"B lame it on my love of language, and blame that on my dad-the "it" being my unhealthy need for the stories of P. G. Wodehouse. The witty, wonderful, meandering, wise-cracking tales of Jeeves and Bertie; Empress of Blandings (a prize pig) and her superbly oblivious champion, the ninth Earl; Mr. Mulliner; and the rest. Jeeves, the erudite, infallible, not to mention outrageously loyal valet to Bertram Wooster, the quite undeserving but curiously endearing man about town, is likely the most famous of these characters. But they're all terrific, I assure you."
"Having enjoyed Wodehouse with my dear old pater (as PG would likely put it) in my teenage years, I grew up and put the author aside when I went to grad school, raised children, and adulted my way to the present pass, the context of which is the following: one pandemic summer, I chuckled through a volume of Wodehouse chanced upon at the cottage, and by 2022, my not-overly-delighted wife and I devoted valuable European-vacation time to searching out and visiting second-hand bookstores in hopes of finding some delectable paperback morsels. That the stock in, for example, London was not abundant surprised and reassured me. PGW's not gone out of style."
"But now it's come to this: I need to ration my Wodehouse! Can't do without the morning hit, the quick (and quickening) injection of "sunlit perfection" (Stephen Fry). To indulge too liberally would spell doom, so I limit myself to no more than three pages at a go, one go per day, with the first cup of coffee. Given this restriction, the morning Wodehouse doesn't take up much of my day, but worrying about the role it plays in my life is another matter altogether."
Early exposure to P. G. Wodehouse instilled a lifelong affection rooted in shared reading with a father. A pandemic rediscovery rekindled the habit and inspired second-hand bookstore hunts during European travel. The reader now practices strict self-control, limiting morning readings to three pages with the first cup of coffee to sustain the pleasure. The brief daily ritual offers immediate solace without consuming the day, yet the emotional significance and potential dependency on that comfort provoke ongoing reflection. Wodehouse's idyllic comedic world continues to feel restorative and resilient across generations.
Read at The Walrus
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