This is a yet another teenage feel good story. Mike Jackson comes from a family with rich cricketing tradition. Several of his brothers are good enough to play first class cricket. His coach believes that he is even better than all of them!
When Mike becomes a teenager, he graduates from the small prep school to Wrykyn, a large public school. The name Jackson is well known since all his older brothers studied at Wrykyn and all of them played for the school team and won accolades. Mike's prodigious cricketing skills is obvious on the very first day when he fearlessly faces the captain and fast bowler and earns his respect. Within a week he is playing for the first eleven team in a very important match against MCC and scores twenty-three not out in a crisis situation and ensures a drawn match.
Soon success goes to his head and he behaves rather erratically. It leads him to miss early morning fielding practice which marks him as a slacker. The captain hears about it and cuts him from the team.
The finale of the story involves the most important match of the year against arch-rival Ripton. The Wrykyn team is depleted by the loss of two key player. Wyatt is withdrawn (euphemism for dismissal) from school, due to the school's disapproval of his practice of shooting cats with a air gun late in the night. Another key batman is dropped when it is found that he too left his building for a late night party in the room of another student. The captain has no choice but to include Mike.
Chasing a modest Ripton total of 160 odd runs, Wrykyn is reduced to 0 for1, 1 for 2, 41 for 4 and 54 for 5. Into the breach steps Mike. He scores 83 not out and steers his team to victory with only tailenders for support!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Something Fresh
This is where it all began. First time we hear about Blandings Castle, absent minded Lord Emsworth, Empress of Blandings the champion pig, Beach the butler, and super efficient secretary Baxter.
Mr. Peters - American Millionaire. Collects Scarabs. Does not know how to get his scarab back from Lord Emsworth.
Aline Peters - Engaged to Freddie but in love with someone who has more brains and strength of character.
Lord Emsworth - Lord of the Blandings Castle and all the acreage around. Wishes he were the father of just one son. Steals Scarabs, no he does not, he just puts it in his pocket in his usual absent minded way. Prone to take meum et tuum literally which leads to complications.
Baxter - Very conscientious and able secretary but a royal pain in the hind area, so thinks Lord Emsworth.
Freddie Theepwood - Lord Emsworth's younger son. It is a known fact that the bones of his spine extend fully into his brain, hence the term bone headed. Likes the lights and sounds of London. Adores the turf, but very bad at picking winners. Cannot stop himself from writing foolish love letters or proposing to beautiful girls. Forced for the past year to stay in exile at Blandings.
Freddie Theepwood - Lord Emsworth's younger son. It is a known fact that the bones of his spine extend fully into his brain, hence the term bone headed. Likes the lights and sounds of London. Adores the turf, but very bad at picking winners. Cannot stop himself from writing foolish love letters or proposing to beautiful girls. Forced for the past year to stay in exile at Blandings.
Mr. Peters - American Millionaire. Collects Scarabs. Does not know how to get his scarab back from Lord Emsworth.
Aline Peters - Engaged to Freddie but in love with someone who has more brains and strength of character.
Joan Valentine - Emanates vitality.
Ashe Marson - Forced due to pecuniary considerations to write under the pseudonym Felix Clovelly about Gridley Qualye, Investigator. Extremely dissatisfied with life. Inspires Ashe Marson to get out of the rut he is in. So he takes up crime. He loves Joan.
Ashe Marson - Forced due to pecuniary considerations to write under the pseudonym Felix Clovelly about Gridley Qualye, Investigator. Extremely dissatisfied with life. Inspires Ashe Marson to get out of the rut he is in. So he takes up crime. He loves Joan.
R Jones - What does he do? Curiously enough Scotland Yard also would like to know the answer to that question.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Big Money
Biscuit or Lord Biskerton - Heir to an earldom, very poor. According to him he only knows what money is from hearsay. Engaged to a rich girl. Moves to suburbia to hides from various creditors he owes money. Out there he falls in love again. With another girl of course.
Lord Hoddeston - Father of Godfrey. Mere smell of money would make him do anything.
Aunt Vera - Lord Hoddeston's sister and Godfrey's aunt. So poor that she was once reduced to attempting to borrow from Biscuit.
