Leave it to Psmith
by P. G. Wodehouse · first published 1923
82% recommend18% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A light, very funny comic novel set at Blandings Castle, with consistently amusing jokes and characters. It works well as a fun entry point to Wodehouse for new readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
'You don't analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.' Stephen Fry A Blandings novelLady Constance Keeble, sister of Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle, has both an imperious manner and a valuable diamond necklace. The precarious peace of Blandings is shattered when her necklace becomes the object of dark plottings, for within the castle lurk some well-connected jewel thieves – among them the Honourable Freddie Threepwood, Lord Emsworth's younger son, who wants the reward money to set up a bookmaking business. Psmith, the elegant socialist, is also after it for h
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2013–2022The Code of the Woosters
P. G. Wodehouse
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 86 recommend · 8 mention6 recommend · 86 recommend
2008–2026The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
Recommended by 17 · mentioned by 4117 recommend · 41 mention17 recommend · 4117 recommend
2009–2026The Dragons of Eden
Carl Sagan
Recommended by 18 · mentioned by 3018 recommend · 30 mention18 recommend · 3018 recommend
2007–2026The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Recommended by 58 · mentioned by 23858 recommend · 238 mention58 recommend · 23858 recommend
2009–2026Ishmael
Daniel Quinn
Recommended by 48 · mentioned by 6548 recommend · 65 mention48 recommend · 6548 recommend
2008–2026A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
Recommended by 41 · mentioned by 7041 recommend · 70 mention41 recommend · 7041 recommend
2008–2026Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Recommended by 57 · mentioned by 10357 recommend · 103 mention57 recommend · 10357 recommend
2009–2026Impro
Keith Johnstone
Recommended by 58 · mentioned by 7258 recommend · 72 mention58 recommend · 7258 recommend
Strange and wonderful to see this on the front page. If you haven't read Wodehouse, I'd highly recommend starting with "Leave it to Psmith": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_It_to_Psmith Some of the earlier Psmith stories are in the public domain: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6753 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2607 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10586
on “Hugh Laurie: Wodehouse Saved my Life (1999)” ↗Leave it to Psmith - 10/10 Anna Karenina - 8/10 The Code of the Woosters 8/10 Fooled by Randomness 7/10 Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life 8/10 How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia 9/10 Reluctant…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗Three of my favorites: The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58585 Men Like Gods, by H. G. Wells http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200221h.html Leave It To Psmith, by P.G. Wodehouse https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.126397/page/n1
on “Digitized Books from 1923 Now Available at the Internet Archive” ↗Last year, one of Wodehouse's absolute corkers[1] entered into the public domain of the United States[2]. [1] Leave it to Psmith http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60067 [2] At Long Last… The Public Domain Expands! https://cdlib.org/cdlinfo/2019/01/08/at-long-last-the-public...
on “How the NYT covered P.G. Wodehouse's captivity during World War II (2019)” ↗…story which was where Wodehouse started. Psmith in the city something of a sequel. Psmith Journalists the nearest Wodehouse ever got to literature with a social point to make, definitely worth the read. Leave it to Psmith is, imho his masterpiece and the best written novel I've read. Sadly the last we hear of Psmith. All should be out of copyright by now.
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗In a lighter vein, let me suggest reading the Psmith series by Wodehouse. If not the entire series then Leave It To Psmith, at least.
The Elements of Style, Strunk & White. Leave it to Psmith, P.G. Wodehouse
on “Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books.” ↗…be disappointed by any of them. Some characters and some jokes are better than others, but I think you can pick one off the shelf at random and you'll be happy you did. The one that comes to mind is "Leave it to Psmith," but not because it was necessarily such a standout book, but because of one line (concerning the name Psmith) that I still laugh about every time I think of it, years later.
on “Some Heroes” ↗Leave it to Psmith - 10/10 Anna Karenina - 8/10 The Code of the Woosters 8/10 Fooled by Randomness 7/10 Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life 8/10 How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia 9/10…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗I just listened to "The Inimitable Jeeves" and "Leave It To PSmith" on the Classic Tales podcast. Both were very amusing.
on “The blissfully escapist comic novels of PG Wodehouse” ↗I've only read the first Psmith book set in Blandings - Leave it to Psmith. It's absolutely hilarious. If you like Ukridge, then you could also read 'Love Amount the Chickens', which features the Ukridge character.
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗…here is simply the lack of context. If you've read a book, tell me why you read it, and tell me what you thought about it. It's great that AG read The Inimitable Jeeves, but how did it stack up against Leave it to Psmith or Uncle Fred in the Springtime?
on “Art Garfunkel's Library” ↗…both fiction and non-fiction, and checked the first few pages of each; most of them had a good number of em dashes (or spaced en dashes, depending on the publisher's typographic style). For example: - Leave It to Psmith, P. G. Wodehouse, 1923: five on the first two pages https://archive.org/details/bwb_O8-BSS-318/page/10/mode/2up - Kim, Rudyard Kipling, 1901 (1913): fourteen on the first three pages https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.1530/page/1/mode/2up…
on “A Proclamation Regarding the Restoration of the Em-Dash” ↗