Narrator: Jonathan Cecil
Length: 6 hrs 53 mins
Publisher: Audible Studios
Release date: September 2005
‘Right Ho, Jeeves’ is the sixth Jeeves and Wooster book and the second full-length novel in the series. It is a traditional comedy, not just because it is funny, but because it follows the archetypal comedy plot structure in which, following a great deal of confusion and mayhem, everything turns out fine in the end.
The action begins in London with yet another sartorial disagreement between Jeeves and Bertie and the introduction of Bertie’s pal, Gussie Fink-Nottle, who is taking advice from Jeeves to help him woo Madeline Bassett. Madeline is, in turn, friends with Bertie’s cousin Angela. When Angela breaks off her engagement to Tuppy Glossop Bertie’s aunt Dahlia instructs him to come to her aid. Suffice to say, they all end up at her country estate in Worcestershire and Bertie’s attempts to help only make things worse. It is left to Jeeves to sort everything out.
I started listening to it on Sunday afternoon and pretty much got through the whole thing in one sitting. Obviously this wasn’t because I wanted to know how things turned out. That’s not why I read Wodehouse’s books. What they offer is the opportunity to lose yourself in a warmer, softer world. When I reemerge I always feel like maybe our own world isn’t quite as bad as I thought it was after watching the last news bulletin. The effect might be transitory, but it makes the time spent worth it all the same.
Jonathan Cecil provided another excellent performance, bringing the characters to life like only he can. Unfortunately the recording quality could have been better. Cecil’s recordings were originally made back in the days of analogue recording and I’m guessing that this one was transferred from a particularly poor example. There are a number of places in the book where a discerning listener couldn’t help but notice slight changes in pitch and tone that, while being common back in the days of cassette, are rare in the digital age.
Despite the slight issues in the recording quality, I would still recommend this version highly. It’s in my audible library and I’m sure I will listen to it again. if you feel like you can’t cope with the problem then there are a number of other audible versions available read by different readers. I can’t comment on the quality of their narration since I haven’t heard them, but Wodehouse’s writing is strong enough to work with all but the poorest of readers