Berry Conway - Berry friend from the days at school. Come down in life. Reduced to being a secretary and currently living with his onetime nanny in the suburbs. Impatient at the lack of opportunity. Wants to chuck it all and live in the Wild West, tramp under the blazing sun and sleeping under the stars. Pretends to be a detective to impress a girl. Owns a non-producing copper mine in California, at least that is what he thinks.
Ann Moon - Rich. Engaged to Biscuit. Wants something more. Swept of her feet by the dashing detective Berry Conway.
Frisby - American financier and Berry's boss. Had a boat loads of simoleons but not above under handed tricks in getting a hand on a few more. Tricks Berry into selling his mine for a mere $500.
(I wanted to use above and under in one sentence)
Mr. Hoke - Frisby's sidekick who tricks Frisby by buying the mine in his own name which naturally angers Frisby.
Captain Kelly - Also double crossed by Hoke. Talks persuasively about his Chicago connections and convinces Hoke to share.
I will summarize the ending this way - The bad guys get their just desserts and good guys and girls live happily ever after.
Good story.
Lord Hoddeston - Father of Godfrey. Mere smell of money would make him do anything.
Aunt Vera - Lord Hoddeston's sister and Godfrey's aunt. So poor that she was once reduced to attempting to borrow from Biscuit.
Berry Conway - Berry friend from the days at school. Come down in life. Reduced to being a secretary and currently living with his onetime nanny in the suburbs. Impatient at the lack of opportunity. Wants to chuck it all and live in the Wild West, tramp under the blazing sun and sleeping under the stars. Pretends to be a detective to impress a girl. Owns a non-producing copper mine in California, at least that is what he thinks.
Ann Moon - Rich. Engaged to Biscuit. Wants something more. Swept of her feet by the dashing detective Berry Conway.
Frisby - American financier and Berry's boss. Had a boat loads of simoleons but not above under handed tricks in getting a hand on a few more. Tricks Berry into selling his mine for a mere $500.
(I wanted to use above and under in one sentence)
Mr. Hoke - Frisby's sidekick who tricks Frisby by buying the mine in his own name which naturally angers Frisby.
Captain Kelly - Also double crossed by Hoke. Talks persuasively about his Chicago connections and convinces Hoke to share.
I will summarize the ending this way - The bad guys get their just desserts and good guys and girls live happily ever after.
Good story.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Piccadilly Jim
Jimmy Crocker aka Piccadilly Jim - Formerly a reporter in New York with a hint of meanness in his reporting. From reporting news he is the news now. He bar hops in London and when he is not hopping is being thrown by the seat of his pants by muscular type men at the door.
Ann Chester - Poet. Thought Jim was a serious reporter. Instead he made a joke of her attempts at poetry.
Mr. Pett - Ann's uncle. Rich. Other wise negligible. All he wants is to be left alone to run his business.
Mrs. Pett - One word - Forceful - describes her well. Socially ambitious. One who wears the pants in the house. Has all sort of literary, artsy parasites living in her house in New York.
Ogden - Mrs. Pett's singularly unlovable (Wodehouse's words) son from a former marriage.
Mrs Crocker - Mrs. Pett's sister. Two words - Piercing Glance - describe her well. Her former husband was known to confess to all crimes if he were to merely catch her eye in her photo! Equally ambitious social climber, but in London. Knows several titled people on first name basis and wants to know more, but Jim's frequent residence in the front page of major newspapers makes it hard.
Mr. Crocker - Jim's father from his former wife and an unhappy man in London. All he wants is to watch baseball, but forced by his wife to make do with, gasp, cricket.
Lord Wisbeach - Is he? I mean is he who he claims he is? (Clue - he is the villain)
Jim accidentally meets Ann in London. Neither recognize each other, but this time Jim falls in love with Ann and she likes him too. Jim returns to New York in an attempt to woo her, but realizes early that he cannot be Jim Crocker due to his earlier glib comments on her poetry. So naturally he pretends to be not himself.
Well it would not be a Wodehouse without one impersonation. Wait it gets better.
Mrs Pett, just like Mrs Crocker sees the real Jim as a menace to their social ambitions. Mrs. Pett wants him under her thumb and Mrs. Crocker wants him out of London.
