#rupert psmith

[allieinarden]

If I had a nickel for every time some troublemaking little punk canonically grew up to become a really good attorney I would actually have three nickels but I won’t be satisfied until I can change a whole quarter.

[aceredshirt13]

something very transmasc about the fact that monocles were largely an object of men’s fashion (unless you were a lesbian or G. E. M. Anscombe) and mostly fell out of fashion when glasses technology improved and it was thus easier to have different strengths in each lens. your vision needs correction but you wear glasses because it’s not terribly socially acceptable to wear the thing you wish you could wear, that you want to wear… and when you finally can and do wear it, it quite literally changes your view of the world for the better.

anyway this is why I think Psmith and Lord Peter Wimsey are transmasc -

[lesbworth]

if gay marriage had been legal in edwardian england, psmith and mike would have got married for tax benefits

[isfjmel-phleg]

@healerqueen asked:

I haven't been around long enough to hear you say all of it, so I'd like to hear it. I'm an uninitiated reader who hasn't read much Wodehouse. I haven't heard about Psmith as much as other Wodehouse. I'd like to know the basics and hear a pitch for why it's worth reading. I'd also like some tips for a first-time reader. Is it a good introduction to Wodehouse?

The Psmith series was my introduction to Wodehouse. These books may not be the most typical of Wodehouse's work in general, but the humor and characterization was enough to make me interested in reading more. I would consider the final book, Leave It to Psmith, as a good example of Wodehouse at his best. It's a light romance/heist story, with lots of convoluted plot twists and connections, witty language, and distinctive characterization.

Anyway, the Psmith series came out of a period when Wodehouse near the beginning of his writing career was moving away from the school stories that he had been writing for boys' magazines and toward writing for adults. The first Psmith book is the last and best of his school stories. Known most often as Mike and Psmith today, it was the sequel to a story serialized as Jackson Junior, about the schoolboy Mike Jackson, youngest of a family of cricketing brothers, and his struggles with school sports politics and his relationship with his next-oldest brother, who is less talented than him. You don't have to read this story to understand the Psmith series (there is a lot of cricket in it). All you need to know at the beginning of Mike and Psmith is that Mike Jackson is an excellent cricketer but a terrible student, so his father pulls him out of his school and sends him to a smaller, more academically focused school.

Where he meets Rupert Psmith, who has been sent there for similar reasons. Psmith is an immaculately-dressed, monocled teenager who adopts a world-weary air, has a distinctively grandiose style of speech, and has added a silent p to his surname to make it more dinstinguished. He also happens to be a brilliant social manipulator who can talk his way into and out of just about any situation. He and Mike hit it off at once, and the subsequent story is about their friendship as Psmith tries to get Mike out of scrapes and the both of them try to avoid the indignity of getting roped onto their hated new school's cricket team. Hilarity ensues.

The next book, Psmith in the City, involves Mike and Psmith having to work at a London bank instead of going to university as previously intended. Neither of them want to be there, so the story is about how they survive the ordeal (particularly Psmith's ongoing battle of wits with their tyrannical boss) and how Psmith ultimately gets them out of it. Very hilarious, but also poignant at times.

This was folllowed by Psmith, Journalist, in which Psmith joins Mike on a cricket tour of the US and, on a visit to New York City, manages to turn a magazine called Cosy Moments into a platform for exposing horrific living conditions in the tenements, which inadvertently gets him involved in a gang war. This is the weakest of the series, with some content that hasn't aged well and much less emphasis on Mike and Psmith's friendship (Mike is absent for much of it), but it contains some hilarious scenes, such as Psmith's trying to pass off Mike as a renowned cat expert to a hard-bitten gangster with a soft spot for cats.

