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Ukridge #1
Love Among the Chickens
The farcical tale of Jeremy Garnet, an author and an old friend of Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, an erstwhile chicken farmer. Upon meeting Ukridge for the first time in years, Garnet finds himself enmeshed Ukridge's new and struggling chicken farm. Garnet soon falls in love with a girl living near the estate as he struggles with the farm and with Ukridge's bizarre business methods.
Written when he was 25, Love Among the Chickens launched P.G. Wodehouse's career as a novelist and introduced the world to Ukridge, one of his most extraordinary inventions. Robert McCrum's introduction shows how this fascinating early book holds within it so many of the themes which Wodehouse was to make his own. This edition uses Wodehouse's 1920 revised edition of the 1906 original.
Written when he was 25, Love Among the Chickens launched P.G. Wodehouse's career as a novelist and introduced the world to Ukridge, one of his most extraordinary inventions. Robert McCrum's introduction shows how this fascinating early book holds within it so many of the themes which Wodehouse was to make his own. This edition uses Wodehouse's 1920 revised edition of the 1906 original.
153 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1906
266 people are currently reading
1934 people want to read
About the author
P.G. Wodehouse
1,569Ìýbooks6,805ÌýfollowersSir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE, was a comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success during a career of more than seventy years and continues to be widely read over 40 years after his death. Despite the political and social upheavals that occurred during his life, much of which was spent in France and the United States, Wodehouse's main canvas remained that of prewar English upper-class society, reflecting his birth, education, and youthful writing career.
An acknowledged master of English prose, Wodehouse has been admired both by contemporaries such as Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by more recent writers such as Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend.
Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song Bill in Kern's Show Boat (1927), wrote the lyrics for the Gershwin/Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).
An acknowledged master of English prose, Wodehouse has been admired both by contemporaries such as Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by more recent writers such as Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend.
Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song Bill in Kern's Show Boat (1927), wrote the lyrics for the Gershwin/Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
November 4, 2024
Bok, bok, bok!
An author gets hauled along for a wacky ride when his friend decides to become a chicken farmer and sell the eggs.
Ukridge is an idiot with idiot ideas.
He thinks his chicken farm will be a money maker because he'll borrow the initial chickens, then return them once he's got his own flock going with a nice little thank you note to the chicken lenders. And since it certainly doesn't cost anything to take care of chickens, the whole enterprise will be pure profit, don't you know?
Not having any experience with either chickens or farms shouldn't be a reason to question the validity of his dream, so let's get to cracking those eggs!
Jeremy ends up as the "partner" in this egg-laying scheme because he forgets how to say the word no when Ukridge and his wife Millie show up at his house.
Now, if you're thinking this whole thing will be a complete clustercluck for him, you'd be wrong.
Why?
Because across the way from their unprofitable little farm lives the lovely Phyllis and her father.
Phyllis caught his eye on the train down when he noticed she was reading his book.
A gal with taste and beauty?
Jeremy was a gonner. All that was left to do was woo her.
Unfortunately, Ukridge ends up blithely insulting Phyllis' father at a get-together and taking Jeremy's good name down with him. So, in an effort to get back in her father's good graces, Jeremy hatches a plan to save her father from drowning - after he pays the boatman to tip the old man into the water.
Success!
Until, of course, it isn't.
Each hair-brained scheme leads to a dozen more as the story tilts and whirls around one mishap after another.
Can true love be hatched among the chickens?
If you're already a fan of Wodehouse, don't miss out on this one.
Recommended
An author gets hauled along for a wacky ride when his friend decides to become a chicken farmer and sell the eggs.
Ukridge is an idiot with idiot ideas.
He thinks his chicken farm will be a money maker because he'll borrow the initial chickens, then return them once he's got his own flock going with a nice little thank you note to the chicken lenders. And since it certainly doesn't cost anything to take care of chickens, the whole enterprise will be pure profit, don't you know?
Not having any experience with either chickens or farms shouldn't be a reason to question the validity of his dream, so let's get to cracking those eggs!
Jeremy ends up as the "partner" in this egg-laying scheme because he forgets how to say the word no when Ukridge and his wife Millie show up at his house.
Now, if you're thinking this whole thing will be a complete clustercluck for him, you'd be wrong.
Why?
Because across the way from their unprofitable little farm lives the lovely Phyllis and her father.
Phyllis caught his eye on the train down when he noticed she was reading his book.
A gal with taste and beauty?
Jeremy was a gonner. All that was left to do was woo her.
Unfortunately, Ukridge ends up blithely insulting Phyllis' father at a get-together and taking Jeremy's good name down with him. So, in an effort to get back in her father's good graces, Jeremy hatches a plan to save her father from drowning - after he pays the boatman to tip the old man into the water.
Success!
Until, of course, it isn't.
Each hair-brained scheme leads to a dozen more as the story tilts and whirls around one mishap after another.
Can true love be hatched among the chickens?
If you're already a fan of Wodehouse, don't miss out on this one.
Recommended
January 23, 2023
This is a very humorous story about two friends trying to run a chicken ranch. They are definately not equipt for the task. I recommend this book to all who need a laugh.
April 2, 2009
With each book of Wodehouse's that I finish, it is always with a little bit of regret. Even though P.G. Wodehouse is attributed to over a hundred published works, I've still got quite a bit of my life ahead of me, and it will be a sad day indeed when I've run out of fresh Wodehouse books to read. Oh well, at the very least I can start rereading, and hopefully by then my memory will be going bad, so each reread will feel just like new again.
