Uncle Dynamite

by P.G. Wodehouse

Book Overview

Uncle Fred's nephew Pongo has just smashed the prized statue of his lady love's father. His troubles multiply as the replacement bust is revealed to be a smuggling vessel filled with jewels. This bust... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140124497
• ISBN13: 9780140124491
• Release Date: August 1991
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 249 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Meet Uncle Fred

One of Wodehouse's best. Uncle Fred solves personal problems and takes on all comers with his supreme, disorientating, and extremely humourous persiflage. If anyone, I would say he is descended from Psmith. ". . .anyone who wants to get straight on the Brabazon-Plank situation has got to keep steadily before him the fact that the minor is a major and the major a miner. I have known strong men to break down on realizing this." I read a first edition in one sitting during a plane trip; and did not notice the journey.

A fun read

Wodehouse's books that don't concern Jeeves and Wooster can be a bit hit or miss (or, at least, some of them are so similar that they are pretty much interchangeable). The broad outline of the plot here will seem vaguely familiar to Wodehouse fans, but this book is still definitely among his best. The sharp writing, the softly sarcastic observations, and the jokes are often laugh-out-loud funny. It is a very, very amusing book. Well worth it for Wodehouse fans looking for a few days of quiet pleasure.

Hilarious!

This is the first non Jeeves and Wooster book of Wodehouses's that I've read, and I'm pleased to report that the adventures and exploits of Uncle Fred (aka Lord Ickenham) are just as madcap and droll as those of his more renown duo. As with many of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, the plot revolves around (mis)engagements, misunderstandings, country houses, bonny baby contests, blustering pompous old men, duck ponds, and a constable. However, the difference here is that instead of an idiot (Bertie) getting into sticky situations and being rescued by a genius (Jeeves), we have Uncle Fred, who seems to relish creating havoc and then sorting it all out through a variety of impersonations, good natured lies and blackmail, with general irreverence for one and all. The matchmaking leads to all manner of wacky hi-jinks, and as per usual, Wodehouse's comic timing is impeccable. Of course, the real treat is the language, which sparkles as it amuses. The names are especially good in this one, with Pongo, Bill Oakshot, and Sally Potter leading the way. (Coincidentally, two characters share the names of prominent characters from the Harry Potter saga: constable Harold Potter and Hermonie Bostock.) Uncle Fred is the equal of any Wodehouse character, and look forward to tracking down the rest of his tales.