The Man Upstairs

This substantial collection of early stories displays a variety of tone, style and setting which may surprise readers familiar only with the author’s later light comedies of aristocratic life. Wodehouse’s well-known gift for satisfying plots and comic surprises is evident on every page, but there are also signs of his debt to earlier writers in the realistic tradition. Set mainly in London or New York, many of the stories concern ordinary people – shop assistants, schoolmasters, secretaries, servants, unsuccessful writers – living the life of rented rooms and cheap cafes Wodehouse knew well from his own experience. Yet there is nothing sad or gloomy about these tales. Far from it: they are brimming with life and energy, beautifully written and invariably delightful. And for Wodehouse addicts there is also a goodly sprinkling of goofy young men-about-town and their valets to satisfy the strongest appetites.