Winston Churchill's most outstanding contribution during World War II,
according to President John F. Kennedy, was that he "mobilised the
English language and sent it into battle". But his compatriot, P.G.
Wodehouse, went one better, in making the language an unsurpassed medium
for some of the most inspired comic writing ever possibly seen in any
tongue and creating a number of enduring and unforgettable characters
from woolly-headed aristocrats, shrewd domestic staff, bossy and
demanding aunts - and especially two irrepressible, irresistible
raconteurs.
Most authors can count themselves lucky to create one
character whose popularity withstands the test of time - but Sir Pelham
Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975) managed it for most of his creations -
be it vacuous but golden-hearted Betram Wilberforce 'Bertie' Wooster and
his astute manservant Jeeves; the immaculate but verbose Psmith; the
absent-minded Earl of Emsworth of Blandings Castle, who is unwillingly
drawn into various family issues; the free-spirited Uncle Fred, whose
London visits prove devastating for his nephew Pongo; the opportunistic
but proverbially unlucky Ukridge; the colourful members of the Drones
Club and others.
But the best are the loquacious storytellers of
the Anglers' Rest pub and the "19th hole" (or a bar/pub on or near the
golf course) of an unnamed golf club, who have a tale for any occasion,
much to the distress of their often unwilling audience.
With Mr.
Mulliner and the Oldest Member, Wodehouse can be counted for his most
outlandish and uproarious tales, featuring his customary tools of
hyperbole, deliberate use of cliches, inspired imagery with his original
and innovative metaphors, mixed metaphors and similes, transferred
epithets (using adjectives meant for people for inanimate objects),
creating new words by splitting compounds or removing prefixes/suffixes,
sparkling wordplay, witty banter and, of course, an unquestioned
mastery of English prose.
While Mr. Mulliner's stories are based
on trials and tribulations of his large number of cousins, nephews, and
other relations in Britain as well as America, the Oldest Member, who is
never shown playing golf but possesses an extensive knowledge about it,
has an unending fund related to the game's role in the love and work
lives of his friends and acquaintances.
We'll begin from the
Angler's Rest, where Mr. Mulliner is a regular. The stories begin with
an unnamed first-person narrator introducing the ongoing discussion at
the pub, followed by Mr. Mulliner intervening, being reminded of a story
involving a relation, and then taking over the narration to describe
the events. Initially, the narrator returns briefly to end the tale, but
subsequently the story ends when Mr. Mulliner finishes.
Of the
41 stories, nine each can be found in "Meet Mr. Mulliner" (1927), "Mr.
Mulliner Speaking" (1929) and "Mulliner Nights" (1933) and the remaining
in six other short story collections - with "Blandings Castle and
Elsewhere" (1935) and "Young Men in Spats"(1936) accounting for over
half.
Among the best are about his brother, the famous chemist
Wilfred and the complications in his love life, then how his Mulliner's
Buck-U-Uppo (a tonic to encourage "Indian Rajahs' elephants face a tiger
of the jungle with a jaunty sang-froid") helps their nephew, shy curate
Augustine and how another nephew, the stammering, crossword enthusiast
George is cured (of the stammer that is). Then there is what happened
when yet another nephew (detective Adrian) smiles, of uncle William's
adventure in California one night which led him to name his son John San
Francisco Earthquake Mulliner (disputed by a Californian who claims it
was only a fire), distant cousin Wilmot who is a "nodder" at Hollywood's
Perfecto-Zizzbaum studio and more. The list also contains nieces
Roberta 'Bobbie' Wickham, whose intended suitors have a torrid time, and
Charlotte, a poet of 'Pastels in Prose' who suddenly starts writing on
hunting gnus.
From the Oldest Member come 25 stories - nine each
in "The Clicking of Cuthbert" (1922) and "The Heart of a Goof" (1926),
five in "Nothing Serious" (1950), and one each in "Lord Emsworth and
Others" (1937) and "A Few Quick Ones" (1959) - told most often to a
young man who is desperately keen to be elsewhere.
There is
Cuthbert Banks, who abandons golf for a literary society to impress his
girl till a Russian author's visit restores equilibrium, George
Mackintosh who suddenly becomes uncontrollably voluble (even on the
links) till his betrothed tries an unconventional shot, American tycoon
Bradbury Fisher who plays for high stakes, Wallace Chesney whose game
suddenly improves when he dons a hideously-coloured set of plus-fours,
Chester Meredith, who seeks to restrain his language to impress a lady
but loses control on the fairway behind the 'Wrecking Crew' foursome
(The First Grave Digger, The Man with the Hoe, Old Father Time, and
Consul, the Almost Human) and many others.
If you've read these
stories, you will probably be unable to resist a chuckle. And if you
haven't, you're luckier - a whole universe of fun awaits you!
(05.07.2015
- Vikas Datta is an Associate Editor at IANS. The views expressed are
personal. He can be contacted at [email protected])