Jim who is already masquerading as someone else to woo Ann, finds himself impersonating himself so he could be be with Ann under Mrs. Pett's roof in New York!
Convoluted even by Wodehouse standards.
Not bad, not good. Average read.
Ann Chester - Poet. Thought Jim was a serious reporter. Instead he made a joke of her attempts at poetry.
Mr. Pett - Ann's uncle. Rich. Other wise negligible. All he wants is to be left alone to run his business.
Mrs. Pett - One word - Forceful - describes her well. Socially ambitious. One who wears the pants in the house. Has all sort of literary, artsy parasites living in her house in New York.
Ogden - Mrs. Pett's singularly unlovable (Wodehouse's words) son from a former marriage.
Mrs Crocker - Mrs. Pett's sister. Two words - Piercing Glance - describe her well. Her former husband was known to confess to all crimes if he were to merely catch her eye in her photo! Equally ambitious social climber, but in London. Knows several titled people on first name basis and wants to know more, but Jim's frequent residence in the front page of major newspapers makes it hard.
Mr. Crocker - Jim's father from his former wife and an unhappy man in London. All he wants is to watch baseball, but forced by his wife to make do with, gasp, cricket.
Lord Wisbeach - Is he? I mean is he who he claims he is? (Clue - he is the villain)
Jim accidentally meets Ann in London. Neither recognize each other, but this time Jim falls in love with Ann and she likes him too. Jim returns to New York in an attempt to woo her, but realizes early that he cannot be Jim Crocker due to his earlier glib comments on her poetry. So naturally he pretends to be not himself.
Well it would not be a Wodehouse without one impersonation. Wait it gets better.
Mrs Pett, just like Mrs Crocker sees the real Jim as a menace to their social ambitions. Mrs. Pett wants him under her thumb and Mrs. Crocker wants him out of London.
Jim who is already masquerading as someone else to woo Ann, finds himself impersonating himself so he could be be with Ann under Mrs. Pett's roof in New York!
Convoluted even by Wodehouse standards.
Not bad, not good. Average read.
Company For Henry
My wife believes that once you read one PGW you have read them all. Well I hate to admit it, but this story has a strong resemblance to The Girl In Blue.
Henry - Inherits a White Elephant. What was once a long shot, becomes a reality, once several of his immediate relatives die putting him in possession of a Ashby Hall, a monstrosity built during the Regency period.
Algy - Henry's nephew, never has done a days honest work. Lives by sponging on people. Barely wakes up before noon and most days he never gets out of bed.
Jane - Henry's niece, betrothed to a handsome, but fickle louse.
Lionel P Green - The louse that Jane loves (I could not resist that).
Thomas Hardy - aka Bill has a face of a Chicago mobster, but a heart of gold. He writes thrillers under the pseudonym Adela Bristow. Why Adela Bristow? Well for starters he could hardly write under his real name Thomas Hardy! Also he hopes that when book store clerk hear "Agatha Christie", they accidentally gives the customer an Adela Bristow! Not a bad idea.
Bill is in love with Jane.
Stickney - an American millionaire, is distantly related to Henry. He also has a passion for paper weights, specifically 18th century paper weights.
Kelly - Stickney's aunt and a moderately glamorous widow with reminiscences that make Stickney blush.
Henry loves Kelly.
Kelly loves Henry.
Henry has an 18th century paper weight. Stickney would sell his soul to possess that. He is willing to pay a fortune for it. Henry is willing to take that fortune. Unfortunately the paper weight is attached to the Ashby Hall but not owned directly by Henry (I do not understand English law on inheritance well). So in perfect Wodehouse style Henry encourages a robbery of his own property.
Henry also wants to get rid of Ashby Hall and he feels Stickney is that mug to foist it on.
Complicated enough??
Henry - Inherits a White Elephant. What was once a long shot, becomes a reality, once several of his immediate relatives die putting him in possession of a Ashby Hall, a monstrosity built during the Regency period.
Algy - Henry's nephew, never has done a days honest work. Lives by sponging on people. Barely wakes up before noon and most days he never gets out of bed.
Jane - Henry's niece, betrothed to a handsome, but fickle louse.
Lionel P Green - The louse that Jane loves (I could not resist that).
