''Very Good, Jeeves'' is a collection of eleven short stories by

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

, all featuring

Jeeves Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Bertie W ...

and

Bertie Wooster Bertram Wilberforce Wooster is a fictional character in the comedic Jeeves stories created by British author P. G. Wodehouse. An amiable English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligenc ...

. It was first published in the United States on 20 June 1930 by

Doubleday, Doran Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897 and was the largest in the United States by 1947. It published the work of mostly U.S. authors under a number of imprints and distributed th ...

, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 4 July 1930 by Herbert Jenkins, London.McIlvaine, E., Sherby, L.S. and Heineman, J.H. (1990) ''P.G. Wodehouse: A comprehensive bibliography and checklist''. New York: James H. Heineman, pp. 57-58. The stories had all previously appeared in

Strand Magazine ''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...

in the UK and in ''

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

'' or ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' magazines in the US between 1926 and 1930. As well as

and his master

, the stories also feature many regular characters, including

Tuppy Glossop Hildebrand "Tuppy" Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories by humorist P. G. Wodehouse. Tuppy is a member of the Drones Club, a friend of Bertie Wooster, and the fiancé of Angela Travers, Bertie's cousin. Life and chara ...

Bingo Little Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character in the comedic Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. In his early appear ...

, Bobbie Wickham,

Aunt Dahlia Dahlia Travers (née Wooster) is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's bonhomous, red-faced Aunt Dahlia. She is much beloved by her nephew, in contra ...

Aunt Agatha Agatha Gregson, née Wooster, later Lady Worplesdon, is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories of the British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being best known as Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha. Haughty and overbearing, Aunt Agatha wa ...

and

Sir Roderick Glossop Sir Roderick Glossop is a recurring fictional character in the comic novels and short stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Sometimes referred to as a "nerve specialist" or a "loony doctor", he is a prominent practitioner of psychiatry in Wodehouse's wor ...

. Bertie says the titular phrase four times in the collection.

The original story titles and publication dates were as follows: * "

Jeeves and the Impending Doom "Jeeves and the Impending Doom" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in December 1926, and in ''Liberty ...

" — Bertie reluctantly visits his Aunt Agatha, who has recently hired Bertie's friend Bingo Little to tutor her troublesome son Thomas. When Thomas lands Aunt Agatha's esteemed guest in danger, Bertie and Jeeves have to save both the guest and Bingo's job. ** UK: ''

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

'', December 1926 ** US: ''

'', 8 January 1927 * "

The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy "The Inferiority Complex of Old Sippy" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in April 1926, and in ''Lib ...

" — Bertie's old friend Sippy, now an editor, is too intimidated to reject his old school head master's boring essays, or to confess his love for the poet Gwendolen Moon. For Sippy, Bertie proposes a plan involving a bag of flour. Meanwhile, Jeeves dislikes Bertie's new vase. ** UK: ''Strand'', April 1926 ** US: ''Liberty'', 17 April 1926 * "

Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit "Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in December 1927, and in ''Libe ...

" — Jeeves is disappointed when Bertie cancels their trip to Monte Carlo to be with Bobbie Wickham, whom Bertie has fallen in love with, and to get revenge on Tuppy Glossop. Bobbie suggests a scheme for revenge involving a long stick, a darning needle, and a hot water bottle. ** UK: ''Strand'', December 1927 ** US: ''Liberty'', 24 December 1927 * "

Jeeves and the Song of Songs "Jeeves and the Song of Songs" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in September 1929, and in ''Cosmop ...

" — When Tuppy Glossop becomes practically engaged to a singer named Cora Bellinger, Aunt Dahlia wants them broken up. Jeeves comes up with a plan involving the song "Sonny Boy". ** UK: ''

'', September 1929 ** US: ''

'', September 1929 (as "The Song of Songs") * "

Episode of the Dog McIntosh "Episode of the Dog McIntosh" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' as "Jeeves and the Dog McIntosh" in the United Kingdom in ...

" (US edition: "Jeeves and the Dog McIntosh") — After Bobbie gives away Aunt Agatha's dog McIntosh while trying to sell a play to a familiar American producer, it's up to Jeeves to figure out how to recover McIntosh before Aunt Agatha returns. ** UK: ''Strand'', October 1929 (as "Jeeves and the Dog McIntosh") ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', October 1929 (as "The Borrowed Dog") * "

The Spot of Art "The Spot of Art" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in December 1929, and in ''Cosmopolitan (magazi ...

" (US edition: "Jeeves and the Spot of Art") – Bertie is in love with the artist Gwladys Pendlebury, who has painted Bertie's portrait. However, Aunt Dahlia is confident that Jeeves will be able to split up Bertie and Gwladys, get rid of the painting, and make Bertie join Aunt Dahlia on her cruise. ** UK: ''Strand'', December 1929 (as "Jeeves and the Spot of Art") ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', December 1929 (as "Jeeves and the Spot of Art") * "

Jeeves and the Kid Clementina "Jeeves and the Kid Clementina" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in January 1930, and in ''Cosmopol ...

" — Clementina, Bobbie Wickham's cousin, is away from school without leave, and Bertie tries to sneak her back into school unnoticed using a flower-pot and string, despite Jeeves's objections. ** UK: ''Strand'', January 1930 ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', January 1930 * "

The Love That Purifies "The Love that Purifies" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in November 1929, and in ''Cosmopolitan' ...

" (US edition: "Jeeves and the Love That Purifies") — Bertie's Aunt Dahlia bets that her son Bonzo can defeat Aunt Agatha's son Thomas in a Good Conduct contest. ** UK: ''Strand'', November 1929 ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', November 1929 * "

Jeeves and the Old School Chum "Jeeves and the Old School Chum" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in February 1930, and in ''Cosmop ...

" — Bingo Little struggles to carry on after his wife's old school friend, Laura Pyke, starts enforcing her strong opinions about food on Bingo's diet. ** UK: ''Strand'', February 1930 ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', February 1930 * "

Indian Summer of an Uncle "Indian Summer of an Uncle" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in March 1930, and in ''Cosmopolitan' ...

" (US edition: "The Indian Summer of an Uncle") — Bertie is tasked by his Aunt Agatha with breaking up the relationship between his Uncle George and a young waitress. ** UK: ''Strand'', March 1930 ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', March 1930 * "

The Ordeal of Young Tuppy "The Ordeal of Young Tuppy" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in April 1930, and in ''Cosmopolitan' ...

" (US edition: "Tuppy Changes His Mind") — Tuppy Glossop falls in love with the athletic Miss Dalgleish, and plays rugby football to impress her. Aunt Dahlia wants Bertie and Jeeves to make sure that Tuppy reunites with her daughter, Angela Travers. ** UK: ''Strand'', April 1930 ** US: ''Cosmopolitan'', April 1930

Publication history

Along with ''

The Inimitable Jeeves ''The Inimitable Jeeves'' by P.G. Wodehouse was the first of the Jeeves novels, although not originally conceived as a single narrative, being assembled from a number of short stories featuring the same characters. The book was first published ...

'' and ''

Right Ho, Jeeves ''Right Ho, Jeeves'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, the second full-length novel featuring the popular characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, after ''Thank You, Jeeves''. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1934 by Herbert ...

'', ''Very Good, Jeeves'' was included in a collection titled ''Life With Jeeves'', published in 1981 by

Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Short story collections by P. G. Wodehouse 1930 short story collections Herbert Jenkins books Doubleday, Doran books

Contents

Publication history