Although Schott, whose first novel this is, cannot compare to PG 'Plum' Wodehouse’s peerless ability with comic plotting and situation, his joy in manipulating language is certainly on a par—and an unexpected but welcome topical element gives the high jinks some added bite. The convoluted plot has many strands, none of them remotely realistic ... With the exception of one hysterically funny set piece involving Spode, the marching band of the Worcestershire Regiment and a herd of pigs, this is consistently witty rather than laugh-out-loud hilarious, but Schott excels with a series of similes and metaphors every bit as striking as those Wodehouse came up with ... this is still a delight to read. An especially nice, Schottian, touch is the appendix, explaining allusions and references, although there are plenty left unglossed for the connoisseur to appreciate. Although it’s coming out in time for Christmas, this homage to Plum is anything but duff.
From the very first page until the final one, Mr. Schott’s method of composition mirrors the original, employing both madcap adventure and the wordplay that is characteristic of Wodehouse novels. The Jeeves fan will marvel at how close author Schott’s style mirrors the original ... Jeeves and the King of Clubs is an experience not to be missed, a rollicking satire of stiff upper lips and gentlemanly capers in which even the title is a play on words.
The name’s Wooster, Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, licensed to swill and to lob bread rolls at any passing booby. And, in this new homage to PG Wodehouse by Ben Schott (of miscellanies fame) the latest recruit to the British Secret Service ... Quibbles? Well maybe some of the early dialogue paints Wooster as a bit more intelligent than he should be, barely a quarter-ass rather than the mentally negligible hero of yore, but let’s put that down to Jeeves slipping an extra kipper on to his breakfast plate. And it is a pity that Gussie Fink-Nottle doesn’t make an appearance. These are trifles, though. On reading this work, the Wodehouse estate must surely be left purring, as Bertie would to Jeeves with the talents that famously won him a prize for scripture knowledge: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'
Another P. G. Wodehouse impostor has turned up at the Drones Club, home away from home of Bertie Wooster, and he’s banging on the door, demanding admittance. But before dismissing Mr. Schott as an impudent bounder, let’s look at his credentials. He’s the author of Schott’s Original Miscellany, and if ever a book could qualify an author to write an homage to Wodehouse, this hilarious compendium of useless information...is surely it ... Now the spying butlers and their spymaster need Bertie’s help to nail an ascot-clad Fascist whose motto is Make Great Britain Great Again. To do so takes all manner of craziness, including an uproarious chase scene, but Schott brings it all off in high and hilarious style. Best of all, his wordplay can hold its own with the Master’s. Here’s Bertie describing the unctuous Fascist: 'The seventh Earl of Sidcup is a sore for sighted eyes.'
In an interview, Ben Schott, the bestselling author of the Schott’s Miscellany series, says that writing this homage was 'the most fun I’ve ever had.' That is evident throughout this confection of a novel ... What makes Jeeves and the King of Clubs feel fresh is that, aside from sly nods to contemporary issues, the characters are in their respective stations, but not entirely of those stations ... That they all succeed is one of the true delights of this gentle yet very funny book.
Schott certainly puts on a bravura performance, twirling and twinkling with tremendous energy ... 300 pages of non-stop high jinks ... In Schott’s fabulous re-creation of Wodehouse’s version of an England that never was, old chums mingle with new characters ... As with Wodehouse himself, or like spending a long evening in the company of a scintillating conversationalist, things eventually begin to flag, but discretion on this point, as Bertie would have it, is the better p. of v. Schott has hit the target.
Bertie Wooster and his gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves, venture into spy thriller territory in this impressive homage, authorized by the Wodehouse estate, from Schott ... Schott comes up with Wodehouse caliber metaphors ('she has a profile that, if not a thousand ships, certainly propelled a punt or two down the Cherwell') and otherwise expertly channels the master’s voice, but some readers will wish that he had gone deeper into the nature of Spode’s treachery. Nonetheless, this is an essential volume for Wodehouse fans, rounded out with endnotes full of fun historical and literary facts.
