Piccadilly Jim

After a long break of posting episodes, Scott and Robyn are back with a book that makes them both very angry. This books us ask very pertinent questions, such as who can change a person's state room if not just that person? How many people doe we feel should be thrown over the side of the ship? Why is that character both of ours second favorite in the novel (hint: it's because everyone else is just so awful)? We're back, and you're gonna be inundated with episodes. If you're not, that's just embarrassing for me, and I'll have to edit this.

After a hiatus that was entirely Scott's fault, Robyn and Scott are back with another episode, this time talking about the short story collection, Blandings Castle and Elsewhere. The collection has six Blandings Castle stories, five Mr. Mulliner stories, and, much to Scott's consternation, one Bobbi Wickham story. As a special bonus for having to wait so long for this episode to appear, we've added even more going off the rails, including a discussion of sharts and Robyn believing that Wodehouse decided to add hallucinogens to the equation. Note: There are some slight issues with Scott's microphone, particularly in the latter half of the episode. Scott really boffed it.

In this episode, Robyn and Scott discuss Right Ho, Jeeves, Wodehouse's second Jeeves and Wooster novel. This is also the first book discussed in the podcast for which Scott told Robyn she needed to be the voice of reason, because this book, probably more than any other, makes Scott very, very angry. If listening to a middle-aged man rant about the actions perpetrated against a fictional character in a book published nearly a century ago is your thing, then this podcast will be your jam. Just don't let Angela see you eating it, because she will say something. To be fair, she might say something even if you aren't eating it.

This episode, Robyn and Scott talk about the Tales of St. Austin's, a collection of school stories published in 1903, only Wodehouse's second published books. It's about teenage boys who don't want to do school work and who do want to play rugby, and it's absolutely Robyn's favorite thing ever. That couldn't possibly be sarcasm, could it? Look, there's a reason this podcast didn't go through the books in chronoligical order. If Scott forced Robyn to read that many school books in a row, this podcast would never have lasted. You know what else didn't last? Robyn's spirit. Listen to it ebb away as we go through 12 short stories--and then finish up it with four essays about avoiding school work, footnotes, cricket, and the book Tom Brown's School Days, which we had never heard of before. Also, find out what a note-taking nerd Robyn is.

Robyn and Scott discuss The Girl in Blue, Wodehouse's 1970 novel, which, unlike most Wodehouse books, appears to be a book of its time. Although it's slightly shorter than most podcast episodes, we do seem to be able to go off on a lengthy tangent rather spectacularly. Is the American sitcom Gomer Pyle USMC a basis for one of the characters? Did Barney actually shoplift anything, or was she just the scapegoat? Justice for Barney! And justice for Homer! Do you feel like you don't know enough about Robyn's dietary restrictions? You will now. Also, Scott realizes he got what an orange pip is incorrectly.

In this episode, Scott and Robyn talk about Piccadilly Jim, a novel in which Ogden Ford from The Little Nugget is once again the target of kidnapping plans, by people who should know better since they know him. Not that the kidnapping is wrong (thought it is), but because Ogden is the worst. Or perhaps a teenager's poetry is the worst. Or is it the worst a person who criticized your poetry so hurtfully that you still hate him five years later--but don't apparently remember what he looks like? We cover these topics, as well the fine art of children discipline and marriage dynamics.

The third novel published by PG Wodehouse is a short school story that nevertheless is able to fit 43 different speaking characters into it--most of who have a large part to play in it. Robyn and Scott spend way too long trying to figure out exactly what sport the students are playing. Robyn wonders if Wodehouse is the Shakespeare of the early 20th Century when it comes to making his own phrases. Scott feels like there actually IS a good time to bully someone. And both of them wonder is a lie of omission should still be seen as a lie.

This episode Robyn and Scott talk about Heavy Weather, the sequel to Summer Lightning, in which everyone seems to show up at Blandings Castle, preventing Lord Emsworth from spending time in his garden and with his prize pig. Sue is somehow still with Ronnie, and now Monty Bodkin takes over the job of Lord Emsworth's secretary. Does Pilbeam have a drinking problem? Is Constance approaching Lord Emsworth to get him to do what she wants? Who would marry someone with the name Gertrude Butterwick? Will people stop trying to kidnap the Empress of Blandings? We tackle these and other questions in our podcast.

This episode, Robyn and Scott discuss Wodehouse's first Jeeves and Wooster novel, Thank You, Jeeves. We discuss what it means to use harsh language in the early 20th Century, how smart Bertie Wooster actually is, how a garage between houses can survive a fire, whether petrol is butter is better for removing markings on the skin, and that poor Bertie just needs to be allowed to eat his darn breakfast.

Note: Sorry for the delay in episodes. We have been recording them. I've just been way behind on editing and posting them. I will be uploading more episodes in the next month or so to catch up and hopefully get back on our once a month schedule.This episode Scott and Robyn discuss Meet Mr. Mulliner, a collection of nine short stories told by the fisherman Mulliner. This inevitable leads us to get sidetracked by our usual debate of whether or not people can actually crawl up water pipes. Robyn expresses her view that hitting people is fine, but not animals (they should only be "redirected"). Scott makes an inappropriate joke about the Grand Canyon.