Young Men in Spats
Encyclopedia
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, first published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 3 April 1936 by Herbert Jenkins
Barrie & Jenkins
Barrie & Jenkins was a small British publishing house that was formed in 1964 from the merger of "Herbert Jenkins" and "Barrie & Rockcliffe". One of their most notable authors was P. G...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, then in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with a slightly different selection of stories on 23 July 1936 by Doubleday, Doran, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The collection, recounting the adventures of various members of the Drones Club
Drones Club
The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a gentlemen's club in London. Many of his Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members....
(except for the last one), features many familiar characters from Wodehouse's other writings, including Freddie Widgeon and the irrepressible Mr Mulliner
Mr Mulliner
Mr. Mulliner is a fictional character from the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Mr. Mulliner is a loquacious pub raconteur who, no matter what the topic of conversation, can find an appropriate story about a member of his family to match it....
. One story, "Uncle Fred Flits By
Uncle Fred Flits By
"Uncle Fred Flits By" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the July 1935 edition of Redbook, and in the United Kingdom in the December 1935 issue of the Strand...
", features the first appearance of Pongo Twistleton
Pongo Twistleton
Reginald "Pongo" Twistleton is a character in the Uncle Fred books by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club in London, he's a nervous young man described by Sally Painter, the woman who loves him, as a "baa-lamb"...
and his Uncle Fred
Uncle Fred
Frederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, 5th Earl of Ickenham, commonly known as Uncle Fred, is a fictional character who appears in short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse between 1935 and 1961...
, who would go on to feature in four novels, including two appearances at Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle
Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth , home to many of his family, and setting for numerous tales and adventures, written between 1915 and 1975.The series of stories which take place at the castle,...
.
Contents
- "Fate" (Drone Freddie Widgeon)
- UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: StrandStrand MagazineThe Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
, May 1931 - USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: CosmopolitanCosmopolitan (magazine)Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, May 1931 (as "Compromised")
- UK
- "Tried in the Furnace" (Drones Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps and Pongo TwistletonPongo TwistletonReginald "Pongo" Twistleton is a character in the Uncle Fred books by P. G. Wodehouse. A member of the Drones Club in London, he's a nervous young man described by Sally Painter, the woman who loves him, as a "baa-lamb"...
)- UK: Strand, September 1935
- US: Cosmopolitan, March 1937
- "Trouble Down at Tudsleigh" (Drone Freddie Widgeon)
- UK: Strand, May 1935
- US: Cosmopolitan, May 1939
- "The Amazing Hat Mystery" (Drones Percy Wimbolt and Nelson Cork)
- US: Cosmopolitan, August 1933
- UK: Strand, June 1934
- "Good-Bye to All Cats" (Drone Freddie Widgeon)
- US: Cosmopolitan, November 1934
- UK: Strand, December 1934
- "The Luck of the Stiffhams" (Drone Stiffy Stiffham)
- US: Cosmopolitan, November 1933
- UK: Strand, March 1934
- "Noblesse Oblige" (Drone Freddie Widgeon)
- US: Cosmopolitan, September 1934
- UK: Strand, November 1934
- "Uncle Fred Flits ByUncle Fred Flits By"Uncle Fred Flits By" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the July 1935 edition of Redbook, and in the United Kingdom in the December 1935 issue of the Strand...
" (Drone Pongo Twistleton, Uncle FredUncle FredFrederick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, 5th Earl of Ickenham, commonly known as Uncle Fred, is a fictional character who appears in short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse between 1935 and 1961...
)- US: RedbookRedbookRedbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
, July 1935 - UK: Strand, December 1935
- US: Redbook
- "Archibald and the Masses" (Drone Archibald Mulliner, told by Mr MullinerMr MullinerMr. Mulliner is a fictional character from the short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Mr. Mulliner is a loquacious pub raconteur who, no matter what the topic of conversation, can find an appropriate story about a member of his family to match it....
)- US: Cosmopolitan, August 1935
- UK: Strand, February 1936
- "The Code of the Mulliners" (Drone Archibald Mulliner, told by Mr Mulliner)
- US: Cosmopolitan, February 1935
- UK: Strand, April 1935
- "The Fiery Wooing of Mordred" (non-Drone story told by Mr Mulliner)
- US: Cosmopolitan, December 1934
- UK: Strand, February 1935
The US edition contains a slightly different selection of stories from the UK version. "Tried in the Furnace" and "Trouble Down At Tudsleigh" had not previously appeared in the US, and were held back so they could garner greater income from magazine sales. (Both stories eventually appeared in Cosmopolitan.) These two stories were accordingly replaced by three Oldest Member
Oldest Member
The Oldest Member is a fictional character from the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse. He narrates the majority of Wodehouse's golf stories from the terrace of a golf club whose location is unclear, and he never has a proper name....
golf stories, "There's Always Golf
There's Always Golf
"There's Always Golf" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United Kingdom in the March 1936 issue of the Strand, and in the United States in the April 1936 edition of Redbook, under the title "Not Out of Distance". It was included in the UK collection Lord Emsworth and...
", "The Letter of the Law
The Letter of the Law
"The Letter of the Law" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the February 1936 edition of Redbook, and in the United Kingdom in the April 1936 issue of the Strand. It was included in the UK collection Lord Emsworth and Others , and in the U.S. edition of...
", and "Farewell to Legs
Farewell to Legs
"Farewell to Legs" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the July 14, 1935 edition of This Week, and in the United Kingdom in the May 1936 issue of the Strand. It was included in the UK collection Lord Emsworth and Others, , and in the U.S. edition of...
". These three Oldest Member stories had all appeared in US magazines in early 1936; they all later appeared in the UK in Lord Emsworth and Others
Lord Emsworth and Others
-External links:* , with a list of characters and publication dates* , with details of published editions, photos of book covers and links to used copies...
(1937). After their Cosmopolitan appearances, "Tried in the Furnace" was included in the US-only collection The Crime Wave at Blandings (1937), and "Trouble Down at Tudsleigh" was included in the US edition of Eggs, Beans and Crumpets (1940).
External links
- The Russian Wodehouse Society's page, with a list of characters for each story
- Fantastic Fiction's page, with details of published editions, photos of book covers and links to used copies