P.G. Wodehouse's Golf Classic THE HEART OF A GOOF in Newsday

In honor of today's opening round of the U.S. Open, Allen Barra rounds-up classic books on golf in Long Island's Newsday. Making the cut is P.G. Wodehouse's The Heart of a Goof, available in Overlook's beautiful Collector's Wodehouse series: "You don't necessarily have to be a lover of his Jeeves and Wooster novels to enjoy Wodehouse's golf stories. In fact, you don't even have to love golf. This collection of nine stories told by "The Oldest Member" from his comfy chair on the terrace of the ninth hole, includes such laugh-making characters as Evangeline (described as a "golfing giggler"), Rollo Podmarsh (who, even though he thinks he's been poisoned, still doggedly finishes his round) and Rodney Spelvin (who finds new inspiration for his verse when he discovers "the Scottish game"). Sample quote from the opening story: "It was a morning when all nature shouted 'Fore!' The breeze, as it blew gently up from the valley, seemed to bring hope and cheer, whispering of chip shots holed and brassies landing squarely on the meat."

Orange County Register on the Wry World of P.G. WODEHOUSE

Timothy Mangan of the Orange County Register takes a long look at one of Overlook's favorite publishing projects: The Collector's Wodehouse.

"The latest installments of the complete edition of P.G. Wodehouse from Overlook Press have arrived and all is sweetness and light. Nothing Serious (the title might serve for all of this author's writing) and Psmith, Journalist (the p is silent) are, if my math is correct, numbers 62 and 63 in the Overlook series, which in years hence will run to more than 90 uniform volumes. And beautiful volumes they are, printed on Scottish cream-wove, acid-free paper, sewn and bound in cloth, with piquantly illustrated dust jackets. Jeeves would no doubt approve. Perhaps more importantly, Wodehouse fans will approve: the Overlook Wodehouse revives many hard-to-find gems, not otherwise available in print.

In fact, Wodehouse's books have dated little if at all. His books unfold in an aristocratic alternative universe where the only people who seem to have ever worked for a living are the butlers. It would seem to be a real world, dating to a certain place and time, but it probably never existed at all. At any rate, it is surprising how few contemporary references the books include. A book written by Wodehouse in the '20s reads much the same as one written in the '60s. Radio or television do not intrude, nor do wars or other news; transportation is provided by cars and trains, occasionally ships. There are telephones and telegrams. But the main activities are timeless – eating, drinking, smoking, conniving, and the pursuit of love. It seems familiar and remains funny, unlike much of the comedy of the past."

A Wodehouse a Week

Our friend from Book Expo Bully has been reading a Wodehouse title a week for the past 7 weeks. Right ho! This week it's Quick Service. Check out Bully's review. Which got us to thinking: what Wodehouse books are you reading this summer? Drop us a line. Photos of you reading Overlook editions of Wodehouse titles could possibly net you some of the new (and as of yet unavailable) Overlook hardcovers. They are as handsome as our pal Bully. Carry on!