These three all appeared in a British boys' magazine around 1908-10 and are set around that time. They were not published in America until much later, so when Wodehouse at the insistence of his daughter wrote a new Psmith story in 1923 to be serialized in an American publication, the Saturday Evening Post, he assumed that his audience would be unfamiliar with the character and wrote the story in a way that could work as a standalone, while still fitting in with the previous works. Leave It to Psmith is about how Psmith, having lost his father and the family fortune, is looking for employment as an alternative to working in his uncle's dreary fish business. He ends up getting hired to come to Blandings Castle in the guise of a terrible Canadian poet to steal a diamond necklace for reasons that will ultimately benefit the recently married Mike and his wife. It also turns out that the newly hired librarian at Blandings happens to be Eve Halliday, whom Psmith has decided he is in love with after he sees her caught in the rain and gives her an umbrella (...that doesn't belong to him. long story), and he jumps at the chance to be near her. The result is convoluted hilarity to an even greater degree than previous stories, with a happy ending. Psmith never appears in another Wodehouse story again.

I wrote a series of posts last year about why I like each book--Mike and Psmith; Psmith in the City; Psmith, Journalist; and Leave It to Psmith--if you'd like more about my personal affection for the series. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but they meant a lot to me during a difficult time in my life.

And you further asked:

I noticed a reference to Blandings Castle in the first page of the Psmith typeset you posted. Does Blandings appear in several of Wodehouses's books? Are the separate series interconnected?

Yes, Blandings Castle is a recurring location in Wodehouse's books. It crosses over with multiple of his series. Leave It to Psmith is the fourth Psmith book, but it is also the second Blandings Castle book, if that makes any sense. (You do not need to read Something New / Something Fresh to understand Leave It to Psmith, by the way.) The character Uncle Fred first appears in a non-Blandings short story but would become a recurring character in the series. None of the characters from the Jeeves series appear at Blandings, but both series do occur in the same fictional universe.

These are all the books in which Blandings Castle appears:

Something New / Something Fresh (1915) (the former is the original US edition, the latter signficantly revised for the UK)

Leave it to Psmith (1923)

Blandings Castle and Elsewhere (1935) (first six short stories, set between Leave It to Psmith and Summer Lightning)

Summer Lightning (1929)

Heavy Weather (1933)

Lord Emsworth and Others (1937) (short story: "The Crime Wave at Blandings")

Uncle Fred in the Springtime (1939)

Full Moon (1947)

Nothing Serious (1950) (short story: "Birth of a Salesman")

Pigs Have Wings (1952)

Service with a Smile (1961)

Galahad at Blandings (1965)

Plum Pie (1966) (short story: "Sticky Wicket at Blandings")

A Pelican at Blandings (1969)

Sunset at Blandings (1977) (unfinished after Wodehouse's death)

I consider the earlier stories (Something New through Uncle Fred in the Springtime) to be the best; the prose is particularly excellent and they seem less consciously formulaic than the later installments. But there are many people who enjoy the later books a lot too. It's a matter of taste.

[funnuraba]

What PG Wodehouse character is getting pegged THE MOST (either post-marriage or in a setting where premarital sex is acceptable)? For butterflies such as Gussie, you may take both partners into account if you wish. Individuals such as Tom Travers will not be considered as they have an unfair advantage due to age.

Write-in votes for, e.g., Mulliner or Golf characters, Monty Bodkin, Spode, are also accepted, but you'll have to show your work for Spode.

[someitems]

Dear Yuletide Author 2022

I’m so excited that it’s Yuletide time once again, and I can’t wait to see what you create!

Do not wants/dislikes: No E-rated fic, please (M or lower is fine). If a character is injured, hospitalized or suffers a medical emergency in the fic, please warn/tag for it even if it’s a minor character and even if it spoils the plot.

What I like: I’m all about characterization - what makes these people tick? Why do they like each other so much? - and I’m an especially big fan of when characters who seem wildly different are inexplicably drawn to each other. In stories where I’ve requested multiple characters (or no specific characters), I’d be just as happy with an ensemble story as with something focused on one or two characters specifically. If you bring your love of the canon into your writing and focus on what makes the world and the people in it so special, I know I’ll love whatever you write!