Thomas Hardy - aka Bill has a face of a Chicago mobster, but a heart of gold. He writes thrillers under the pseudonym Adela Bristow. Why Adela Bristow? Well for starters he could hardly write under his real name Thomas Hardy! Also he hopes that when book store clerk hear "Agatha Christie", they accidentally gives the customer an Adela Bristow! Not a bad idea.
Bill is in love with Jane.
Stickney - an American millionaire, is distantly related to Henry. He also has a passion for paper weights, specifically 18th century paper weights.
Kelly - Stickney's aunt and a moderately glamorous widow with reminiscences that make Stickney blush.
Henry loves Kelly.
Kelly loves Henry.
Henry has an 18th century paper weight. Stickney would sell his soul to possess that. He is willing to pay a fortune for it. Henry is willing to take that fortune. Unfortunately the paper weight is attached to the Ashby Hall but not owned directly by Henry (I do not understand English law on inheritance well). So in perfect Wodehouse style Henry encourages a robbery of his own property.
Henry also wants to get rid of Ashby Hall and he feels Stickney is that mug to foist it on.
Complicated enough??
Laughing Gas
This is a story made for Bollywood in so many levels.
First there is the story of two people whose personalities do a switcheroo. Reginald, Reggie for short, The Third Earl of Havershot, and Joey Cooley, child film star go to the dentist in pain. When they are being giving the Laughing Gas, a comic accident, oops I mean cosmic accident happens and Lord Havershot takes residence in Joey's body and Joey now possesses the body of Reggie. Hence the title.
Next, Reggie is in love with the actress April June with an angelic face. He does not know what a pill she really is. Everyone in Hollywood other than Reggie knows that she has her claws on him and only a miracle could save him.
A miracle or a personality switcheroo. Either one would do.
Joey is the heartthrob of American mothers, as wholesome as apple pie, milk and cookies. OK I am running out of cliches. Little do people know that he is hedged on all sides from having fun. All he wants to do is hang loose and play like other kids with other kids. Sadly he has a face like an angel and has to maintain appearances. Reggie now experiences this constrained life.
Joel also has several grudges and this switcheroo was an opportunity of a lifetime.
I forgot to mention, Reggie is ugly, I mean ugly like a Gorilla. Let there be no miscommunication, even Gorilla's were known to flinch and avert their gaze when presented with the sight of Reggie. One more thing; Reggie is very muscular and a very good boxer. Joey, now the possessor of Reggie's body, intends to flex those muscles.
Payback time!!
The only saving grace from Reggie's point of view was Ann Bannister. Making a long story short, several years ago, Ann and Reggie used to be engaged and for convoluted reasons concerning Reggie's feet, they brokeup. Now she is in Hollywood and engaged to Reggie's cousin. She likes Joey and takes care of him and after the switcherro unknowingly takes care of Reggie.
All in all a really nice story. Read it.
OK, I made one mistake in assessing this story to be worthy of a Bollywood movie. This story has an ugly hero and if we have learned one thing about Bollywood heroes, they are anything but ugly!!
First there is the story of two people whose personalities do a switcheroo. Reginald, Reggie for short, The Third Earl of Havershot, and Joey Cooley, child film star go to the dentist in pain. When they are being giving the Laughing Gas, a comic accident, oops I mean cosmic accident happens and Lord Havershot takes residence in Joey's body and Joey now possesses the body of Reggie. Hence the title.
Next, Reggie is in love with the actress April June with an angelic face. He does not know what a pill she really is. Everyone in Hollywood other than Reggie knows that she has her claws on him and only a miracle could save him.
A miracle or a personality switcheroo. Either one would do.
Joey is the heartthrob of American mothers, as wholesome as apple pie, milk and cookies. OK I am running out of cliches. Little do people know that he is hedged on all sides from having fun. All he wants to do is hang loose and play like other kids with other kids. Sadly he has a face like an angel and has to maintain appearances. Reggie now experiences this constrained life.
Joel also has several grudges and this switcheroo was an opportunity of a lifetime.
I forgot to mention, Reggie is ugly, I mean ugly like a Gorilla. Let there be no miscommunication, even Gorilla's were known to flinch and avert their gaze when presented with the sight of Reggie. One more thing; Reggie is very muscular and a very good boxer. Joey, now the possessor of Reggie's body, intends to flex those muscles.
