Nothing Serious

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Filled with faces old and new, this collection of stories from the master of humor promises pure entertainment for audiobook lovers everywhere.

P. G. Wodehouse's famed collection of 10 stories marks the reappearance of many old friends - who find themselves in delightfully absurd situations. In "How's That, Umpire?", a mutual hatred of cricket reunites two lovers. In "Birth of a Salesman", Lord Emsworth has strayed from Blandings Castle to become an encyclopedia salesman for a day. "Success Story" tells of Ukridge's finest swindle yet - after which he finally emerges triumphant in the struggle against his fearsome aunt Julia.

Other stories include "The Shadow Passes", "Bramley Is So Bracing", "Up From the Depths", "Feet of Clay", "Excelsior", "Rodney Has a Relapse", and "Tangled Hearts".

©1939, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951 P. G. Wodehouse (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Something Funny

The strongest stories here rank among Wodehouse’s very best: “The Shadow Passes”, “Birth of a Salesman” and “Success Story”. One, “Rodney Has a Relapse”, is even funnier when you know Rodney’s backstory (told in three stories, found in a collection published twenty-four years earlier, The Heart of a Goof, also highly recommended). The only low spot, “How’s That, Umpire?”, lacks Wodehouse’s trademark complexity, though still served up with his usual comic panache.

One of six titles released in 2015 featuring Simon Vance at the mic, Nothing Serious stands, like the other five (Barmy in Wonderland, Quick Service, Money in the Bank, Bill the Conqueror and Frozen Assets) high in my hit parade of repeated listening. Unlike his earlier, rather leaden work on Uneasy Money, Vance gives six consistently standout performances.

A great book

This is a great book. Wodehouse at his best. The performance is excellent. I recommend it highly.

Great Wodehouse, poorly served by Simon Vance

These stories range from Good Wodehouse--which is better than most authors manage on their best days--to Great Wodehouse--which is about the best one can hope for.

For me, Jonathan Cecil is the definitive voice of Wodehouse and I find Simon Vance substantially inferior--both in his style and in his limited ability to provide unique, instantly recognizable voices to a wide range of characters within a story.

Most unforgivably, Vance mis-pronounces the name of that Man of Wrath, Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge. His constant use of "Uh-kridge" instead of "You-kridge" grated so painfully on my ear that "Success Story" was almost un-listenable.

I am disappointed to see that Vance appears to the reader of choice for the latest round of Wodehouse audiobooks. I hope that a more worthy successor to the legendary Jonathan Cecil can be found.

One of my favorite short story compilations

Gems include a final Lord Emsworth story and rather wraps up The incorrigible Uckridge. Even the golfing stories are interesting. Thanks for sharing so many song and dance short stories, Wodehouse!!!

Superb - Classic Wodehouse

Simon Vance is a great narrator for Wodehouse's work. The stories are brillantly funny, and the last story is one of the best. Thanks to whatever God there may be for Woodhouse.