All Episodes

January 21, 2024 76 mins

Ian talks to writer Thom Robinson about the seventh Wodehouse book, "Love Among the Chickens". There will be spoilers.


Among Wodehouse's books, this is:


   The first intended for a general audience, as opposed to schoolboys or young children

   The first to involve a love story

   The first to introduce a major recurring character, which is Ukridge

   The first with golf as a major element.

   The first to be properly published in the USA


It exists in two versions (four versions actually, but two book versions): The original 1906 book and the 1921 rewrite. We look at both versions to discuss how the changes reflect his development as a writer.


Also discussed:


   William Townend, who gave him the plot

   Herbert Westbrook, partial model for Ukridge

   The trip Wodehouse took to Lyme Regis with the "Lyon cubs", that provided the setting

   Arthur Conan Doyle's The Stark-Munro Letters, a probable influence on the novel

   The narrator Jeremy Garnet's description of his working life as a novelist, and how far it is likely autobiographical

   The self-deprecating humour about being unable to write convincing female characters

   The old "Have someone pushed into the water so you can rescue them" wheeze


Thom's old podcast with Hazel Smoczynska: https://soundcloud.com/yammerofthegods


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.