Anyway, Love Among the Chickens is Wodehouse in true form, though I will admit that it was a bit of a deviation from the previous works of his that I have read so far. Here, it seems, he has taken his story a tiny bit more seriously than in his other works. Instead of defaulting on the most ridiculously funny thing that he could think of, he appears to rein in at a couple of spots and put out some sincere emotions and descriptions within the plot.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with this, but it did seem just a bit off for Wodehouse, so I checked on something and found out that, sure enough, Love Among the Chickens was one of his earlier written works. If I were to venture a speculation, I would say that this one has a lot more of the fingerprints of an editor than Wodehouse's later works (once he had established himself) would have, because the tone is definitely subdued. Again, Wodehouse is a great writer and acquits himself well no matter what direction he is steered, but I think that had he been left to himself, I might have read something a lot more silly, off-the-wall, and generally hilarious--though perhaps at the cost of some attachment to the story and characters.
Overall, the story is flippant, fantastic, fun, and provides plenty of pure P.G. playfulness.
Anyway, Love Among the Chickens is Wodehouse in true form, though I will admit that it was a bit of a deviation from the previous works of his that I have read so far. Here, it seems, he has taken his story a tiny bit more seriously than in his other works. Instead of defaulting on the most ridiculously funny thing that he could think of, he appears to rein in at a couple of spots and put out some sincere emotions and descriptions within the plot.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with this, but it did seem just a bit off for Wodehouse, so I checked on something and found out that, sure enough, Love Among the Chickens was one of his earlier written works. If I were to venture a speculation, I would say that this one has a lot more of the fingerprints of an editor than Wodehouse's later works (once he had established himself) would have, because the tone is definitely subdued. Again, Wodehouse is a great writer and acquits himself well no matter what direction he is steered, but I think that had he been left to himself, I might have read something a lot more silly, off-the-wall, and generally hilarious--though perhaps at the cost of some attachment to the story and characters.
Overall, the story is flippant, fantastic, fun, and provides plenty of pure P.G. playfulness.
January 1, 2011
Stanley Ukridge is no Jeeves,
His eccentricities make others grieve.
Garnet unlike Corky,
Is dull and dorky.
Phyllis is the one he loves,
Woos her like a lonesome dove.
Creditors swarm the farms,
Rummaging chickens with their arms.
Amongst a mass of satiric bliss,
It is acceptable to give this a miss.
His eccentricities make others grieve.
Garnet unlike Corky,
Is dull and dorky.
Phyllis is the one he loves,
Woos her like a lonesome dove.
Creditors swarm the farms,
Rummaging chickens with their arms.
Amongst a mass of satiric bliss,
It is acceptable to give this a miss.
July 13, 2023
Is there no end to the awesomeness that is P.G. Wodehouse? (Answer: No!)
I hadn't yet encountered the Stanley Featherstone Ukridge character. I had a long drive ahead of me, and this audiobook was available on Hoopla, so I downloaded it and proceeded to laugh my head off for the next few hours in the car.
I have found there are a few other Ukridge novels, and if they are half as funny as this first story about his ill-fated attempt to start a chicken farm with absolutely no money or experience, I will be well satisfied.
I hadn't yet encountered the Stanley Featherstone Ukridge character. I had a long drive ahead of me, and this audiobook was available on Hoopla, so I downloaded it and proceeded to laugh my head off for the next few hours in the car.
I have found there are a few other Ukridge novels, and if they are half as funny as this first story about his ill-fated attempt to start a chicken farm with absolutely no money or experience, I will be well satisfied.
January 30, 2018
“We are most of us wise after the event. When the wind has blown, we can generally discover a multitude of straws which should have shown us which way it was blowing.�
Pearl of wisdom or gem of witticism? Probably both. You can always find memorable lines like this in any Wodehouse book, which is why reading his books is always worthwhile. There are numerous Wodehouse books available in the public domain, to read or download for free online. Unfortunately not all his books are in the public domain, in fact � as far as I know � there are only two Jeeves and Wooster books in ’s massive catalogue. If you want to explore works of Wodehouse for free you will generally have to make do without this dynamic duo. There are 42 Wodehouse titles listed at Project Gutenberg so the choice is almost bewildering. I came to choose Love Among the Chickens because it is one of the very few Wodehouse titles formatted by the , the formatting is very neat and superior to the same book formatted by Project Gutenberg (not that Gutenberg does a terrible job).
Love Among the Chickens is the story of Jeremy Garnet, an author of pulp detective novels. Just when Garnet is in need of a change of scene and inspiration his friend Stanley Ukridge entices him to assist him in a chicken farming venture in Combe Regis, in Dorsetshire. Garnet readily agrees and while en route to Combe Regis he meets beautiful Phyllis Derrick and is immediately smitten. He gets on well enough with Phyllis who enjoys reading his fiction, but her father, Professor Derrick is a highly cantankerous gentleman, and getting on his good side is very difficult. Garnet’s attempt to befriend the professor is not helped by the unwanted “assistance� of his friend Ukridge who is a loudmouth idiot without social graces. Desperate to make some headway with the professor Garnet stages a faux-rescue that initially pays dividends until his scheme is rumbled. “The course of true love never did run smooth� but Garnet’s situation is ridiculous.
