Wodehouse: The master of comedy

With a comical plot, ludicrous scenarios, and eccentric characters. Wodehouse scripted a world around the social atmosphere of the late Edwardian era, poking fun at the English upper class Let's take a look at the writer whose birth anniversary falls this month.

It is like an escape into a land of comedy. Nothing wrong could happen to you here. English writer P.G. Wodehouse's literary world is all about entertainment. Pick any of his books and you are assured of a good laugh riot.

It is easy to get lost in the whimsical world of the upper-class English, and delight in the often absurd and funny scenarios that take on a wacky, idiosyncratic turn as the plot progresses. His is a comic tradition that continues to remain unsurpassed, taking you on a humorous journey.

One of the greatest 20th-century writers of humour, Wodehouse created a new realm of comedy through his books. With a highly evolving, comical plot, ludicrous scenarios, and eccentric characters, Wodehouse scripted a world around the social atmosphere of the late Edwardian era, poking fun at the English upper class.

Early years

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was born on October 15, 1881 in Guildford, Surrey, England. Educated in Dulwich College,

London, Wodehouse took up a bank job. His career started at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

But he soon quit it and turned his attention to writing. He became a freelance journalist and short story writer. He later became a humour columnist at the London Globe (1902). He also wrote for many other publications. In the same year, he published his first novel "The Pothunters."

When Wodehouse was made a prisoner

During the war, in 1940, he was captured in France by German forces. He was in a German internment camp for a year where he kept writing.

Whilst being a prisoner, he agreed to be part of a series of talks on German radio. Little did he know that he was playing right into the Nazi propaganda machine.

The broadcasts were a humorous take on his experiences as a prisoner in which he also made fun of his captors. But these broadcasts didn't go down well with the politicians and journalists in Britain.

There were accusations of treason. Later, he went back to America and continued his writing journey. He never returned to his homeland. He received a knighthood in 1975,

The comical riot

It all started with Something Fresh (1915), his comic debut. There he introduced the Emsworth family. It is the first instalment of the Blandings Castle series. The eccentric Lord Emsworth and his prize-winning pig the Empress of Blandings, along with a legion of relatives and impostors take you on a comical riot in the Blandings Castle series.

Among the other characters he created, the most loved are the duo Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They first made their debut in the story Extricating Young Gussie (1915). Jeeves, the inimitable "gentleman's gentleman" of the young bachelor Bertie, is perhaps the valet everyone would love to have at home. He saves the day always and gets Bertie out of every bizarre situation he puts himself in.

Musical journey

It was not just fiction Wodehouse was a master at. He wrote scripts and song lyrics for composers. A novelist, short-story writer, lyricist, and playwright. Wodehouse donned many caps. He wrote more than 90 books, over 20 film scripts and also collaborated on plays and musical comedies. He is often regarded as one of the pioneers of the American musical.

‘Sunset at Blandings’ was his last and unfinished novel. Wodehouse died at the age of 93 on February 14, 1975, in Southampton, N.Y.

Wodehouse loved dogs

In Pekes, hounds and mutts I have known, an article he wrote as an introduction to 'Son of Bitch', a book of photographs by Elliott Erwitt, Wodehouse talks about the many dogs he has had the company of. The first dog he had, Sammy, a French bulldog, was given to him by his colleague. The article ends with his musings about dogs and humour. Here is a peek into how entertaining Wodehouse can be: 'My own opinion is that some have and some don't. Dachshunds have, but not St Bernards and Great Danes. Apparently a dog has to be small to be fond of a joke. You never find an Irish wolfhound trying to be a stand-up comic.'

Picture Credit : Google 

A perfect career script



 



Though I am a medical aspirant, I compose poems and songs. I want to become a lyricist and pursue it as a side job. I am creative and can even write scripts for films. Please answer the following questions:



(i) What is a script? Is it a bound book in which the story of the film is written?



(ii) Where should I try so that I get offers as  a lyricist?



(iii) Does this require a lot of struggle? How to handle it?



(iv) Do lyricist earn a lot?



(v) What fee do lyricists charge?



(vi) Do serials offer hope for lyricists?



(vii) Tell me about opportunities for lyricists like creative writing and advertising.



Its dog-eat-dog would out there. In spite of your talent, you might face a lot of struggle, and maybe, frustration too. This is not to dishearten you, but there is a lot of plagiarism. If you take the decision to become a professional lyricist, you have to be extra cautious that your lyrics do not land in wrong hands. A better way would be to publish your poems in magazines with good circulation, like Femina, before you take the plunge. This way, you will have some standing when you start contacting people and negotiating.



If you want to talk to them on a firm footing, then you must have done some ground work by getting your work published in newspapers and magazines and getting a new cassettes recorded. Get in touch with music houses, music directors and even prominent directors, to let them know of your acumen. It’s easier said than done, but then, that’s the only way you can do it.



Yes, established lyricists do get very attractive remunerations: one lakh per song. You are taking a wise decision by treating it as a side profession.



Advertising will help you to the extent that you might come across people in the film industry circles and your creativity might be noticed by them. As regards, TV serials, there’s of scope for writing stories, what with so many channels, but very limited opportunity for lyricists, confined maybe, to the title song.



No a script is not a bound book. It’s essentially the narrative of the story on which the film would be made, with the description of characters, a rough sequence and dialogues.



 



Picture Credit : Google