#jeeves in the springtime

[thethirdromana]

OK, we can't do an outfit disagreement poll this time around because there was no outfit disagreement :( but I would like a poll regardless, so:

[eirinstiva]

Two for the price of one

Second part of "Jeeves in the Springtime" and what was the plan? Bingo Little should read some romantic novels to his uncle to prepare for a relationship between different classes.

Old Little had jibbed somewhat at first at the proposed change of literary diet, he not being much of a lad for fiction and having stuck hitherto exclusively to the heavier monthly reviews; but Bingo had got chapter one of “All for Love” past his guard before he knew what was happening, and after that there was nothing to it.

Mmm... this is good!!! Keep going, Bingo.

“And, by the way,” said Bingo, “he wants you to lunch with him tomorrow.” “Me? Why me? He doesn’t know I exist.” “Oh, yes, he does. I’ve told him about you.” “What have you told him?” “Oh, various things. Anyhow, he wants to meet you. And take my tip, laddie⁠—you go! I should think lunch tomorrow would be something special.”

This is suspicious... or as we say in Chilean:

“Oh, that’s all right. I just rang up to explain. The fact is, old man, I know you won’t mind, but I told him that you were the author of those books I’ve been reading to him.” “What!” “Yes, I said that ‘Rosie M. Banks’ was your pen-name, and you didn’t want it generally known, because you were a modest, retiring sort of chap. He’ll listen to you now. Absolutely hang on your words. A brightish idea, what? I doubt if Jeeves in person could have thought up a better one than that. 

Look at this man! Bingo looks so calm, so happy. Poor Bertie has to deal with something rummy, I guess. I think it's a good idea, but I don't know if it's a good idea to change Jeeves' plan without telling him, until know he's the one planning everything for Bertie and his friends.

“Not yet. But I propose to enter upon that holy state almost immediately. The lady who for years has cooked so well for me honoured me by accepting my hand this very morning.” A cold gleam of triumph came into his eye. “Now let ’em try to get her away from me!” he muttered, defiantly.

I told you!!! I'm so happy for Old Little and Miss Watson, but now Bingo lost his allowance and Jeeves lost his fiancée... so sad...

“To tell you the truth, sir, I was not wholly averse from a severance of my relations with Miss Watson. In fact, I greatly desired it. I respect Miss Watson exceedingly, but I have seen for a long time that we were not suited. Now, the other young person with whom I have an understanding⁠—”

Sospechosa la wea...

“For some weeks, sir. I was greatly attracted by her when I first met her at a subscription dance at Camberwell.” “My sainted aunt! Not⁠—” Jeeves inclined his head gravely. “Yes, sir. By an odd coincidence it is the same young person that young Mr. Little⁠—I have placed the cigarettes on the small table. Good night, sir.”

MABEL!!!

The woman with the weird fashion test? Considering that Jeeves left his previous work for the bad taste of his master, I don't see a bright future in this relationship.

Recap: Jeeves got two couples and one heartbroken Bingo with just one scheme. Amazing job, Jeeves!

[cucumbermoon]

Only a Factory Girl

I want to talk about Jeeves and "his aunt's" romance novels. Let me restate that. I want to talk about Jeeves and "his aunt's" romance novels that are all specifically on the theme of class-defying love.

I want to talk about Jeeves and how he disapproves of everything that Bertie does that in any way undermines his status as a member of the nobility (no banjoleles, no purple socks, no cummerbunds). I want to talk about how he despises communism, how he adores titles, how he is England's staunchest supporter of established class structures – but, oddly, he completely approves of any and all instances when a member of the noblesse marries a someone of a lower class. Yes, Lord Yaxley should marry a barmaid. Yes, Mortimer Little should marry his cook. Yes, Biffy should marry a model (who happens to be Jeeves' niece). No, none of them should ever, ever wear department store hats, but yes, they should marry "beneath" themselves whenever possible.

I want to talk about Jeeves and how he knows the intricate plot details and even specific scenes in "his aunt's" romance novels. I don't know about you, but I don't know what books my aunt reads. I definitely don't know all of the titles, plots, and key scenes. I want to talk about how he knew for certain that "his aunt" would be able to lend him every single one of the novels in question within a single day. I want to talk about how he knew that reading those particular novels would inspire an otherwise conservative and hide-bound upholder of the social order to change his views completely.

I want to talk about Jeeves, retiring to his room to read a few pages of an improving book before bed. Yes, sometimes it's Spinoza. But sometimes, it's not.