For me any Wodehouse book without Jeeves and Wooster is immediately second tier or below. There is magic in Jeeves� wonderfully convoluted manner of speaking and his ingenious solutions to problems. The contrast when he is paired with his boss Bertie Wooster whose daft antics always land him “in the soup� makes for some comedy gold. All Wodehouse protagonists land themselves in the soup at some point in the narrative but only Bertie has Jeeves to fish him out.
Unfortunately for Garnet he has Ukridge, one of Wodehouse less prepossessing recurring characters. He is extremely stupid, opinionated, and always very insistent on having his ways. He seldom stops talking long enough for anybody to get a word in. For me, Ukridge is the weak link of the novel, he just rubs me the wrong way. I have met people like him in real life and always find them unbearable. However, whatever flaws exist in a Wodehouse novel, the book as a whole is always salvageable, thanks to the author’s wit and charms. In spite of the title Love Among the Chickens does not place much emphasis on the romance, scenes of Garnet’s awkward courting are few and far between. The comedy is more reliant on high jinx involving rampaging chickens or creditors, Wodehouse also gets a lot of mileage from Garnet’s ill-considered scheme to ingratiate himself with the professor. I read Love Among the Chickens as an e-book as well as an audiobook (mostly simultaneously). It makes for pleasant and amiable bus journeys to work. While not exactly side splittingly funny it made me chuckle a few times and is never dull. A second or even third tier Wodehouse is still a worthwhile read.
Note: The audiobook is nicely read by Mark Nelson, . Thank you Mr. Nelson!
Quotes:
“The sight of the table, when at length we filed into the dining room, sent a chill through me. It was a meal for the very young or the very hungry. The uncompromising coldness and solidity of the viands was enough to appall a man conscious that his digestion needed humouring. A huge cheese faced us in almost a swashbuckling way. I do not know how else to describe it. It wore a blatant, rakish, nemo-me-impune-lacessit air, and I noticed that the professor shivered slightly as he saw it.�
“It is a peculiarity of situations of this kind that the ideas of debtor and creditor as to what constitutes a good time never coincide.�
“The man who lays a hand upon a woman, save in the way of kindness, is justly disliked by Society; so the woman Muspratt, culpable as she was, was safe from me.�
“You are swimming splendidly this morning," I went on perseveringly, feeling that an ounce of flattery is worth a pound of rhetoric.�
“I had not imagined Ukridge capable of such an excursion into metaphysics. I saw the truth of his line of argument so clearly that it seemed to me impossible for anyone else to get confused over it. I had certainly pulled the professor out of the water, and the fact that I had first caused him to be pushed in had nothing to do with the case. Either a man is a gallant rescuer or he is not a gallant rescuer. There is no middle course. I had saved his life—for he would certainly have drowned if left to himself—and I was entitled to his gratitude. That was all there was to be said about it.�
“If there is one person I dislike, it is the man who tries to air his grievances when I wish to air mine�
Pearl of wisdom or gem of witticism? Probably both. You can always find memorable lines like this in any Wodehouse book, which is why reading his books is always worthwhile. There are numerous Wodehouse books available in the public domain, to read or download for free online. Unfortunately not all his books are in the public domain, in fact � as far as I know � there are only two Jeeves and Wooster books in ’s massive catalogue. If you want to explore works of Wodehouse for free you will generally have to make do without this dynamic duo. There are 42 Wodehouse titles listed at Project Gutenberg so the choice is almost bewildering. I came to choose Love Among the Chickens because it is one of the very few Wodehouse titles formatted by the , the formatting is very neat and superior to the same book formatted by Project Gutenberg (not that Gutenberg does a terrible job).
Love Among the Chickens is the story of Jeremy Garnet, an author of pulp detective novels. Just when Garnet is in need of a change of scene and inspiration his friend Stanley Ukridge entices him to assist him in a chicken farming venture in Combe Regis, in Dorsetshire. Garnet readily agrees and while en route to Combe Regis he meets beautiful Phyllis Derrick and is immediately smitten. He gets on well enough with Phyllis who enjoys reading his fiction, but her father, Professor Derrick is a highly cantankerous gentleman, and getting on his good side is very difficult. Garnet’s attempt to befriend the professor is not helped by the unwanted “assistance� of his friend Ukridge who is a loudmouth idiot without social graces. Desperate to make some headway with the professor Garnet stages a faux-rescue that initially pays dividends until his scheme is rumbled. “The course of true love never did run smooth� but Garnet’s situation is ridiculous.
For me any Wodehouse book without Jeeves and Wooster is immediately second tier or below. There is magic in Jeeves� wonderfully convoluted manner of speaking and his ingenious solutions to problems. The contrast when he is paired with his boss Bertie Wooster whose daft antics always land him “in the soup� makes for some comedy gold. All Wodehouse protagonists land themselves in the soup at some point in the narrative but only Bertie has Jeeves to fish him out.
Unfortunately for Garnet he has Ukridge, one of Wodehouse less prepossessing recurring characters. He is extremely stupid, opinionated, and always very insistent on having his ways. He seldom stops talking long enough for anybody to get a word in. For me, Ukridge is the weak link of the novel, he just rubs me the wrong way. I have met people like him in real life and always find them unbearable. However, whatever flaws exist in a Wodehouse novel, the book as a whole is always salvageable, thanks to the author’s wit and charms. In spite of the title Love Among the Chickens does not place much emphasis on the romance, scenes of Garnet’s awkward courting are few and far between. The comedy is more reliant on high jinx involving rampaging chickens or creditors, Wodehouse also gets a lot of mileage from Garnet’s ill-considered scheme to ingratiate himself with the professor. I read Love Among the Chickens as an e-book as well as an audiobook (mostly simultaneously). It makes for pleasant and amiable bus journeys to work. While not exactly side splittingly funny it made me chuckle a few times and is never dull. A second or even third tier Wodehouse is still a worthwhile read.