My requests:

ヒヤマケンタロウの妊娠 | He's Expecting

Hiyama Kentaro, Seto Aki

This was my favorite show I watched in 2022, and one of my favorite shows in a long time. It was so smart and incisive on issues of gender, reproductive health care, childrearing, and misogyny, while also being wildly funny and introducing us to so many endearing, relatable characters. While I respected the show’s decision not to bring Kentaro and Aki together, it also made me a little sad because I think they would be a great couple. I’d love fic about them getting together, whether it’s during the events of the show or afterwards. Any way you want to bring them together is fine, but please try to keep it to the spirit of the show and don’t have them capitulate to social expectations for their relationship. 

消えた初恋 | Kieta Hatsukoi | Vanishing My First Love

Aida Hayato, Aoki Souta, Hashimoto Mio, Ida Kousuke

I was so charmed by this show and everyone in it. I’d really like a fic about what happens once these couples pair off and move from the initial stage of getting together to building more established relationships. How do they avoid the misunderstandings that kept them apart initially? How do their friendships with each other change now that they’re a group of two couples instead of four friends? What horrifyingly awkward high school events will they have to navigate next? I’m including all four characters here because I’d like them all to be in the fic, but whichever couple you decide to focus more on is up to you.

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

The House, Piranesi | Matthew Rose Sorenson

Piranesi hints at so many wonderful adventures in The House that take place around and before the events of the story. I’d love fic about one of those adventures, whether it’s learning a new skill, exploring a new room, or discovering a new statue. You can choose to flesh out one that’s mentioned in the story, or you can invent one of your own. You can bring in other characters if you’d like, but keep it focused on Piranesi and his relationship with The House.

Psmith - P.G. Wodehouse

Mike Jackson, Rupert Psmith

After years of being a Jeeves and Wooster stan, I finally delved into the Psmith oevre this year, and I can’t believe it took me this long. Psmith is such a funny, chaotic whirlwind of a character, and Mike is the perfect foil to him. It’s obvious to me that Psmith is in love with “Comrade Jackson”, despite their many opposite ways, and I’d love either a story about the two of them getting together, or established relationship fic where they’re navigating some shenanigans together. Anyone from Psmith’s world is fair game to include as supporting characters.

[rupertpsmith]

NOW AT COME2QUARKS

[presidentofacrater]

Hello, Mr. President! Rupert Psmith, from the Tribune, here. How confident would you say you are about the safety of our nation?

I would say I'm quiet confident in the safety of our nation. We have been working hard towards establishing peaceful relations between nations and peacefully minimising any threats to the safety of the nation.

There is no need to worry, and if any threat does arise, the populace will be alerted accordingly.

We are currently working on installing a new alert systems that takes advantage of the server's preexisting comms system as well as using alarms/sirens for more immediate threats. This emergency broadcast system will serve as a preventative measure, and is purely being installed as an early insurance to protect civilians. It also will be used in the case of natural disasters.

[gaytobymeres]

JC Leyendecker pieces that remind me of Mike and Psmith

[trainqueen379]

My project for English class.

Of course, Mike and Psmith, again

[joemerl]

“Rupert Smith is dead. Rupert Psmith is also dead. I am changing my name to Ronald.”

[ratgirl08]

Psmith fanart 

[isfjmel-phleg]

Ten characters, ten stories, ten tags

Tagged by @brown-little-robin. Thank you!

Awful Sykes (Archer's Goon)

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Philip Ransford III (The Candymakers)

Kon-El (DC Comics)

Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle--the book)

Sticky Washington (The Mysterious Benedict Society--the books)

Rupert Psmith (Wodehouse's Psmith series)

Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden)

Rachel Lennox (no relation!) (Noel Streatfeild's Shoes books)

Patric Tenthragon (Tenthragon)

Please consider yourself tagged if you would like to be!

[funnuraba]

Dreaming of a modern AU where Lady Constance is free to recommend attractive young men to Rupert Baxter because she thinks he's gay but really he's just hating. Psmith drives him to actual madness by pleasantly recommending Pride events in London every time he catches him giving the death glare

[fictionadventurer]

For the ask: 001: Star Wars; 002: your favorite Austen ship; 003: Wodehouse character of your choice.

