Books I Like to Read before I Sleep – Part 1

It is absolutely essential for me to read a few pages of a nice book just before I go to sleep. This really has to be the last thing I do at the end of the day simply because it is such a calming influence on my mind. To be engaged with a light hearted stress busting book just before sleeping is an excellent idea and needless to say there would be many others echoing my thoughts on this.

This is the first part of a series of blogs that I will write and in each I will talk about a specific book or series of books that I love to read especially before I go to sleep. Daily!

P.G. Wodehouse: Any of the 14 Jeeves and Wooster Novels

In my opinion, there has not and will never be anyone to match the sense of humor and writing style of the great P.G. Wodehouse. I cannot list any one of his Jeeves and Wooster novels here because I think all of them are equally magnificent. It is splendid to read the mis-adventures of Bertie Wooster What Ho!-ing all over London trying to help his friends and relatives but invariably getting sucked into one hilarious problem after another himself until the genius Jeeves comes to the young master’s rescue. Accompanied by bigger idiots but extremely likeable Bingo Little, Tuppy and Gussey, not to forget the wrath of Aunts Dahlia and Agatha, this splendid writing is really hard to put down. Ever since I read the first novel by Wodehouse, I have started to collect all of his works and it truly is a great collection.

One of my fellow bookworm friends once said that she did not get into Wodehouse novels because she had the impression that it is something that school-going kids are supposed to read. But I vehemently disagree. The writings of Wodehouse are timeless, ageless and fit for reading by people of all ages, classes, shapes and sizes.

As Bertie Wooster once commented:
“We Woosters do not lightly forget. At least, we do – some things – appointments, and people’s birthdays, and letters to post, and all that – but not an absolutely bally insult like the above.”

As Stephen Fry, who has played the character of Jeeves on the television adaptation of these novels, has often said about the works of Wodehouse:

“You don’t analyze such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendor.”

My advice is to start with “The Inimitable Jeeves.” then “Carry On, Jeeves” and if you really get into the craze, continue with the rest of the series.

Do you agree with my analysis?

To read more about P.G. Wodehouse, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._Wodehouse

The complete list of Jeeves and Wooster Novels, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._Wodehouse_bibliography#Jeeves