Note: The audiobook is nicely read by Mark Nelson, . Thank you Mr. Nelson!
Quotes:
“The sight of the table, when at length we filed into the dining room, sent a chill through me. It was a meal for the very young or the very hungry. The uncompromising coldness and solidity of the viands was enough to appall a man conscious that his digestion needed humouring. A huge cheese faced us in almost a swashbuckling way. I do not know how else to describe it. It wore a blatant, rakish, nemo-me-impune-lacessit air, and I noticed that the professor shivered slightly as he saw it.�
“It is a peculiarity of situations of this kind that the ideas of debtor and creditor as to what constitutes a good time never coincide.�
“The man who lays a hand upon a woman, save in the way of kindness, is justly disliked by Society; so the woman Muspratt, culpable as she was, was safe from me.�
“You are swimming splendidly this morning," I went on perseveringly, feeling that an ounce of flattery is worth a pound of rhetoric.�
“I had not imagined Ukridge capable of such an excursion into metaphysics. I saw the truth of his line of argument so clearly that it seemed to me impossible for anyone else to get confused over it. I had certainly pulled the professor out of the water, and the fact that I had first caused him to be pushed in had nothing to do with the case. Either a man is a gallant rescuer or he is not a gallant rescuer. There is no middle course. I had saved his life—for he would certainly have drowned if left to himself—and I was entitled to his gratitude. That was all there was to be said about it.�
“If there is one person I dislike, it is the man who tries to air his grievances when I wish to air mine�
July 21, 2019
Such a funny story! I really enjoyed the slapstick-style Ukridge and the well-meaning Garnet. They get into all sorts of scrapes and land on their feet time and time again. But of course that won’t always happen. When Ukridge deeply offends the father of the girl Garnet has fallen in love with, Garnet has his work cut out for him. Things at the chicken farm are going to have to go much differently if Garnet hopes to win the fair lady!
Despite too many instances of stupid, I still laughed through the story and enjoyed the crazy ride.
Despite too many instances of stupid, I still laughed through the story and enjoyed the crazy ride.
December 29, 2016
Love Among the Chickens represented Wodehouse’s first foray into adult fiction. Prior to Chickens, Wodehouse had focused on children’s or young adult literature, mostly “school stories� set in English boarding schools. These were often humorous, but one couldn’t help but feel like Wodehouse was holding back a bit by fitting his tales to the tastes of younger readers. Happily, that is not an issue with the present novel.
In Chickens, a bored novelist (Jeremy Garnet) accepts an offer from his boorish friend Ukridge to assist with the latter’s latest business misadventure, a chicken farm in Dorset. Garnet signed on largely for the opportunity to play golf and swim in the sea, but ends up finding romance in the country as well. Unfortunately, Ukridge’s appalling behavior complicates things for our hero, forcing Garnet into a very unorthodox courtship.
There is plenty of hilarity here: the mercurial Ukridge and his sweet, loving wife, unconventional chicken farming, Ukridge & Garnet’s stoic, deadpan servant, and much more. I thought that this was notably funnier than Wodehouse’s previous books, and the plot (while simple) was interesting and entertaining. One note: this book was apparently revised, perhaps substantially, by Wodehouse in 1921. I read the revised version, which appears to be the one most widely circulated today. Perhaps the original 1906 version was less polished, but the revised version (at least) should definitely appeal to fans of Wodehouse’s later, more famous work. 4.0 stars, recommended!
In Chickens, a bored novelist (Jeremy Garnet) accepts an offer from his boorish friend Ukridge to assist with the latter’s latest business misadventure, a chicken farm in Dorset. Garnet signed on largely for the opportunity to play golf and swim in the sea, but ends up finding romance in the country as well. Unfortunately, Ukridge’s appalling behavior complicates things for our hero, forcing Garnet into a very unorthodox courtship.
There is plenty of hilarity here: the mercurial Ukridge and his sweet, loving wife, unconventional chicken farming, Ukridge & Garnet’s stoic, deadpan servant, and much more. I thought that this was notably funnier than Wodehouse’s previous books, and the plot (while simple) was interesting and entertaining. One note: this book was apparently revised, perhaps substantially, by Wodehouse in 1921. I read the revised version, which appears to be the one most widely circulated today. Perhaps the original 1906 version was less polished, but the revised version (at least) should definitely appeal to fans of Wodehouse’s later, more famous work. 4.0 stars, recommended!
October 7, 2019
Quite deliciously absurd with a sprinkling of genius dialogue and description. The story gets a bit bogged at times (oddly enough, I blame the chickens) but remains thoroughly enjoyable as the poor young hero does everything he can to win his lady love.
Well worth the read.
Well worth the read.
May 9, 2008
I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the other Wodehouse novels I've read recently.
The main character is a bit dull and was not really enough of him to justify the story. The story was a little too hard to believe - I know, I know, all of the stories are hard to believe, but this one wasn't so much involved in that magical world Wodehouse normally creates and so when it went 'over the top' it left me on the other side.
