their similar and predictable plotlines.

A critic of The Times once put it like this:

"Just how funny it all is, an old and inveterate reader can hardly tell. For in reading and re-reading Mr. Wodehouse there comes a stage when the reader no longer waits breathlessly for what comes next or hunts someone to share his laughter, but instead finds a new pleasure in seeing how exquisitely it is done."

Wodehouse today …

There are still regular new editions of Wodehouse's stories at present, most of them in English, though.

Many Flemish and Dutch fans swear by the English versions anyway. Some of you may remember the old prisma pocket editions.

Among the younger generations his work is not very well known, however.

This might be due to a lack of Dutch editions, but another explanation might be that the stories seem very far removed from today's reality.

There are Wodehouse societies in America, England, Russia Sweden, India, Australia, the Netherlands and of course, Belgium. Each of those are organisations that are devoted to keeping Wodehouse's literary legacy alive.

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