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Title: The Prince and Betty by P. G. Wodehouse ISBN: 0-8095-9816-7 Publisher: Wildside Press Pub. Date: January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $32.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.5 (2 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Earlier/Alternate Version of "Psmith Journalist"
Comment: A previous reviewer has mentioned that the hero of this book, named Smith, seems so much like the more famous Wodehouse character, Psmith. The reason is that they are the same character with a few minor changes, most importantly Smith is American.

This has to do with the publication history of this book. In 1910, Wodehouse published a novel called "Psmith Journalist" werialized in the American magazine continuing the adventures of Psmith and Mike from "Psmith in the City" as they grapple with lots of American gangsters, boxers, slumlords, etc. This novel was published in book form as "Psmith Journalist" in 1915.

In the meantime, he published 2 different (US & UK) revised versions under the title "Prince and Betty" -- one with and one without an additional love story. The version here appears to be the US version.

I have read and enjoyed "Psmith Journalist," and while ,it is the weakest of his Psmith books I definately recomend it as a must for any Wodehouse fan. I haven't yet read "Prince and Betty" but am looking forward to it to see the differences between it and Psmith Journalist. Also, Jimmy Pitt the hero of the excellent Wodehouse book, "Gentleman of Leisure" makes an appearance in Prince and Betty

Rating: 3
Summary: Wodehouse writing like Damon Runyon
Comment: Wodehouse is finely honing the comical style that characterizes the later novels. This novel, however, is very dissimilar to Bertie/Jeeves. Instead, it's more like Damon Runyon, if Runyon had written a novel. The characteristic near-misses and misunderstandings of Wodehouse are present, as is the jocular young man in spats (here called Smith, supposedly American, but reading like the Psmith of the Wodehouse books of that name), but the two main characters are college-educated Americans. It is the subplot in the last half of the story involving gangs and their "canisters" (guns) that makes it almost unbelievable that this is Wodehouse. Although comedic, the real level of danger presented to the characters is great, especially compared with later novels in which danger is usually in the form of an avenging aunt who threatens to cut off the money supply. Imagine what Wodehouse would have been like if he had chosen to follow the path of this novel rather than the Psmith novels or the Bertie/Jeeves stories!

Wodehouse does a wonderful bit of satire here on the "wholesome" newspapers of the day, probably little knowing that his fare would be held up as wholesome in later years.