There is an interesting remark made by one of the female characters that the narrator (who is also a young novelist) doesn't write very convincing female characters. And, do you know what, none of the female characters in this book are at all convincing. And now I think of it, I would doubt there would ever be a play called 'Wodehouse's Women'.
Then again, in this book particularly, none of the male characters were very convincing either.
If you are thinking of reading some Wodehouse, my only advice would be to not start here.
There were moments... but I've come to expect so much more than just moments from this man.
The main character is a bit dull and was not really enough of him to justify the story. The story was a little too hard to believe - I know, I know, all of the stories are hard to believe, but this one wasn't so much involved in that magical world Wodehouse normally creates and so when it went 'over the top' it left me on the other side.
There is an interesting remark made by one of the female characters that the narrator (who is also a young novelist) doesn't write very convincing female characters. And, do you know what, none of the female characters in this book are at all convincing. And now I think of it, I would doubt there would ever be a play called 'Wodehouse's Women'.
Then again, in this book particularly, none of the male characters were very convincing either.
If you are thinking of reading some Wodehouse, my only advice would be to not start here.
There were moments... but I've come to expect so much more than just moments from this man.
February 9, 2023
Fun quick read, full of absurdities and slapstick comedy.
November 11, 2017
I’ve said it before, and I expect to say it again, when I feel down Wodehouse is my go-to guy. Love among the Chickens is his first novel to feature Ukridge, who is not the most reliable character when it comes to business. I think that is the politest way to describe him. The storyteller is a not too successful novelist, who Ukridge manages to involve in his latest get rich fast scheme, building up a chicken farm where in Ukridge’s mind the eggs will turn to gold.
It is Wodehouse sixth novel, so it is pretty early on his career considering that he would pen 99 books. It has a lot of the elements of his best work, romantic complications that I think only Wodehouse could come up with, crazy schemes, people with rich relatives they depend on for money, and funny situations. His first books had been set in schools, but stories like this one made his name.
It is often laugh out loud funny, like all of Wodehouse that I have read, but he hasn’t quite got his formula right at this time. The build up is a little rocky, and sometimes it takes a little longer than in some of his later novels to get from one joke to the next, but it still gives me what Wodehouse always does. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh, and that’s all I ask of him. He is never a waste of time.
It is Wodehouse sixth novel, so it is pretty early on his career considering that he would pen 99 books. It has a lot of the elements of his best work, romantic complications that I think only Wodehouse could come up with, crazy schemes, people with rich relatives they depend on for money, and funny situations. His first books had been set in schools, but stories like this one made his name.
It is often laugh out loud funny, like all of Wodehouse that I have read, but he hasn’t quite got his formula right at this time. The build up is a little rocky, and sometimes it takes a little longer than in some of his later novels to get from one joke to the next, but it still gives me what Wodehouse always does. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh, and that’s all I ask of him. He is never a waste of time.
June 4, 2023
"We are most of us wise after the event. When the wind has blown, we can generally discover a multitude of straws which should have shown us which way it was blowing."To whom would I turn, in the days leading up to the defense of my PhD thesis, but P. G. Wodehouse? Love Among the Chickens is the first of the Ukridge novels. It's a riot, even if it doesn't quite reach the purest heights of the best of Wodehouse's work; neither the plot nor the characters are sufficiently developed for this.
Incidentally, I successfully defended my PhD thesis. I almost included Wodehouse in the acknowledgements, but ultimately decided against it. Let me voice my appreciation here: thank you, Plum, old horse, for the joy of your writing that carried and continues to carry me through life's more stressful, stickier moments.
March 6, 2014
P.G.Wodehouse - Love Among the Chickens - Complete and unabridged Read by Jonathan Cecil
Jonathan Cecil is my favourite reader for P. G. Wodehouse, mainly for his rich rounded vowels, but also because he reads them unabridged, and Wodehouse is an author who rarely wrote an unnecessary word. Love Among the Chickens opens in London, but most of the action takes place in Dorset, which the irrepressible scrounger Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and his jolly new wife Molly have identified as an ideal place to set up a chicken farm. Counterpointing him nicely as protagonist is the nervous novelist Jeremy Garnet (“O my sainted aunt!�), who gives Wodehouse lots of opportunity for home truths about being an author.
Jonathan Cecil is my favourite reader for P. G. Wodehouse, mainly for his rich rounded vowels, but also because he reads them unabridged, and Wodehouse is an author who rarely wrote an unnecessary word. Love Among the Chickens opens in London, but most of the action takes place in Dorset, which the irrepressible scrounger Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and his jolly new wife Molly have identified as an ideal place to set up a chicken farm. Counterpointing him nicely as protagonist is the nervous novelist Jeremy Garnet (“O my sainted aunt!�), who gives Wodehouse lots of opportunity for home truths about being an author.
October 2, 2023
Not bad for one of Wodehouse's very early ones! Love Among the Chickens suffers only slightly from the "will he, won't he?...will she, won't she?" melodramatic story arc of the day. The comedy takes up more of the limelight than the romance. I believe this is the first appearance of Ukridge, a larger-than-life character whose charm comes at you with all the subtly of a shotgun. A must read for fans, worth a look for the casuals.
February 1, 2025
hilariously splendid! I listened to audiobook read by Graham Scott.