Already answered for Star Wars.

002: Anne Elliot/Captain Wentworth

When I started shipping them: Not sure this question counts in this situation, because I went into it knowing the happy ending. If I have to pick a story point, let’s say when we find out Anne’s history with him, because once we know how much he means to her, you can’t root for her not to get what she wants.

My thoughts: I have too many. Too, too many. These two are held up as one of Austen’s great romances, yet I rarely see people get into the details of why these two are so great as characters. There are just so many things that make their dynamic so interesting. Anne’s reserved nature and Wentworth’s sociability. Wentworth’s confidence in himself versus Anne’s concern for others. Anne’s caution versus Wentworth’s recklessness. It’s just so much fun to see it explored over the course of the novel.

What makes me happy about them: I like that they have such different personalities yet appreciate each other so much, and how their strengths and weaknesses balance each other.

What makes me sad about them: That Wentworth couldn’t get over his pride and just talk to her!

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: In this case, it’s more like “innaccurate fandom takes that annoy me”. Casting Wentworth as this brooding, dour man when he’s actually cheerful and funny and charming. Acting as though Anne has had no joy and no friends in her life after rejecting Wentworth, when canon says that the Musgroves appreciated her and she appreciated them.

Things I look for in fanfic: I don’t really read Persuasion fanfic, but if I happen upon a retelling: something that pays attention to the whole story, not just the central romance.

My wishlist: I’d always love more genre retellings of Austen. For Darkness Shows the Stars is nice, but where’s my space opera Persuasion? The epic fantasy version of Persuasion? Portal fantasy Persuasion? (Ooh, there’s a possibility! I just randomly threw it out there, but it has potential!  Anne falling through to another world and falling in love until she’s convinced that it’s really a terrible idea to leave your entire universe behind, and then for some reason he winds up in her world years later...)

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Hmmm... I think Charles and Anne wouldn’t have been half bad together. They wouldn’t have been wildly happy, but it wouldn’t have been a disaster. Alternately: Anne Elliot and Henry Tilney. I think he’d appreciate her, and his outgoing nature would balance her reserve. Captain Wentworth...maybe he’d have been okay with Henrietta? It’d be another Charles situation, where it wouldn’t have been ideal, but I think Henrietta is a slightly steadier personality who could have balanced him better than Louisa could. Alternately: Captain Wentworth and Jane Fairfax. He’d make a better husband than Frank, and Jane’s got a lot of the steady qualities that would balance Wentworth’s recklessness.

My happily ever after for them: Anne gets to spend time at sea with him and no one dies in the war.

003: Rupert Psmith

How I feel about this character: I love this boy even when he’s a menace to society.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character:Eve Halliday. Not really any other viable options.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character:Mike Jackson, of course.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Is there even a big enough fandom to label opinions as unpopular? One opinion that would have been unpopular with Wodehouse: reading about Psmith as a married man would not have been boring.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Psmith vs. Jeeves.

Favorite friendship for this character: Mike Jackson, of course.

My crossover ship: Rupert Psmith meets Emma Wodehouse. I don’t think the universe would survive, but it would be a fun disaster to watch.

[allieinarden]

For the Psmith asks: ALL OF THEM (if you want)

Dang it Rebekah you already know all my answers to these. 

Favorite Psmith momentHis encounter with the only adversary he never defeated, a yo-yo.

Favorite Mike momentI love when he and Psmith are on the tram and Psmith is just complaining and complaining about being seen on a tram and Mike is like “why don’t you just get off” 

Favorite thing about Psmith His whole speech pattern, obviously. I’m also just a huge sucker for the thing where a character comes off as kind of cold to everyone but then is deeply devoted to someone highly overlookable, okay. Love that. 

