Jeeves and the King of Clubs
{{Short description|2018 novel by Ben Schott}}
{{Infobox book
| author = Ben Schott
| name = Jeeves and the King of Clubs
| publisher = Hutchinson (UK)
Little, Brown (US)
| isbn = 978-1-78633-143-4
| language = English
| published = 2018
| image = File:Jeeves and the King of Clubs.jpg
| caption = First edition (UK)
}}
Jeeves and the King of Clubs is a 2018 novel by Ben Schott, set in P. G. Wodehouse{{'s}} Jeeves and Wooster universe.
Jeeves and the King of Clubs was produced with the permission of Sir Edward Cazalet, the executor of Wodehouse's estate.{{Cite news|last=Sanderson|first=David|date=16 October 2017|title=I say, what japes! Now Jeeves and Wooster star in new spy novel|work=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/i-say-what-japes-now-jeeves-and-wooster-star-in-new-spy-novel-x2q5rkkrg|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111232552/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-say-what-japes-now-jeeves-and-wooster-star-in-new-spy-novel-x2q5rkkrg|url-status=live}} In October 2017, the publishing rights were purchased by Hutchinson for a six-figure sum.{{Cite news|date=12 October 2017|title=Great Schott! New Jeeves title to Hutchinson|work=The Bookseller|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/great-schott-new-jeeves-title-hutchinson-653336|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125103823/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/great-schott-new-jeeves-title-hutchinson-653336|url-status=live}}
Plot
Bertie Wooster learns to his amazement that Jeeves' club for butlers and valets, the Junior Ganymede Club, is actually a front for a secretive arm of the British intelligence services. Because of a series of bizarre events, Bertie must help Jeeves track down and unmask a dangerous spy.
Reception
Reception to the novel was generally positive. Alexander Larman described the novel as "an amusing and well written homage".{{Cite news|last=Larman|first=Alexander|author-link=Alexander Larman|date=4 November 2018|title=Jeeves and the King of Clubs review – spy capers with a PG certificate|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/04/jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-review-ben-schott|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=30 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330033742/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/04/jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-review-ben-schott|url-status=live}} Ian Sansom described the work as a "bravura performance" and a "bang-on Bertie Wooster reboot".{{Cite news|last=Sansom|first=Ian|author-link=Ian Sansom|date=7 December 2018|title=Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott review – bang-on Bertie Wooster reboot|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/dec/07/jeeves-king-of-clubs-ben-schott-ian-sansom-review|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=30 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330033740/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/dec/07/jeeves-king-of-clubs-ben-schott-ian-sansom-review|url-status=live}} The Times{{'s}} Matthew Adams called it "a most thrilling return".{{Cite news|last=Adams|first=Matthew|date=28 October 2018|title=Review: Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott — a most thrilling return of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster|work=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/review-jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-by-ben-schott-a-most-thrilling-return-of-wodehouses-jeeves-and-wooster-pf383bghb|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=12 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112071521/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/review-jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-by-ben-schott-a-most-thrilling-return-of-wodehouses-jeeves-and-wooster-pf383bghb|url-status=live}} The Irish Times{{'s}} Tom Mathews called the work a "pale imitation".{{Cite news|last=Mathews|first=Tom|date=10 November 2018|title=Jeeves and the King of Clubs review: pale imitation|newspaper=The Irish Times|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-review-pale-imitation-1.3688387|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=10 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110133843/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-review-pale-imitation-1.3688387|url-status=live}} Paddy Kehoe for RTÉ gave the work three and a half stars out of five.{{Cite news|last=Kehoe|first=Paddy|date=20 December 2018|title=Reviewed: Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott|work=Raidió Teilifís Éireann|url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/books/2018/1218/1017850-book-review-jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-by-ben-schott/|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=24 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324192826/https://www.rte.ie/culture/books/2018/1218/1017850-book-review-jeeves-and-the-king-of-clubs-by-ben-schott/|url-status=live}}
Sophie Ratcliffe for The Times Literary Supplement called the work as "Wodehouse for the Brexit era".{{Cite news|last=Ratcliffe|first=Sophie|date=30 November 2018|title=Soup du jour|work=The Times Literary Supplement|url=https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/soup-du-jour/|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226215938/https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/soup-du-jour/|url-status=live}} Tom Williams reviewed the novel for Literary Review.{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Tom|date=November 2018|title=Bertie's Back|work=Literary Review|url=https://literaryreview.co.uk/berties-back|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303175854/https://literaryreview.co.uk/berties-back|url-status=live}}
Schott published a sequel entitled Jeeves and the Leap of Faith in 2020.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4voHKPTYT88 Schott reads an extract from Jeeves and the King of Clubs] on YouTube
{{Jeeves}}