April 26, 2020
This is Wodehouse's first comic novel and I have to admit that it is funny, although not one of my favourites by him. The narrator isn't Ukridge, but his school friend, Jeremy--a novelist--who he ropes into helping him start a chicken farm with hopes of making a great deal of money. Ukbridge is convinced that his complete ignorance about poultry will only help him do well. Jeremy, in the meantime, is smitten with a young woman he has seen on the train who happens to be staying next door. There are schemes, confusions and the general mayhem one expects in a Wodehouse farce.
June 12, 2012
I'd call this classic Wodehouse, if not quite up to his best; and then I realize it's his first novel, written at age 25. Astonishing that he had his characteristic silliness of plot and perfection of tone right from the start. Who else could write such a brilliant three-page description of a man trying and failing to maintain his dignity while trying and failing to catch an errant hen?
January 14, 2023
I love Jeeves and Bertie. This one is one of Wodehouse´s first books, and while it shows nuggets of the brilliance that would become his trademark,I found it a bit slow. Even so, delightful.
October 5, 2009
“Love Among the Chickens� is the first adult oriented Wodehouse story, and introduces Stanley Featherstonehaugh (changed from the original edition spelling: Featherstonhaugh) Ukridge. This is the updated edition of the Wodehouse classic, published originally in May of 1921. This is the better of the editions, as there was a considerable rewrite, tightening up the story, making it more humorous and improving what was already an enjoyable romp. This is the version to read, unless you have a desire to see what the original was like.
The general story in the two editions is the same. The main character is Jeremy Garnet, an author working on his new novel, who learns that an old acquaintance, i.e. Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, whom he knew from when they were both masters at a school earlier in life, is looking for him. His desperate attempt to flee before Ukridge can find him fails, and he gets sucked into the newly married Ukridge’s latest scheme to make money, chicken farming. Neither Ukridge, nor his wife Millie, nor Garnet know anything about chicken farming, but that doesn’t deter Ukridge in the least, in fact he believes that simply means they aren’t burdened down with pre-existing theories. On the way to the farm � a house which a friend of Millie’s allows them to lease for free � Garnet sees, and falls for Phyllis, the daughter of a Professor. Naturally, there are plenty of landmines which stand between Garnet and happiness, perhaps the biggest one being Ukridge, but in what would become typical Wodehouse fashion he successfully navigates his way to a happy ending.
The difference between the two editions is in the details. There was an extensive rewriting of the book between the two editions, and Wodehouse clearly learned a lot about telling a story in the interim. In most cases, the rewrites tell the story in a more succinct and more humorous fashion. There are two significant changes: the first being Garnet confronting the Professor in chapter 19. In the original edition he does this by himself, but in this edition Ukridge goes with him. Naturally, having Ukridge there adds to the humor, especially when Ukridge was the cause of the problems between Garnet and the Professor to begin with. The other significant change is the elimination of an epilogue which simply wasn’t needed and didn’t improve the story, Instead, Wodehouse moves up the ending joke to the end of the last chapter, which makes it funnier.
Ukridge is a wonderfully annoying character, and this is the only novel in the Ukridge series. There is also a collection of Ukridge stories titled “Ukridge� from 1924 (also known as “He Rather Enjoyed It�, and there are Ukridge stories in the collections “Lord Emsworth and Others� from 1937, “Eggs, Beans, and Crumpets� from 1940, “Nothing Serious� from 1950, “A Few Quick Ones� from 1959, and “Plum Pie� from 1966. Ukridge is large and loud, very opinionated and likes to give it at every opportunity. He often convinces people to lend him money, or give him credit, and then has difficulty paying them back, but with all those negatives he manages to not lose his companions, and so there is something worthwhile there which helps him persevere. The first edition is good, the rewrite is significantly improved. Four stars for the updated text.
The general story in the two editions is the same. The main character is Jeremy Garnet, an author working on his new novel, who learns that an old acquaintance, i.e. Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, whom he knew from when they were both masters at a school earlier in life, is looking for him. His desperate attempt to flee before Ukridge can find him fails, and he gets sucked into the newly married Ukridge’s latest scheme to make money, chicken farming. Neither Ukridge, nor his wife Millie, nor Garnet know anything about chicken farming, but that doesn’t deter Ukridge in the least, in fact he believes that simply means they aren’t burdened down with pre-existing theories. On the way to the farm � a house which a friend of Millie’s allows them to lease for free � Garnet sees, and falls for Phyllis, the daughter of a Professor. Naturally, there are plenty of landmines which stand between Garnet and happiness, perhaps the biggest one being Ukridge, but in what would become typical Wodehouse fashion he successfully navigates his way to a happy ending.
The difference between the two editions is in the details. There was an extensive rewriting of the book between the two editions, and Wodehouse clearly learned a lot about telling a story in the interim. In most cases, the rewrites tell the story in a more succinct and more humorous fashion. There are two significant changes: the first being Garnet confronting the Professor in chapter 19. In the original edition he does this by himself, but in this edition Ukridge goes with him. Naturally, having Ukridge there adds to the humor, especially when Ukridge was the cause of the problems between Garnet and the Professor to begin with. The other significant change is the elimination of an epilogue which simply wasn’t needed and didn’t improve the story, Instead, Wodehouse moves up the ending joke to the end of the last chapter, which makes it funnier.