[eirinstiva]

Yeah... In Wooster's dreams Bertie is the knight and Jeeves is his squire. Or Bertie the knight and Jeeves as a magical sword

(-screams-)

You know that sort of feeling you get on these days . . . when the sky’s a light blue, with cotton-wool clouds, and there’s a bit of a breeze blowing from the west? Kind of uplifted feeling. Romantic, if you know what I mean. I’m not much of a ladies’ man, but on this particular morning it seemed to me that what I really wanted was some charming girl to buzz up and ask me to save her from assassins or something.

Obsessed with how frequently Bertie gets in a specific “I’m not into kissing girls or any of that BUT I’m in a knight in shining armor mood.”

Why yes, Bertie, I do know what it’s like to not be straight but to get in the Heroic Spirit

[transtranslations]

Nobody Expects The Japanese Jooster: Some Fun Translation Notes

Hey, guys. Are y'all aware that in the Japanese translation of "Bertie Changes His Mind", the line where Jeeves says "I'm fond of Mr. Wooster" is translated as 「私はウースター様が好きでございます」 (or, "watakushi wa Wooster-sama ga suki de gozaimasu")? Because I'm sure not normal about this.

Tl;dr: this line now reads like a love confession. (If an amusingly keigo-ridden love confession, because even in his internal dialogue Jeeves is physically incapable of not sounding aggressively polite.) More under the cut.

Now, please note that I am not fluent in Japanese, so take all my words with a grain of salt. But I have, at the very least studied it for several years, am currently living in Japan, and have listened to a great number of Japanese love songs. And this is how I would like to share that if you "ga suki" a person, this can and very often does mean you are in love with them.

Technically, "suki" just means "like". If you like apples, you'd say "ringo ga suki". If say, tennis is your favorite sport, you'd say "tenisu wa watashi no ichiban suki na supootsu" - with "ichiban suki" literally meaning "number one like". "Daisuki", or "big like", is the one that is often used for love - but boy is just plain "suki" used a hell of a lot.

Take this translation of "Ano Yume o Nazotte" (or "Tracing That Dream"), for example. Here, the translator has written it literally as "I like you", but contextually the song makes it pretty probable that it's a confession of romantic love. Or have a look at the Project Diva translation of "Suki Kirai" ("Like-Dislike" or "Love-Hate"), which makes "suki"'s usage in romantic love quite clear. There's even a whole conversation about the subject of love confession and translation in The Great Ace Attorney - this links to a fan-translated Let's Play so the original Japanese dialogue is visible, but the conversation happens similarly in the official localized version, though it manifests a bit differently. Regardless, both versions discuss "suki" as used to confess feelings of love.

What I'm saying is, wow, holy shit, Tamaki Morimura made a rather strong choice when using "suki". Because no matter the intent, that potential implication is absolutely going to be present in a reader's mind. And if you're wondering why I know this in the first place, it's because this line is used (in very slightly altered form, as "Wooster-sama" is exchanged for "the young master") in the manga, Please, Jeeves, which in large part uses Morimura's translation for its text, and... well. Let's just say our good pal Bun Katsuta seems to rather leaned into that with the expression.

Yeah.

And this goes in tandem with other aspects of the manga, like an added line that, to my knowledge, is not present anywhere in the original text (certainly not in the story that chapter adapts, "Jeeves in the Springtime"), in which Jeeves says that Bertie's shortcomings do not prevent him from being "beloved as a person". Not to mention the other choices the manga makes, such as having Jeeves wink at Bertie incessantly, or occasionally having hearts float around Bertie when he talks about Jeeves, or the panel at the end of "Without the Option where I swear to God it looks like Jeeves is trying to reach for Bertie's hand.

So, between the official translation and the manga adaptation, I'm not saying we have a Spanish Destiel situation on our hands... but I'm certainly implying it.

(My final note is that this is one of the favorite book series of Empress Emeritus Michiko. Which, with this added context, is very funny to me. I wish she had an open email address so I could ask her if she thinks they're in love.)

[wistfulcynic]

RULES: list 5 of your favorite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

tagged by @thisonesatellite and i will play along because it sounds fun but also (passive aggressively) say that i have very low expectations for my alleged followers who are allegedly seeing my posts but interact so rarely that i have come to doubt their existence. Prove your reality, followers, and click my poll

zero pressure tags (mostly because i want to see what books they choose) for @ohmightydevviepuu @shireness-says @optomisticgirl @phiralovesloki @initiala @thejollyroger-writer @idoltina @spartanguard @chocolatepot @werewolf-transgenderism @avelera and @insteading

[funnuraba]

RUPERT BAXTER: the man, physically

SOMETHING FRESH: Wiry-haired, with rimless spectacles and a sharp nose (glasses are steel-rimmed in later appearances)

LEAVE IT TO PSMITH:

Swarthy and thick-set with a bad complexion (bad complexion never mentioned again; possibly another early-century subtlety I'm not getting?) Also a "domelike" brow, which Wodehouse associates phrenologically with intelligence (see Jeeves and Sir Roderick Glossop)

“Dark” and “swarthy” are both used regularly, but in the time and context of the stories this means a white guy with dark hair who tans instead of burning—unfortunately if he were a man of color there would be quite a different description. As we know from Wodehouse himself.

