Much Obliged, Jeeves

Much Obliged, Jeeves

Front cover and spine of first UK edition
Author	P. G. Wodehouse
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Jeeves
Genre	Comic novel
Publisher	Barrie & Jenkins
Publication date	15 October 1971
Media type	Print
Pages	192
ISBN	0214653609
OCLC	832988
LC Class	PZ3.W817 Ms FT MEADE
Preceded by	Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
Followed by	Aunts Aren't Gentlemen

Much Obliged, Jeeves is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, published in the United Kingdom by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York under the name Jeeves and the Tie That Binds. Both editions were published on the same day, 15 October 1971, which was Wodehouse's 90th birthday.

Much Obliged, Jeeves is the second-to-last appearance of Wodehouse's characters, Jeeves and Bertie Wooster (the last being Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (1974)). It forms the fourth and final instalment of the Totleigh Towers saga, though it actually takes place at Brinkley Court, the home of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia.

The two editions have slightly different endings. The book's American editor Peter Schwed gave the US edition a new title, and rewrote the last page to incorporate the new title. In the British version, when Jeeves reveals he has destroyed the pages from the Junior Ganymede's book, Bertie merely says, "Much obliged, Jeeves." In the American version, Bertie instead asks Jeeves why he destroyed the pages; Jeeves answers that no other valet will ever need to see the pages, because he will be Bertie's valet indefinitely, as there is a "tie that binds" between them.

Plot

"The Junior Ganymede club book is a historic document. It has been in existence more than eighty years."
"It must be the size of a house."
"No, sir, the records are in several volumes. The present one dates back some twelve years. And one must remember that it is not every employer who demands a great deal of space."
"Demands!"
"I should have said 'requires'. As a rule, a few lines suffice. Your eighteen pages are quite exceptional."

Jeeves and Bertie discuss the club book

Jeeves types a report of Bertie's latest misadventures for the club book of the Junior Ganymede Club, in which the club's members are required to record information about their employers, to inform those seeking employment about potential employers. Bertie worries that his embarrassing information will fall into the hands of his judgmental Aunt Agatha and asks Jeeves to destroy the pages about him, but Jeeves asserts that the book is secure and refuses to defy the rules of his club.

An old school friend of Bertie's, Ginger Winship, is standing for the House of Commons in a by-election at Market Snodsbury, near the home of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia, Brinkley Court, on the wishes of his strict fiancée. Aunt Dahlia persuades Bertie to come to Brinkley to assist in the canvassing. Before departing, Bertie has drinks with Jeeves at the Junior Ganymede. They discuss how Ginger's chances for election will be hurt if the public learns about his rowdy past (mild by Bertie's standards but potentially offensive to the traditional rural populace of Market Snodsbury). At the club, they see an uncouth ex-valet that Bertie once employed, Bingley, who greets Jeeves in an overly familiar fashion, calling him "Reggie".

At Brinkley, he discovers Ginger's fiancée is the overbearing Florence Craye, who has previously been betrothed to several people, including Bertie. Florence mistakenly believes that Bertie still wants to marry her, and Bertie's personal code prevents him from telling her otherwise. The intimidating Roderick Spode, 8th Earl of Sidcup has come to deliver speeches for Ginger, and he has brought his fiancée, Madeline Bassett. Like Florence, Madeline thinks Bertie wants to marry her and Bertie is too polite to correct her.

Also present is L. P. Runkle, a financier and collector, who is visiting Brinkley to sell a silver porringer worth nine thousand pounds to Bertie's uncle Tom Travers (who has fled Brinkley Court to avoid the guests). Runkle was the employer of the late father of Bertie's friend Tuppy Glossop, and profited from Tuppy's father's invention, leaving little for Tuppy and his father. Dahlia wants to soften up Runkle and get him to pay Tuppy his due so Tuppy can finally marry his fiancée, Angela, Aunt Dahlia's daughter.

Ginger's chances for election (and thus his engagement to Florence) are threatened by Bingley, who has purloined the Junior Ganymede club book. Bingley intends to sell its pages about Ginger to his opponent or to the local newspaper. To prevent this, Jeeves pays Bingley a social visit, taking the opportunity to slip him a Mickey Finn and recover the book.