Favorite thing about MikeI love how Wodehouse uses him to explore social anxiety, particularly the frustrating gap between what you want to display and how you come off. It’s very poignant, personal stuff giving ballast to a strange comedy novel and it’s why I miss Mike’s presence later on. 

Favorite secondary characterMr. Smith

Favorite minor characterI’ll go to my grave mad about the lack of Marjory Jackson. 

Favorite Mike and Psmith momentIt’s really, really hard to get back to Cricket Story Business as Usual after the increasingly bizarre aftermath of Grand Theft Spiller’s Study. 

Favorite Psmith in the City momentI always get a kick out of the Clapham Common riot. 

Favorite Psmith, Journalist momentThe “Cosy Moments cannot be muzzled” monologue is a masterpiece.

Favorite Leave It to Psmith momentI’m unwilling to nail down a favorite because something else will probably come to me later but I’m really just constantly laughing at the part where Eve finds out that Psmith was never Ralston McTodd and he immediately pitches a romance to her like, “look, literally the only thing wrong with me is that I’m not Ralston McTodd. Lots of people aren’t Ralston McTodd”

Favorite antagonistBickersdyke is Psmith’s natural enemy in the wild. I like Downing a lot too, he’s got Bickersdykian worthy-opponentness but he’s kind of a mensch. 

A favorite line“Never confuse the unusual and the impossible.” 

Favorite book in the seriesI have a major soft spot for Psmith in the City. 

Least favorite book in the seriesPsmith, Journalist is such an experiment and it’s great because you get stuff you don’t really see in other Wodehouse books, but at the same time I feel that Wodehouse didn’t have as deep of a sense of what he was doing in that book. I would have loved to see him revisit the theme and I really wish he hadn’t completely lost interest in doing anything similar. 

Any extra scenes you wish the books had included?I wanted to see what Psmith got up to at Cambridge. I think Wodehouse never having been there just didn’t know how to write it. 

Is there anything you’d change about any of the books?You can’t just throw me a premise like “Psmith at a poetry reading about to read a poem he only pretended he wrote” and then INTERRUPT IT. 

Any headcanons about the events/characters in the books?Too many. 

Any headcanons about what happens after the end of the series?I refuse to believe that Psmith and Eve didn’t at some point go on a nice vacation somewhere and get involved in an Agatha Christie-style country house murder mystery. 

Any ideas of what a [insert suggestion here] AU would look like?You must be new here. 

A favorite moment of character development?Psmith stuff aside, I really love the moment between Mike and his dad near the beginning of City where Mike goes from a dumb kid who wants to play cricket to someone ready to put his own desires aside and support his family. 

An underrated/easily overlooked moment/scene?Ah, I always thought the scene in M&P where Psmith pretty much tells Mike that he needs an audience to live (“Don’t interrupt too much”) was sweet. I like how Mike’s non-answer is actually an answer—no smile, no reaction of any kind other than to tilt his hat over his eyes and listen. It’s just one of those moments that illuminates a dynamic for a second and it makes you understand why Psmith is fond of the guy. 

What do you like best about the Psmith series?It’s weird to use the phrase “down to earth” in any Psmith-related capacity, but here I go—it’s a low-key world in which Psmith is the only weird element, vs. Wodehouse’s later books where everything and everyone was weird. Blandings Castle is always sunny but Psmith’s world has bad weather and boring office environments. I’m most drawn to this series when the world in which I find myself is at its most prosaic, because Wodehouse finds the potential for something else in those settings, whether it’s the hilarity of the boundaries being thrown into chaos by one person who won’t respect them or just a brief moment of comfort before you head back to the cubicle. It’s a series that understands that tea is better when you have it sitting on the floor because you haven’t unpacked your stuff and you’re scooping the tea leaves up with a postcard because you can’t find any spoons, and that there’s no situation that can’t be slightly improved by just sitting on the furniture a little wrong. 

Talk about anything you want related to the seriesLike I said, it’s hard to go back to normal school stuff after the aftermath of the study theft because when Psmith threw that guy out the window you KNEW all bets were off.