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Title: Uncle Fred in the Springtime
Series: Blandings Castle #7
Authors: PG Wodehouse
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Humor
Pages: 224
Words: 73K
I am not sure what it was about this book, or if it was this book in and of itself, that caused me to give it this 4star rating. Maybe it was because it’s been 2 months since I read a Blandings Castle story? Maybe I was extra tired that night and so “everything” seemed funnier? I don’t know why, but this hit my humor spot perfectly this time around.
The main protagonist is an Uncle Fred and he and his get down to Blandings Castle with the usual reasons (money, matrimony, pigs) and the typical chaos ensues. Thankfully, Uncle Fred isn’t as dimwitted as many of Wodehouse’s male protagonists are and thus, while he’s no Einstein, he doesn’t do stupid things, like try to steal his own pig (that’s for Lord Emsworth, the master of Blandings Castle, to do).
When I originally read this in ‘02, my main impression was how stupid everyone was. 20 years later I realize that was youth talking and thinking. Ahhh, callow youth. I’ve come to realize that just because I don’t like something, or how something is done, doesn’t make it stupid. It simply makes those who do things differently from me stupid, the actual action isn’t 😉 All of the various characters had their own reasons for doing what they did in this story and while none of it would have been what I would have done (and hopefully, nobody of sound mind), it wasn’t necessarily stupid.
It had also been long enough that I didn’t remember a single thing from my ‘02 read so it was like I was reading this for the very first time 😀 Sometimes knowing you’ve read something doesn’t trigger ANY memories. Isn’t that weird? Some things are crystal clear (like how I’ve mentioned things from when I read my old journals) and others (like this book) are a complete blank. That doesn’t frustrate me though, it simply intrigues me. I like seeing how my own brain works but I don’t want to deep dive and become a neuro-specialist. All I need to know is that my brain is awesome and I’m good to go.
You want more than that? Then I’m afraid your life is going to be filled with frustrations and break downs. Be content. Like Lord Emsworth, hahhaahahaaa. Give that man a pig and he’s completely satisfied. Not trying to say that my brain is a pig, mind you. Because I don’t even eat bacon.
★★★★☆
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
You lost me on that last sentence. What have you got against bacon? Not even on pizza?
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It’s on the list of unclean foods in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
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What do you eat instead?
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Turkey pepperoni on pizzas. As for bacon, Mrs B and I eat “stripple”, which is vegi-bacon made from soy (I believe).
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The prosectution rests. next witness please!
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Give a man a pig and he’s completely satisfied. Teach a man a pig, and…whut?
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He speaks pig latin?
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Avobray, Lexay! Eightgray ommentkay…
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He’s a complete nutter?
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I’ll be reading my first PG Wodehouse next year. Starting the Jeeves novels. I hope I’ll like it.
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My only advice is to space them out, no matter how much you are enjoying them. Because it is the kind of humor that is easy to burn out on.
With that being said, if you like/dislike the first book, you’ll know about the whole shebang from that.
I hope you enjoy it too. I find it hilarious 🙂
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Ah ok, I have the first Jeeves omnibus which has three novels. I will just try those.
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And if you really like them, give it a month or three before diving into any more 🙂
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I like it when I’ve forgotten a book I’ve read (happens a lot) so can enjoy it all afresh on the re-read.
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Is THAT why you read Wolfe 3 times in a row? 😉
hehehehe….
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Haha I didn’t remember much the 2nd read but did better on the 3rd so I’ll hang on a couple of years before I start again, by which time I’ll have forgotten them all again 🤣
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Hahaha!
Well, something to look forward to…
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I just re- read and reviewed a book I forgot I read. Didn’t even realize it till I was a good 20 pages in. I can’t explain it. Never read Wodehouse, I will have to check them out.
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If you do like his brand of humor, just make sure not to overdose on it. A little bit of Wodehouse goes a long way…
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The first Wodehouse book I read (as I may have mentioned before). It must have been good, as I devoured almost everything else he wrote. I did pick one up last summer, for the first time in twenty years, and it stood up pretty well – ie, he’s a meticulous stylist, not something I remember noticing as a teenager.
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Seems there is an embarrassment of pigs in that story… 😀
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Almost every Blandings story include The Dutchess in one way or another. Good stuff 🙂
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I loved this book when I read it. I pick up Wodehouse every few years. I think that’s why I love him so much. I get a break in between. Re bacon, I didn’t used to eat it. Followed dietary laws for health. I’ve kind of gotten away from it, but I remember other Christians being angry with me for my own eating choices, like it was sinful NOT to eat pork or shellfish, which is a weird attitude.
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I don’t think I could go years between Wodehouse, but months is definitely good for me.
I don’t think it’s weird if you consider that they’re probably shallow Christians and you doing ANYTHING outside of “love everyone” is a challenge to them to take their Christianity seriously. Most social Christians don’t like being challenged that way.
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I probably read too much Wodehouse in my 20s. Now I’ll go read some Mulliner stories and grin and not pick up another Wodehouse for a long time. He’s still one of my favorite authors, though.
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Is Mulliner another Wodehouse character?
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Yes, and he was my first intro to Wodehouse, so I have a soft spot for him. He basically tells tall tales about family members in the pub to anyone who is willing to listen. They are very funny stories.
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Ohhhh, that guy! I read a short story or two with him in it. I didn’t realize he existed outside of the short story collections with Blandings stories.
Well, another character to eventually track down. After PSmith of course 🙂
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“Trying to steal his own …” is a typical Wodehouse trope, right? It seems like in almost every book, Bertie is being asked to “steal” some item or other in order to solve someone’s domestic crisis.
And, of course, it always goes great.
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Yes, stealing something is a time honored way of solving problems in Wodehouse’s stories 😀
Of course, most of the time they’re not trying to steal something that they already own, hahahaha.
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This seems like a book at the right time in your life! I imagine a reread would confirm how good its comedy actually is for you. 😀
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I don’t know if I’m going to re-read Wodehouse again or not. There are a couple more series he has centering around other characters, so I’ll branch out to those first.
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