Thick-set is also tricky to nail down—LitP describes it as a trait that makes him less pleasant to look at than Lady Constance, but then Baxter himself comments mentally on R. Jones being fat.

SUMMER LIGHTNING:

Heavy eyebrows

UNCLE FRED IN THE SPRINGTIME:

Sturdy and well-knit, apparently comparable to Ricky Gilpin in frame if not musculature?!?!

Square jaw

THE CRIMEWAVE AT BLANDINGS has him using a “throaty baritone” when screaming in pain, whereas Uncle Fred has him singing in a “pleasant tenor”. A typical Wodehousian inconsistency. He also develops trouble with smiling, period, which wasn't a problem back in Something Fresh.

[bookshelf-in-progress]

"Tattercoats" and/or "Sir Arthur and the Cat's Boots," please?

I'm probably going to completely overhaul my "Tattercoats" retelling when I get back to it, but here's a section that I keep trying to retain in my drafts (over-written though it may be).

Weak with despair, I didn’t have enough strength to climb the final hill. Halfway up, I fell to my knees, sprawled facedown in the grass, and sobbed. How could I have been so foolish? Grandfather spent nineteen years hating me. How did I think he could forgive me in one day? How could he have mercy on a girl whose first act was to kill the woman who gave her life? I was born a murderess; such a crime could not be forgiven. I would live in this prison for the rest of my life. My grief choked me, making it hard to breathe. I sank deeper into the darkness—hearing nothing, seeing nothing, feeling nothing but my own despair. If the sun still shone, I couldn’t see it. If the spring still reigned, it was too far away to touch me. I was deep in a pit, with no hope of escape. I suddenly understood why Grandfather spent so many years weeping. With hope, one could stay strong. But when hope was gone, the source of happiness forever out of reach? Tears were the only possible escape. Distantly, through the darkness, I heard a faint tune. A piping whistle, like the first lark in spring, reminding me of a world where birds existed, and the springtime sun. I remembered that the sun was shining. I felt its warmth upon my skin. A low flutter of notes made me aware of the soft grass beneath me, made me think of the geese peacefully grazing on warm summer days. A high trill reminded me of seabirds soaring over ocean waves, and called up an image of waves that sparkled in the springtime sun. How could I feel sorrow with such riches in the world? It was a shame to waste a day like this on weeping. With a shuddering gasp, I lifted my head and opened my eyes to see Augie sitting cross-legged in the grass beside me, playing a tune on his pipe. I let the music wash over me, soothing my sorrows, until I found the strength to sit up. Augie lowered his pipe, and the song faded away. “Better?” he asked. I nodded. “Thank you.” Augie could work wonders with that pipe, coaxing an orchestra’s worth of sounds from a simple hand-carved piece of wood. His songs never failed to bring me comfort, but his talents were near-miraculous to bring me back from such despair.

I don't have any prose that's worth sharing from the Sir Arthur story, but I could give a summary of what I want to do with it.

It's a retelling of "Puss in Boots" as a Jeeves and Wooster story. Sir Arthur's friend Gilligan comes to him (and his cat, Boots) with a problem. He's in love with a girl and wants to marry her, but he needs her father's approval. Since he'd just been named the Marquess of Carabas--with title, land, frightfully ancient castle, the whole works--he thought it'd be the easiest thing in the world to get her father's blessing. Unfortunately, her father's one of these big self-made businessmen who believes people should earn their fortunes through "hard work" and "talent", so unless Gilligan has gained something through his own effort, he won't get her father's blessing.

Boots advises Gilligan to take credit for the recent death of an ogre that had been terrorizing the countryside--he can say that he won his castle and lands back by outwitting and overpowering the monster. Gilligan takes his advice and it works like a charm--at least until the ogre's brother shows up wanting revenge.

[gentlemansgentleman]

ABOUT

Name: Reginald Jeeves

Occupation: Valet

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 35

Orientation: Pansexual

Employment history: In his youth, Jeeves worked as a page boy at a girls' school. After that, a batman (a soldier assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant,) in the military.

