P. G. Wodehouse Page 3

Quote: Kenneth @ March 11 2013, 3:58 PM GMT

Jeeves and the Impending Doom: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/07/jeeves-sebastian-faulks-wodehouse-novel

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I can't help feeling that you're right Kenneth.

Although I must say I once wrote about 5 chapters of one myself and thought it to be very good, however after approaching the estate for permission I was told "no way Jose" so I jacked it in, and what's more I'm sure fans (and I include myself as one of the biggest) would have been queuing up to pour scorn on it.

"Tinkerty-tonk," they would have said and I fully expect they would have meant for it to sting.

I suspect Mr Faulks efforts will receive something of a similar reception. But just a simple question, compared to me what's Sebastian Faulks ever done, eh?

Girl on a boat - seminal.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ March 11 2013, 4:22 PM GMT

I suspect Mr Faulks efforts will receive something of a similar reception.

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The Wodehouse estate asked him to write the damn thing. He should have responded in the manner of Bowie when offered a knighthood: "No thank you." But then again, Bowie probably didn't need media coverage and money.

Wodehouse was also interned in Upper Silesia by the Germans along with Ajax manager Jack Reynolds who pioneered total football.

After his early release(too old to be combatant)he foolishly agreed to do some witty monologues aimed at the then neutral US about his fun time in the interment camp.

Friends had to convince the government that he was just a silly old doffer and not a Lord Haw Haw type traitor.

Quote: Kenneth @ March 12 2013, 5:02 AM GMT

The Wodehouse estate asked him to write the damn thing. He should have responded in the manner of Bowie when offered a knighthood: "No thank you." But then again, Bowie probably didn't need media coverage and money.

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No, I meant by the hardened fans, not the Wodehouse estate.

Quote: youngian @ March 12 2013, 12:06 PM GMT

Wodehouse was also interned in Upper Silesia by the Germans along with Ajax manager Jack Reynolds who pioneered total football.

After his early release(too old to be combatant)he foolishly agreed to do some witty monologues aimed at the then neutral US about his fun time in the interment camp.

Friends had to convince the government that he was just a silly old doffer and not a Lord Haw Haw type traitor.

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The Code of the Woosters would seem to give his view on fascism quite clearly.

To be honest lots did worse to survive and that's no sin.

Albeit I wonder if he was the inspiration for Kurt Vonnegut's player piano.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ March 12 2013, 3:28 PM GMT

No, I meant by the hardened fans, not the Wodehouse estate.

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Indeed, yes. I'm just irked that the estate requested the "reboot novel", which many fans have automatically condemned, sight unseen, because it feels wrong. Like if someone other than Cleese and Booth were hired to write a new series of Fawlty Towers.

There is no need for anyone else to reboot Wodehouse. The canon is large and joyous, Jeeves, Blandings, PSmith, Mulliner etc. They are a joy to read and reread, leave it alone it will fall on its arse, why bother. I though unlike many others liked the new TV Blandings, which although nothing like the books description of Lord Emsworth was highly entertaining, but there is a big difference between reinterpreting a character and writing a new story altogether.

Why bother? Simple. To extend the estate's copyright.

Quote: Aaron @ March 13 2013, 12:35 PM GMT

Why bother? Simple. To extend the estate's copyright.

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Anyone wishing to extend an estate's copyright, please apply here.

If the Wodehouse estate is short of a bob, surely it could touch a wealthy but miserly uncle for the money, lose the money to gambling and then regain it through a deliciously convoluted love hexagon involving imposters and a stolen cat? No need to hire this chap to write a new book.

The estate hasn't worried about it for the past 35 years. How does a new version, written by someone Plum never heard of, increase the years of copyright on the original work?

Not on the original work, but on the characters and intellectual property. And, crucially, creates a new stream of income too.

See also: recent new James Bond books.

'The estate hasn't worried about it for the past 35 years. How does a new version, written by someone Plum never heard of, increase the years of copyright on the original work?'

The years of copyright on the existing books will run out in their due course year by year. 100 years after death of author, so not for a while. Also see point above.

Quote: Aaron @ March 13 2013, 7:58 PM GMT

Not on the original work, but on the characters and intellectual property.

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Add the jokes to the characters and the intellectual property and you've GOT the original work...

And I was planning an Ask Bertie search engine as well...
As far as James Bond was concerned, the first non-Fleming book was written in 1968, four years after his death.