Ukridge is a wonderfully annoying character, and this is the only novel in the Ukridge series. There is also a collection of Ukridge stories titled “Ukridge� from 1924 (also known as “He Rather Enjoyed It�, and there are Ukridge stories in the collections “Lord Emsworth and Others� from 1937, “Eggs, Beans, and Crumpets� from 1940, “Nothing Serious� from 1950, “A Few Quick Ones� from 1959, and “Plum Pie� from 1966. Ukridge is large and loud, very opinionated and likes to give it at every opportunity. He often convinces people to lend him money, or give him credit, and then has difficulty paying them back, but with all those negatives he manages to not lose his companions, and so there is something worthwhile there which helps him persevere. The first edition is good, the rewrite is significantly improved. Four stars for the updated text.
April 21, 2020
Those chicken and egg jokes are so good.
It's one of Wodehouse's earlier works. I think I read he didn't care for it, but it's genuinely one of my favourites of his, I think.
My favourite (there's a more concise version one of the early Jeeves' stories):
Also the thing about saving money by keeping the incubator on for twice as long at half the power.
It's one of Wodehouse's earlier works. I think I read he didn't care for it, but it's genuinely one of my favourites of his, I think.
My favourite (there's a more concise version one of the early Jeeves' stories):
"A chicken farm."
"I've thought it all over, laddie, it's clear as mud. No expenses, large profits, quick returns. Chickens, eggs, and the money streaming in faster than you can bank it. Winter and summer underclothing, my bonny boy, lined with crackling Bradbury's. It's the idea of a lifetime. Now listen to me for a moment. You get your hen--"
"One hen?"
"Call it one for the sake of argument. It makes my calculations clearer. Harriet the hen--you get her. Do you follow me so far?"
"Yes. You get a hen."
"I told you Garnet was a dashed bright fellow," said Ukridge approvingly to his attentive wife. "Notice the way he keeps right up after one's ideas? Like a bloodhound. Well, where was I?"
"You'd just got a hen."
"Exactly. The hen. Pricilla the pullet. Well, it lays an egg every day of the week. You sell the eggs, six for half a crown. Keep of hen costs nothing. Profit--at least a couple of bob on every dozen eggs. What do you think of that?"
"I think I'd like to overhaul the figures in case of error."
"Error!" shouted Ukridge, pounding the table till it groaned. "'Error?' Not a bit of it. Can't you follow a simple calculation like that? Oh, I forgot to say that you get -- and here is the nub of the thing -- you get your first hen on tick. Anybody will be glad to let you have the first hen on tick. Well, then, you let this hen -- this first, original hen, this on-tick hen -- you let it set and hatch chickens. Now follow me closely. Suppose you have a dozen hens. Very well, then. When each of the dozen has a dozen chickens, you send the old hens back to the chappies you borrowed them from, with thanks for kind loan; and there you are, starting business with a hundred and forty-four free chickens to your name. And after a bit, when the chickens grow up and begin to lay, all you have to do is sit back in your chair and endorse the big cheques."
Also the thing about saving money by keeping the incubator on for twice as long at half the power.
September 9, 2016
One day I'm with my fiancé when he suddenly turns to me and asks, "What would you think if we were to raise chickens some day?" I think he was a little surprised by my response when I burst out laughing because I happened to be reading this book then, and his timing was quite perfect. Having enjoyed watching the TV show Jeeves and Wooster for several years now, I was excited to read this other work from its author, P.G. Wodehouse. In fact, shortly before beginning this book I had been watching an episode of Jeeves and Wooster where one of Bertie's friends, in his continuing quest for the perfect get-rich quick scheme, talks of getting chickens since feeding them is really cheap and then you get all those eggs in return, and they are practically money in the bank.
It appears that this scheme had more material to it, because now I find that the author wrote an entire book on the idea. In case you were wondering, running a chicken farm is not quite as easy as all that. It certainly turns out being a lot more difficult than our friend Ukridge here anticipates. What ensues is an entertaining account of the ups and downs of both romance and chicken farming.
Not long after this my fiancé and I began hunting for a house to live in after we were married. Guess what we found in the backyard of the first house we looked at? That's right, a chicken coop.
It appears that this scheme had more material to it, because now I find that the author wrote an entire book on the idea. In case you were wondering, running a chicken farm is not quite as easy as all that. It certainly turns out being a lot more difficult than our friend Ukridge here anticipates. What ensues is an entertaining account of the ups and downs of both romance and chicken farming.
Not long after this my fiancé and I began hunting for a house to live in after we were married. Guess what we found in the backyard of the first house we looked at? That's right, a chicken coop.
July 2, 2013
A writer, his mooching friend and his friend's new wife start a chicken farm. None of them knows anything about chickens, and hilarity ensues.
The best thing about this book is Wodehouse's wordplay in the scenes with the animals, whether it's Bob the dog or that most sardonic of hens, Aunt Elizabeth. No one does it better.
When I looked up my favorite scene (I had listened to this on a road trip) on my kindle, I discovered that the one on my kindle was the original version from 1906. The audio book, read by the supremely talented Jonathan Cecil, was Wodehouse's revision from 1921. This is the version I would recommend reading, if for no other reason than my favorite scene, that of narrator Jeremy Garnet trying to catch the hen Aunt Elizabeth, was much funnier in the revised version.
Ukridge, the mooching friend who always has a business scheme, is not my favorite of Wodehouse's characters; he's funny enough, but I'd rather read about Jeeves and Wooster or Lord Emsworth. If not for the masterful personifications of the animals, this might have been more of a 3-star book.
I highly recommend this on audio.