Before entering Bertie Wooster’s service, Jeeves was employed as a valet by Lord Frederick Ranelagh, Lord Worplesdon, (resigning after nearly a year because of Worplesdon's eccentric choice of evening dress,) Mr. Digby Thistleton (later Lord Bridgnorth), who sold hair tonic, Mr. Montague-Todd, (a financier who is now in the second year of a prison term, and Lord Brancaster, (who gave port-soaked seedcake to his pet parrot.)

He is currently employed as a valet (not a butler; that is, he is responsible for serving an individual, whereas a butler is responsible for a household,) to Bertie Wooster.

Skills: Jeeves presents the ideal image of the gentlemanly manservant, being highly competent, dignified, and respectful. One of his skills is moving silently and unobtrusively from room to room. According to Bertie, Jeeves noiselessly "floats" and "shimmers.” In addition to being a proficient valet, Jeeves can serve capably as a butler, and does so on a few occasions.

Jeeves has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and academic subjects. He frequently quotes from Shakespeare and the romantic poets. As a result of his smooth words and romantic notions, he has a wide range of lovers. Often mingling with the maids, cooks, butlers, and valets of other wealthy households, he's well versed in the gossip of the local upper class and frequently used this insider knowledge to the benefit of himself and his current employer, Bertie Wooster.

One of Jeeves's greatest skills is making a special drink of his own invention, a strong beverage which momentarily stuns one's senses but is very effective in curing hangovers. Not simply a hangover cure, the drink can also give energy to someone who needs it, yet calm down someone who is agitated. Additionally, Jeeves is capable of typing and writing shorthand.

Jeeves has knowledge in more dubious subjects as well. He is well-informed about how to steal paintings and kidnap dogs. Capable of action when the situation calls for it, Jeeves uses a golf club to knock out Sippy Sipperley in "The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy", and takes down a swan with a raincoat and boathook in "Jeeves and the Impending Doom". After Jeeves uses a cosh to knock out Constable Dobbs, an astonished Bertie describes Jeeves as "something that would be gratefully accepted as a muscle guy by any gang on the lookout for new blood".

Hobbies: Jeeves often reads intellectual, "improving" books, including the works of Spinoza, Shakespeare, and "Dostoevsky and the great Russians". He also enjoys the works of romance novelistists, and regularly reads The Times.

In "Jeeves in the Springtime", he went dancing in Camberwell, where he was seen by Bertie's friend Bingo Little. Bingo says that he saw Jeeves "swinging a dashed efficient shoe.” Once a week, Jeeves takes the afternoon off to play bridge at his club, the Junior Ganymede.

One of Jeeves's hobbies is fishing, which he tends to do during his annual summer holiday. Appreciating travel in general, Jeeves wants to go on a cruise in two different stories. Jeeves occasionally enjoys gambling.

[cuddyclothes]

The estimable @vtsuion asked where in the novels is it mentioned that Jeeves is a good dancer. It’s in the short story, “Jeeves In The Springtime”, the story where he gets engaged to both the cook and the waitress. Bertie is talking to Bingo. This also mentions that Jeeves was selling tickets for the dance.

“You don’t think she’s the most wonderful girl you ever saw?” he said, wistfully.

“Oh, absolutely!” I said, to appease the blighter. “Where did you meet her?”

“At a subscription dance at Camberwell.”

“What on earth were you doing at a subscription dance at Camberwell?”

“Your man Jeeves asked me if I would buy a couple of tickets. It was in aid of some charity or other.”

“Jeeves? I didn’t know he went in for that sort of thing.”

“Well, I suppose he has to relax a bit every now and then. Anyway, he was there, swinging a dashed efficient shoe.”

For much more of Wodehouse’s work, including the Jeeves short stories, Madame Eulalie has an enormous collection of his writing. Click on the name.

[nekoconsumeme]

Springtime, rustic style!

[thethirdromana]

Bertie is obviously being a massive, objectionable snob in Jeeves in the Springtime, but Bingo's lunch is a lot. I mean the main thing that strikes me is that this is food designed to fuel workers, not provide a dainty lunch for the idle rich.

Veal and ham pie on the left, which Bingo eats, steak pudding on the right, which he suggests to Bertie.

Bingo also has fruit cake and macaroons.

Whereas he used to prefer fillet of sole with mushrooms:

My main takeaway from this is that writing this post has made me hungry.