Payback time!!
The only saving grace from Reggie's point of view was Ann Bannister. Making a long story short, several years ago, Ann and Reggie used to be engaged and for convoluted reasons concerning Reggie's feet, they brokeup. Now she is in Hollywood and engaged to Reggie's cousin. She likes Joey and takes care of him and after the switcherro unknowingly takes care of Reggie.
All in all a really nice story. Read it.
OK, I made one mistake in assessing this story to be worthy of a Bollywood movie. This story has an ugly hero and if we have learned one thing about Bollywood heroes, they are anything but ugly!!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Summer Lightning
Any book with Lord Emsworth, Galahad, Beech, Lady Constance, Efficient Baxter, and the queen of pigs, Empress of Blandings cannot but be entertaining. This one is no exception.
Lord Emsworth - Does not enjoy being tied to his office on a good day or any other day. A time well spent, according to him, would be gazing at his prized pig, Empress of Blandings.
Galahad - Pelican. Lord Emsworth's brother. Writing his memoirs. The thought of this makes strong men, pillars of society, blanch. Especially a book that describes in embarrassing details their youthful peccadilloes.
Lady Constance Keeble - Lord Emsworth bossy sister. Lord Emsworth would prefer an ocean between them, the Atlantic to be precise.
Lady Julia Fish - Another (sob) sister.
Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe - Came into the title late in life. Since this was not a danger in early life, he was apt to cut loose. Since he makes several appearances in Galahad's memoirs, none of them complimentary, he is petrified as he should be.
Hugo Carmody - Former co-proprietor of a now defunct night club, forced to take a job as Secretary to Lord Emsworth. Loves Miss Millicent. Likes dancing.
Millicent - Lord Emsworth, Galahad, and Lady Constance's niece. Loves Hugo and is jealous of anyone he dances with.
Ronnie Fish - Also former co-proprietor of the same defunct night club. He is in love with a chorus girl. Naturally his family does not approve of this.
Sue Brown - The chorus girl and a good dancer.
Rupert Baxter - Secretary bar none although Lord Emsworth would love to bar him from Blandings. Prone to throw flower pot at people when aroused which was the cause of his dismissal from Lord Emsworth's service while ago.
George Cyril Wellbeloved - Lord Emsworth former pig man. Pigs love him but he loves alcohol and money.
Percy Pilbeam - He is a pill, I mean an ugly pill. He is also a detective. If you need to steal any compromising love letters or memoirs, he is the man for the job.
Lord Emsworth - Does not enjoy being tied to his office on a good day or any other day. A time well spent, according to him, would be gazing at his prized pig, Empress of Blandings.
Galahad - Pelican. Lord Emsworth's brother. Writing his memoirs. The thought of this makes strong men, pillars of society, blanch. Especially a book that describes in embarrassing details their youthful peccadilloes.
Lady Constance Keeble - Lord Emsworth bossy sister. Lord Emsworth would prefer an ocean between them, the Atlantic to be precise.
Lady Julia Fish - Another (sob) sister.
Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe - Came into the title late in life. Since this was not a danger in early life, he was apt to cut loose. Since he makes several appearances in Galahad's memoirs, none of them complimentary, he is petrified as he should be.
Hugo Carmody - Former co-proprietor of a now defunct night club, forced to take a job as Secretary to Lord Emsworth. Loves Miss Millicent. Likes dancing.
Millicent - Lord Emsworth, Galahad, and Lady Constance's niece. Loves Hugo and is jealous of anyone he dances with.
Ronnie Fish - Also former co-proprietor of the same defunct night club. He is in love with a chorus girl. Naturally his family does not approve of this.
Sue Brown - The chorus girl and a good dancer.
Rupert Baxter - Secretary bar none although Lord Emsworth would love to bar him from Blandings. Prone to throw flower pot at people when aroused which was the cause of his dismissal from Lord Emsworth's service while ago.
George Cyril Wellbeloved - Lord Emsworth former pig man. Pigs love him but he loves alcohol and money.
Percy Pilbeam - He is a pill, I mean an ugly pill. He is also a detective. If you need to steal any compromising love letters or memoirs, he is the man for the job.
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