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    The Coming of Bill
    The Coming of Bill
    The Coming of Bill
    Ebook331 pages5 hours

    The Coming of Bill

    By P. G. Wodehouse

    3.5/5

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    Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975) was a master of English prose, who produced novels, collections of short stories, scripts, screenplays and lyrics for Broadway shows. Wodehouse enjoyed a long, prosperous career, despite the many political and social changes that he witnessed throughout his life. Although he spent most of his time in France and the United States, his works usually reflected his early life experiences in pre-war English upper-class society, and were typically characterized by the trials and tribulations of the well-to-do. "The Coming of Bill" (1919) is the story of Kirk Winfield, an aspiring artist, and his marriage to wealthy heiress Ruth Bannister. Ruth's strong-willed aunt, Mrs. Lora Delane Porter, is a proponent of eugenics and upon the birth of the couple's first child takes an active role in his upbringing. Bill sets out on a dangerous mission to South American in hopes of improving the family's finances, but returns to find his home quite different than when he left it.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigireads.com Publishing
    Release dateJan 1, 2011
    ISBN9781596258068
    The Coming of Bill
    Author

    P. G. Wodehouse

    Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975) was an English author. Though he was named after his godfather, the author was not a fan of his name and more commonly went by P.G Wodehouse. Known for his comedic work, Wodehouse created reoccurring characters that became a beloved staple of his literature. Though most of his work was set in London, Wodehouse also spent a fair amount of time in the United States. Much of his work was converted into an “American” version, and he wrote a series of Broadway musicals that helped lead to the development of the American musical. P.G Wodehouse’s eclectic and prolific canon of work both in Europe and America developed him to be one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century.

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    3.5/5

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    • 3/5
      A sentimental tale, not what you expect from Wodehouse, but certainly written in his style. Set in New York City some years before the Wall Street crash it is the story of a pleasant young aspiring artist, Kirk Winfield. His independent means remove the need to work at his art and his generous nature provides him with an agreeable coterie of hangers on to keep him amused. An accident to his English manservant leads him to meet the alarming Mrs Lora Delane Porter, a writer and enthusiast for eugenics and physical fitness with a morbid fear of germs and very firm views on child-rearing. She sees in Kirk, despite his unsuitable occupation, a perfect physical match for her neice, Ruth, the highly eligible daughter of a millionaire financier. The couple meet and, fortunately for Mrs Porter's plans, instantly - in a rather typical Wodehouseian manner - recognise each other as soul mates. They marry, against Ruth's father's wishes, are cut off from any of his money and set up in a self-sufficient way in Kirk's studio where they soon have a child - Bill of the title.When troubles come, they come not as single spies but in battallions. The stock that provides Kirk's adequate income crashes, he finds that his dilettante approach to painting has left him with little earning capacity and the solution offered by a pal is to leave his family and go to South America to mine gold. Things do not turn out well and when he returns he finds his wife changed by her inheritance of riches from her late father and his son being cared for in an aseptic white-tiled 'nursery' according to the precepts of Aunt Lora which include regular sponging of Bill and all contacts with a dilute solution of boric acid.Things have to change to reach the expected happy ending and, with the help of Kirk's personal trainer and friend, Steve and a blind eye or two from butler Keggs they do. Steve is a typical Wodehouse character, a Lower East Side plug-ugly with a heart of gold and great common sense, as is Keggs, a stately figure above stairs but his own man below, particularlly after a glass or two of the amber nectar. Aunt Lora is cut from the same cloth as most other Wodehouse aunts and maintains her dignity to the end.There are many other PGW books which will give more enjoyment than this but it is well crafted and not without humour.
    • 3/5
      A surprising Wodehouse that deviates heavily from the well-known mould of light romantic music-hall comedy, with a rather serious drama unfolding over several years and taking in failure, death and a much less jocular take on relationship breakdown that is usual. Wodehouse touches on the long-term consequences of our influence on others, and casts an unusually critical eye at that monied and whimsical class of idler who so often decorate the pages of his books. Would such a character really be a comfortable husband? He allows the idler's flaws to manifest and have consequences that feel more genuinely corrosive and less farcical than usual, remaining at the same time sympathetic. The spontaneous matrimony common in other stories is also critically reviewed. That being said, the solution to their woes is typically simplistic and efficacious, and that jarred. The touches of humour were still there and recognisable, and some characters felt familiar, but it felt a significant departure from his usual work. Had I known in advance I might not have picked it for a bus journey, and I probably won't re-read it, but I'm glad I have read it.
    • 3/5
      A pleasant piece of Wodehouse - no Jeeves here, it's the love story between a rich young woman and a struggling artist and the complications caused by a meddling aunt and sudden wealth. The "Bill" of the title is their son and I was reminded very much of Nancy Mitford's (superior) work "The Blessing", although Bill is too young to be as manipulative as dear Sigi! Very enjoyable, light read.
    • 4/5
      Having noted how the reviews for this work, along with the product synopsis, all stress that this is the closest P. G. Wodehouse came to writing a serious book, I suspected that this would be a weak offering. As it happens, it turned out to be one of the author’s strongest novels.Yes, there are numerous scenes of a serious nature, but they succeeded in adding worth to the story. Humour is still very much in evidence, making this a well-plotted tale, featuring some quality characters. The author’s depiction of the little boy is funny and fantastic!
    • 2/5
      A very un-Wodehouse like story. Quite serious, with a death, a marital split, child abuse and similar things. Not at all the "musical comedy without the music" that Wodehouse described his work as. The inevitable happy ending is cliché-ridden. Not enjoyable.

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    The Coming of Bill - P. G. Wodehouse

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