Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Teaser Tuesday: A Pelican at Blandings


And he was so young. . . .  She had no objection to some men being young -- waiters, for instance, or policemen or representatives of the country in Olympic Games -- but in a man whose walk in life was to delve into people's subconscious and make notes of what came up one expected something more elderly.
A Pelican at Blandings by P. G. Wodehouse.

I am always trying to figure out why Wodehouse is so funny.  It's the way he turns a phrase and the words he uses, but what about those things makes them funny?

Here, I think it is using "representatives of the country in Olympic Games" instead of "Olympic athletes" and "something" instead of "someone" more elderly.  Both relate the statement more closely to Constance, Lord Elmsworth's battle ax of a sister, by reflecting her personal point of view -- she likely doesn't care about athletes or athletics, but does care about who represents England in public events, and since it is the appearance of the psychiatrist she worries about, she considers him an object rather than a person.

So Wodehouse's word choices bring the reader right into Constance's brain in a way that makes the sentence funny.

Or I'm overthinking it.


Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.



12 comments :

  1. I am a BIG Wodehouse fan! I own around 60 of his books!


    Here is my Teaser Tuesday: THe Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, I don't know. Funny is a strange thing. I'm just glad some people can do it.

    My teasers are here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree, being older somehow indicates that the person has a little wisdom and has developed some compassion along the way. Kaye—the road goes ever ever on

    ReplyDelete
  4. I keep meaning to read one of his books. Maybe now's the time. Good teaser!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great teaser. It really gives you a taste of what's in the book. If you get a chance, mine is here: http://readhanded.blogspot.com/2011/04/teaser-tuesdays_26.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. I adore all thing Wodehouse. Well selected. :) My TT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2011/04/teaser-tuesdays-the-pun-also-rises.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wodehouse is supposed to have written lots of funny books and I want to read him, but I don't even know here to start.

    mine is here: http://storytreasury.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/teaser-tuesday-mercy-burns

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great teaser! The way he describes things makes me laugh and he's write that we tend to be bothered if someone seems too young for the work they're doing. It's not trustworthy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely teaser! Yes, Wodehouse is hard to figure out - and doesn't appeal to everyone. But I love his humor!

    (And I agree with Constance completely!)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like an author I should check out, thanks for the fun teaser.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shame, shame, I've never read Wodehouse. Hi Gautami. Enjoyed the Teaser.

    http://readwithtea.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. This reminds me to look up Wodehouse. Nice teaser! Mine is from a new culinary mystery.
    Crunch Time

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...