Surprisingly, this does not please Ginger. After disappointing Florence in his performance at the Council meeting, he no longer wants to marry her, and has fallen in love with his secretary, Magnolia Glendennon. Like Bertie, Ginger is prevented by his personal code from telling a woman he does not want to marry her. To spur Florence to break the engagement, Ginger wants the local newspaper to print the club book's pages about him, but Jeeves is unwilling to part with the book. Meanwhile, Spode is entranced by the reception he is getting at his speeches for Ginger, and thinks of renouncing his title and running for the Commons himself. This upsets Madeline, who wants to become a Countess. Madeline considers marrying Bertie instead of Spode.

Aunt Dahlia, failing to convince Runkle to give Tuppy any money, has stolen the silver porringer he wished to sell to Tom. Bertie tries to return the porringer, but is caught, and hides the object in his bureau drawer. At the candidate debate, Ginger, following Jeeves's advice, endorses his opponent and resigns the race. Havoc ensues between the opposing sides, and those present, including Spode and Florence, are pelted with produce. Florence breaks her engagement with Ginger, and he promptly elopes with Magnolia.

Bingley (in Runkle's employ) discovers the missing porringer in Bertie's drawer, and Runkle accuses Bertie of the theft. While Bertie faces jail time, this has the positive effect of keeping Florence from trying to marry Bertie. Spode realises he would prefer to stay in the produce-free House of Lords and chooses to keep his title. He and Madeline reconcile.

Finally, Jeeves reveals secrets about Runkle written about him by Bingley in the club book, preventing him from pressing charges against Bertie, and also forcing him to give Tuppy his legacy. Noting that Bingley was able to steal the club book, Bertie again asks Jeeves to destroy the eighteen pages that Jeeves wrote about Bertie. Jeeves states that he has already done so.

Background

Brinkley (the name under which he was introduced in Thank You, Jeeves) is renamed "Bingley", apparently due to the potential for confusion with this story's setting at Brinkley Court. In the novel, Bertie initially does call him "Brinkley", though Jeeves soon corrects him.

This novel is significant as it is the first time in the Wooster canon that Jeeves' first name (Reginald) is revealed.

Adaptations

Television

The story was adapted into the Jeeves and Wooster episode "The Ties That Bind" which first aired on 20 June 1993. This was the last episode in the series. There are some changes to the plot:

• In the episode, the ex-valet who stole the Junior Ganymede club book is still called Brinkley. The setting is Totleigh Towers, not Brinkley Court.
• Runkle and Aunt Dahlia are absent, while Aunt Agatha and Sir Watkyn Bassett are present at Totleigh Towers in the episode.
• Jeeves does not use a drug to incapacitate Brinkley in the episode. Bertie steals the book back while Jeeves is conversing with Brinkley. Brinkley steals it back, but then Florence obtains the club book and believes that it is a work of fiction authored by Brinkley.
• In the episode, Bertie inadvertently becomes engaged to both Florence Craye and Madeline Bassett simultaneously. Bertie breaks up with Florence by informing her that he is engaged to Madeline, and Jeeves finds a damaging secret about Spode (involving a kangaroo called Celia), forcing him to reclaim his title and reconcile with Madeline.
• In the episode, Tuppy, at Bertie's request, comes to Totleigh with a huge drain pumper called "Plumbo Jumbo" to unclog the pipes. When Spode chases Tuppy off the premises, the Plumbo Jumbo is left running, and ultimately the pipes erupt, spraying everyone in the chapel during Madeline and Spode's wedding ceremony. In the original story, Tuppy is not present and a wedding ceremony did not occur.

See also

• P. G. Wodehouse bibliography

Sources

• Cawthorne, Nigel (2013). A Brief Guide to Jeeves and Wooster. Constable & Robinson. ISBN 978-1-78033-824-8.
• Wodehouse, Pelham Grenville (2008) [1971]. Much Obliged, Jeeves (Reprinted ed.). Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0099513964.

External links

• The Russian Wodehouse Society's page, with a list of characters
• Summaries of most of P.G. Wodehouses books, information on characters