[eirinstiva]

Season of love

¡Ha llegado carta! A new letter regarding Jeeves

What ho, readers! Now, some time ago I went on and published a dollop of these stories in a collection called The Inimitable Jeeves. Published them in several collections, really, but this one’s important because I’d chopped them up a bit for it and added some nice connective tissue. This bit of yarn you’re giving the eyeball is the version from that collection, except it’s been rather un-chopped - but when chopped it still remained, the two bits of chop were titled "Jeeves Exerts the Old Cerebellum" and "No Wedding Bells for Bingo". So if any old bird refers to them by either, well. It’s the same old story but in bits.

Best note ever.

Most fellows, no doubt, are all for having their valets confine their activities to creasing trousers and whatnot without trying to run the home; but it’s different with Jeeves. Right from the first day he came to me, I have looked on him as a sort of guide, philosopher, and friend.

Jeeves should add "fashion advisor" to his resume. Jeeves and Wooster are back in the UK, and their relationship is well established but Bertie insists on not following Jeeves' fashion advice before buying clothes. It would be a funny activity for both of them.

This time we had the chance to meet Bingo Little, and I'm sure he is another unique man.

So that it was a bit of an anticlimax when I merely ran into young Bingo Little, looking perfectly foul in a crimson satin tie decorated with horseshoes.

Something like this? btw this is a dog collar:

For I realised now that poor old Bingo was going through it once again. Ever since I have known him⁠—and we were at school together⁠—he has been perpetually falling in love with someone, generally in the spring, which seems to act on him like magic. 

I know at least three men that fits this description: a new girlfriend each spring, but at least none of them ask for advice to their friend who is "not much of a ladies’ man".

Side note:

Happy International Asexuality Day ♠ (April 6th)

Back into business:

Bingo fell in love with a waitress he met on a dance, same place where Jeeves went to have a good time and show how the floats on the dancefloor. Nice!

“What I wish you would do is to put the whole thing to that fellow Jeeves of yours, and see what he suggests. You’ve often told me that he has helped other pals of yours out of messes. From what you tell me, he’s by way of being the brains of the family.”

I just find fun that everybody in Wooster' social circle knows how smart is Jeeves. Bertie likes to show off his valet. Also, Jeeves has experience in the matters of heart ♥:

“I am on terms of some intimacy with the elder Mr. Little’s cook, sir. In fact, there is an understanding.” I’m bound to say that this gave me a bit of a start. Somehow I’d never thought of Jeeves going in for that sort of thing. “Do you mean you’re engaged?” “It may be said to amount to that, sir.” “Well, well!”

And, as always, Jeeves has a interesting strategy:

“The method which I advocate is what, I believe, the advertisers call Direct Suggestion, sir, consisting as it does of driving an idea home by constant repetition. You may have had experience of the system?” “You mean they keep on telling you that some soap or other is the best, and after a bit you come under the influence and charge round the corner and buy a cake?” “Exactly, sir. The same method was the basis of all the most valuable propaganda during the recent war.

Which war? You know, that war (waves hand vaguely).

Will the power of romantic books win? I don't know, let's see what happens in the next letter.

[cucumbermoon]

It is really fun to think about!

My HC is that a genetically enhanced Bertie would be a lot like Bashir! Bertie actually does read medical texts for fun in the books; he mentions in in The Tie That Binds. He's also very interested in literature. He quotes Romantic poetry in one of the earliest stories (Jeeves in Springtime), before Jeeves ever does. He likes tennis, too, and darts. He likes mystery novels. He's very empathetic and cares about people deeply. He will do absolutely anything for his friends, even if it's dangerous and he doesn't want to. He has a strict code of ethics that he sticks to at all costs. He has obsessions that make him forget everything else (the banjolele, for instance).

He's just not all that intelligent or coordinated. If someone took him and made him a genetically enhanced super genius, I think he could totally become a doctor. I do think you're right that he's probably more easily likable than Bashir, but on the other hand, plenty of people seem to hate him in the stories and find him intensely annoying (Watkin Basset, Rodericks Glossop and Spode, Aunt Agatha, and Stilton Cheesewright all come to mind).

More evidence for my theory that Dr. Bashir and Bertie Wooster are basically the same person.

[quote-homines]

‘You were absolutely right about the weather. It is a juicy morning.’ ‘Decidedly, sir.’ ‘Spring and all that.’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘In the spring, Jeeves, a livelier iris gleams upon the burnished dove.’ ‘So I have been informed, sir.’ ‘Right ho! Then bring me my whangee, my yellowest shoes, and the old green Homburg. I’m going into the park to do pastoral dances.’

The Inimitable Jeeves, P. G. Wodehouse

[isfjmel-phleg]

Illustrations by T. D. Skidmore for P. G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves in the Springtime” in Cosmopolitan, December 1921.