The best thing about this book is Wodehouse's wordplay in the scenes with the animals, whether it's Bob the dog or that most sardonic of hens, Aunt Elizabeth. No one does it better.
When I looked up my favorite scene (I had listened to this on a road trip) on my kindle, I discovered that the one on my kindle was the original version from 1906. The audio book, read by the supremely talented Jonathan Cecil, was Wodehouse's revision from 1921. This is the version I would recommend reading, if for no other reason than my favorite scene, that of narrator Jeremy Garnet trying to catch the hen Aunt Elizabeth, was much funnier in the revised version.
Ukridge, the mooching friend who always has a business scheme, is not my favorite of Wodehouse's characters; he's funny enough, but I'd rather read about Jeeves and Wooster or Lord Emsworth. If not for the masterful personifications of the animals, this might have been more of a 3-star book.
I highly recommend this on audio.
November 18, 2016
I kept thinking of Garnet as "the hapless narrator" but then it occurred to me: he really isn't. The things that are happening to him are happening because he's allowing them to. He must know that having the father of the girl he loves nearly drowned so he can rescue the poor man can't end well. He can plainly see that Ukridge is making a mess of things, yet he merely shrugs it off. He's an odd figure, likable enough, yet not entirely sympathetic. Still and all, the book was fun and funny, as one expects.
March 24, 2021
Pleasant. Light humour. Unspectacular plot and characters. An easy read with moments of mirth.
May 17, 2021
4.5 stars. A delightful, humorous, entertaining novel, narrated by Jeremy Garnet, an author and old friend of Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge. Jeremy helps Ukridge start up and establish a chicken farm. Garnet falls in love, but runs into difficulties with the young woman’s father. Ukridge begins his business by borrowing money for all the business expenses. There are lots of witty lines. One of my favourite P.G.Wodehouse novels.
This book was first published in 1906 and was the first P.G. Wodehouse novel published in the USA.
This book was first published in 1906 and was the first P.G. Wodehouse novel published in the USA.
October 4, 2023
This was very funny to me and I laughed more than once. My husband was confused when I tried to explain.
If you’ve ever watched the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas (highly recommend), this is similar in that every single character is a bit of an idiot and you don’t really have anyone to root for. However! The idiocy is funny! So it works out.
If you’ve ever watched the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas (highly recommend), this is similar in that every single character is a bit of an idiot and you don’t really have anyone to root for. However! The idiocy is funny! So it works out.
September 11, 2018
Spectacular is not the word for what this novella of a book does to you.
.
.
Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a scheming character, who is always looking to enlarge his income. But when he gatecrashes in on Jerry Garnet's peaceful morning with a heart to start a chicken farm in Combe Regis, little does Garnet know that his life is going to be changed forever.
.
.
This is the first Wodehouse book I've read which also happens to be, probably, one of his first novels he wrote when he was 25. Full of satire, wit and light-hearted humour, this was such an entertaining read that I found it hard to concentrate on any task else.
.
.
Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a scheming character, who is always looking to enlarge his income. But when he gatecrashes in on Jerry Garnet's peaceful morning with a heart to start a chicken farm in Combe Regis, little does Garnet know that his life is going to be changed forever.
.
.
This is the first Wodehouse book I've read which also happens to be, probably, one of his first novels he wrote when he was 25. Full of satire, wit and light-hearted humour, this was such an entertaining read that I found it hard to concentrate on any task else.
November 4, 2022
Cute. A quick, fun read.
December 22, 2011
Lets be fair- any time I read Wodehouse and it isn't a Jeeves story, I miss the regular caste. All the upper class in portrayed in a very Bertie Wooster fashion, but I love my favorites. Still, this was an excellent Wodehouse work. It had all of his usual hilarity and enthusiasm. I even started laughing aloud several times. I'd recommend this as a good departure from the Jeeves collection, even if it is still in the same vein.
Extended:
I’m a huge Wodehouse fan. This is a newly discovered author for me, but I really enjoy his whimsy and his humor. His inept upper class reminds me so much of all the BBC comedies I loved growing up and his dry wit his just fantastic.
Generally I prefer the Jeeves stories, but “Love Among the Chickens� has so far been my favorite non-Wooster book. Granted, it basically reads just like one, just with differently named characters. I would say though, that “Love Among the Chickens�, while it has the usual medley of wonderful and colorful characters, has a bit more of a solid plot than some of his other works. Granted, the whole thing revolves around wooing, but it’s complimented nicely by its setting on a farm, which drives the whole thing forward.
You won’t be able to help but smile at the complex love octagons and misunderstandings in this book.
This audiobook is provided free at Librivox.Org
Extended:
I’m a huge Wodehouse fan. This is a newly discovered author for me, but I really enjoy his whimsy and his humor. His inept upper class reminds me so much of all the BBC comedies I loved growing up and his dry wit his just fantastic.
Generally I prefer the Jeeves stories, but “Love Among the Chickens� has so far been my favorite non-Wooster book. Granted, it basically reads just like one, just with differently named characters. I would say though, that “Love Among the Chickens�, while it has the usual medley of wonderful and colorful characters, has a bit more of a solid plot than some of his other works. Granted, the whole thing revolves around wooing, but it’s complimented nicely by its setting on a farm, which drives the whole thing forward.
You won’t be able to help but smile at the complex love octagons and misunderstandings in this book.
This audiobook is provided free at Librivox.Org
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