In Laughing Gas, Wodehouse also skewers show business, a world that he knew well; throughout the 1920's and '30s, he worked on many Broadway musicals and movies. He sends up the child star phenomenon, writers, actresses, moguls, the press, and more... while it's always funny, there's frequently more than a grain of truth underscoring these characters and their actions.
P.G. Wodehouse's 1936 novel Laughing Gas is silly fun, something we could all use right about now. It has some features which will be instantly recognisable to Wodehouse fans such as the wealthy young British protagonist who, though perhaps not particularly clever, is good-hearted and well-meaning. There's also the precocious child, the laugh-out-loud ridiculous situations which occur, and even an intelligent, scheming butler. In Laughing Gas, Wodehouse also skewers show business, a world that he knew well; throughout the 1920's and '30s, he worked on many Broadway musicals and movies. He sends up the child star phenomenon, writers, actresses, moguls, the press, and more... while it's always funny, there's frequently more than a grain of truth underscoring these characters and their actions. I presume that Wodehouse's child actor Joey Cooley is based on one of- if not the- first child movie stars, Jackie Coogan who is probably best known for starring in 1921's The Kid with Charlie Chaplin. Unfortunately, Coogan's story was darker than Joey's. After his father's death in a car accident, Jackie's mother and step-father siphoned off all of his amassed earnings- several millions, a huge amount in the 1930's- and blew it all on luxury cars, furs, and jewelry, leaving Coogan with nothing. Talk of some people who should have been "poked in the snoot." This eventually resulted in the California Child Actor's Bill being passed in 1939, often referred to as the Coogan Act. It requires a certain amount of a child actor's earnings to be put in a trust for them (called a Coogan account) and also lays down rules about the education of child actors as well as how many hours they are allowed to work. The titular "laughing gas" which causes so much trouble for Reggie is of course nitrous oxide. It's been used as an anaesthetic in surgery and dentistry since 1844- and is still in use today. It's commonly called laughing gas because those who inhale it experience euphoria and often become giggly. In fact, long before it was used medically- as early as 1799- some members of the British upper class were using it recreationally, holding "laughing gas parties": Oh, those crazy Brits. In any case, I'm pretty sure none of its side effects include switching bodies. In conclusion, Laughing Gas isn't my favourite Wodehouse stand-alone novel: that remains A Damsel In Distress. But it's a fun read and all-around good time, definitely worth picking up.
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