P. G. Wodehouse

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was a prolific English writer.

He was one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His work is famous for its wit and rhythmic prose. Many critics compared his writing style to comic poetry or musical comedy. He used a unique mix of Edwardian slang and literary allusions. He often quoted famous poets within his stories. This created a sophisticated yet funny reading experience. His fans included many famous writers and even former British prime ministers.

Writing a book was a structured and lengthy process for Wodehouse. He was a very disciplined creator. He would often work on two or more books at the same time. First, he would spend up to two years building a plot. This involved writing a detailed scenario of about thirty thousand words.

Once the scenario was complete, he would write the final story. In his early career, he could finish a novel in three months. As he aged, this process slowed to about six months. Over his lifetime, he published more than ninety books. He also wrote forty plays and two hundred short stories.

His stories are known for their memorable and distinct characters.

One famous duo is the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeves.

He also created the immaculate and loquacious Psmith. Other settings included the Blandings Castle set with Lord Emsworth. He wrote about golf through the character of the Oldest Member. He also created Mr. Mulliner, who told tall tales. These stories ranged from funny bishops to movie moguls.

Wodehouse was born in Guildford, Surrey, in 1881. He was the third son of a British magistrate. His early childhood involved significant travel and separation from his parents. His mother was visiting her sister in Guildford when he was born. For his first two years, he lived in Hong Kong. He was raised there by a Chinese amah, or nurse. Later, he and his brothers moved to England. They were cared for by an English nanny near their grandparents.

His school years provided him with a sense of stability. He attended Dulwich College starting in 1894.

He loved the camaraderie and the ordered life at the school. He was a talented athlete in cricket, rugby, and boxing. He was also a good singer and edited the school magazine. He remained devoted to Dulwich College for the rest of his life. His education in Latin and Greek likely helped his complex writing style. He often used the discipline of his schooling as inspiration for parody.

Before becoming a full-time author, Wodehouse held a job he disliked. In 1900, he worked for the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in London. He found the banking work baffling and uncongenial. He spent his spare time writing to escape the job. His first comic piece appeared in a magazine called Tit-Bits.

He soon secured a position writing columns for popular magazines. This allowed him to transition into a professional literary career. He eventually moved away from school stories toward comic fiction.

Wodehouse's career had many international dimensions. He spent much of his life in the United States. He used New York and Hollywood as settings for many stories. He even helped develop the American musical comedy. He worked with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern on several Broadway musicals. During the 1930s, he worked for MGM in Hollywood. However, his life during the Second World War was complicated. In 1940, he was taken prisoner by German forces in France. He was interned for nearly a year. After his release, he made five broadcasts from German radio. These talks were comic and apolitical. However, they caused a major controversy in Britain. People were angry that he spoke over enemy radio. Because of this, he never returned to England. He became a US citizen in 1955. He died in 1975 at the age of 93. He received a knighthood just one month before his death.