What: Although Much Obliged, Jeeves comes near the end of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster books, it's actually a good place to start. The central tangle in this installment centers on a London gentleman's club for valets. The members are required to document the exploits of their employers in the club book. When a disgruntled valet (not Jeeves) steals the book in order to sell its juicy contents, chaos breaks out. Add to that two of Bertie's former flames threatening to marry him, and you have a very nice introduction to Reginald Jeeves and his charge, Bertie Wooster --- who, despite everything, is quite a good egg.
Comparable to: See Connections below.
Representative quote: "If a girl thinks you're in love with her and says she will marry you, you can't very well voice a preference for being dead in a ditch."
You might not like it if: You experience undue anxiety about whether Bertie will manage to get out of this scrape. (Spoiler: He does.)
How to get it: I gave a little face time to a non-Overlook Press edition in the cover image above, but the Overlook edition is great, as always.
Connections to previous Wreckage: This is the first time I've spotlit a Jeeves and Wooster book, but I've already recommended two other P.G. Wodehouse novels --- Cocktail Time (Rec. #24) and Jill the Reckless (Rec. #132). And Hugh Laurie, who is famous in certain circles for portraying Bertie, wrote a book called The Gun Seller (Rec. #54).
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