― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
“It is only a novel... or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
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PG Wodehouse's novel A Damsel In Distress was published in the fall of 1919, though it had actually been released earlier that year as a serial in the Saturday Evening Post. It's a stand-alone novel, so is a good one to give to the uninitiated to introduce them to the delights of Wodehouse, containing his signature wit, clever turns of phrase, wonderfully silly characters and convoluted plots, without being part of a series. I was going to say that it was the one I gave to my younger sister to read first, but I think that was actually Hot Water, another of his stand-alone works. This first part of the book is essentially an introduction to the main characters of the novel, and it also lays the foundations for the rather convoluted story which will develop. George Bevan is the protagonist, and more or less the straight man in the novel. He's a sensible, level-headed sort, but boredom and loneliness drives him to- as we shall soon see- act recklessly, in a way which is out of character for him. While A Damsel In Distress is a stand-alone novel, many of its characters are instantly recognizable as Wodehouse "types". Reggie, with his slightly vacuous good humour, is a good deal like Bertie Wooster. The Earl of Marshmoreton reminds one of Lord Emsworth in the Blandings stories, while his sister, the overbearing Lady Byng, brings to mind Bertie Wooster's feared Aunt Agatha. Wodehouse immediately makes us aware of whom we want to succeed and who we want to fail; we have a lively sympathy for Maud and George, and want them to be happy. On the other hand, it will give great pleasure to see Lady Caroline's schemes foiled, and great amusement to see Percy's snobbery brought low. The question is, who will emerge victorious at the end of the day... we shall see. Related Posts: This illustration is from The Copper Beeches, one of the short stories in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1892. In this particular story, a young woman (Violet Hunter) asks Sherlock Holmes for advice about taking a job as a governess. The offered pay is incredibly- almost unbelievably- good, but comes with a number of weird requirements, including one that she cut her hair short. She ultimately decides to take the job, but Holmes has a bad feeling about the situation and asks her to contact him if anything happens. In this particular scene, Miss Hunter opens a drawer and finds a coil of long hair, the same colour as her own, and about the same length as hers before she cut it. It's all very unsettling.
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