Welcome to My Pal Bertie!
Remember the good old days, when we were waiting for letters from our friend Jonathan (via Dracula Daily)? Prepare to experience the thrill again…
From 1st March onwards this substack will send regular updates from P.G Wodehouse’s novel, The Inimitable Jeeves.
Bertie Wilberforce Wooster, the hero and narrator, writes in a friendly first person style that will soon feel like missives from an old and chatty friend.
Subscribe below to get your first letter from your new pal Bertie!
So what is The Inimitable Jeeves about?
The original blurb is below, and you can find a full Q&A further down the page.
The Inimitable Jeeves
When either Bertie Wooster or his friends found themselves in the soup, or in dangerous proximity to the tureen, the instinct of one and all was to turn to Jeeves – Bertie’s man. He understood human nature, especially that of gilded youth.
It did not matter if the hope of an ancient house had fallen in love with a waitress, or if Bertie’s cousins Claude and Eustace had been playing dido; Jeeves never failed. His was a sound brain.
The only thing in which Jeeves failed, that is in his master’s eyes, was that he could not always go the whole way with him in the matter of spats, socks, and ties, particularly in the Spring – Jeeves was a purist.
In this volume are told some of Jeeves’s more remarkable achievements.
Q&A
Who is running this project?
The idea for the project came from this Tumblr post.
I am not affiliated with the P.G Wodehouse estate, nor am I a scholar of the series - I am just an everyday fan willing to do a bit of admin.
Do I have to pay anything?
Nothing at all. This is designed to be a fun community experience and I am doing this with no expectation of financial or personal reward.
So it’s just Dracula Daily, but for a different book?
This project is in no way affiliated with Dracula Daily, but it is inpired by it.
I hope the experience will be different enough to make it worthwhile. The format of this book – being chatty shorter stories, written in the first person, makes it ideal for receiving missives from your new pal Bertie Wooster.
When will I receive updates from My Pal Bertie?
I will provide a schedule in due course, but you can expect messages every couple of days between 1st March and 27th July.
Is the book difficult to read?
The book is considered light and easy reading, and is famously funny. Most readers should have few difficulties with the material, outside of some old-fashioned phrases.
The book is a series of interconnected short stories, so it should be easy to dip in and out if real life means you miss a few emails.
Is the Inimitable Jeeves in the public domain?
The book was published in 1923 in both the UK and US and is considered to be in the public domain. You can access it via Project Gutenberg here.
The Wikipedia for The Inimitable Jeeves is here.
Where can I get a copy of The Inimitable Jeeves for myself?
The book is still in print and is widely available in digital and physical formats. It can be accessed for free at Project Gutenberg here.
There is a popular TV adaptation of the series, available on many streaming platforms. There are also audiobooks read by Stephen Fry (who played Jeeves in the television series) and a radio drama. Costs and availability for these may vary from country to country.
How diverse is this book?
Honestly, not very. It’s about a nice but silly British aristocrat dealing with first world problems and relying on working class labour to save him. It is set in the 1920s. There are few characters of colour and whilst the books have long been considered rich with queer subtext, nothing is overtly stated.
I hope that newcomers to the series will instead enjoy adding their own interpretations and headcanons to the project.
Are there any trigger warnings I need to be aware of?
In general the book has a number of attitudes of the time, but is generally kind-spirited to its subjects. Where possible, I will provide trigger warnings within the emails but I am not a professional sensitivity reader, so if you have specific concerns you are welcome to reach out via the email below.
The book is suitable for all ages and in features no bad language, violence, or sexual situations. There are scenes of drinking and gambling, usually treated in comedic way. There are references to psychologists and their views on mental health, described in a way typical to the era, but the professionals are poked fun of more than any genuine sufferers.
How can I help with the project?
Honestly, by generating interest and talking about it as much as possible. Fandom engagement is precious, so transformative works (fanart, fanfic and meta) are always welcome and will be shared on our social media accounts as much as possible.
You can subscribe to our social media accounts below:
What if I have a question not covered above, or need to contact the person running this project?
Please email mypalbertie@gmail.com
