Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse
Great Lives
BBC
4.2 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 8 August 2017
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Stephen Fry nominates his hero PG Wodehouse, a writer who he says simply cheers him up like no one else.
Fry wrote to his hero when he was a schoolboy and his most treasured possession is a signed photograph which reads:
"To Stephen Fry, All the best, PG Wodehouse."
PG Wodehouse was a self-made man, he began as a bank clerk, married a chorus girl and was interned by the Nazis.
He wrote some of the most entertaining novels, stories, plays and lyrics of the 20th century and created enduring characters; the most popular being Reginald Jeeves and Bertie Wooster.
Stephen makes the case for why PG Wodehouse is a great life.
To help him he is joined by Dr Sophie Ratcliffe Associate Professor in English, University of Oxford and author of 'PG Wodehouse - A life in Letters'.
Presented by Matthew Parris.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2017.
Transcript
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| 0:31.3 | This is the BBC. This week's great life was a self-made man. He began as a |
| 0:40.0 | bank clerk, married a chorus girl and was interned by the Nazis. He wrote some of the most entertaining |
| 0:46.6 | novels, stories, plays and lyrics of the 20th century and created enduring characters that millions would still like to call their friends. |
| 0:56.0 | I'm sorting through these clothes, these are for repair and these for discarding. |
| 1:02.0 | Oh, wait a second. |
| 1:04.0 | This white mess jacket is brand new. |
| 1:07.0 | I assume it had got into your wardrobe by mistake, sir, |
| 1:10.0 | or else that it had been placed there by your enemies? |
| 1:12.8 | I will have you know, Jeeves, that I bought this in Cannes. |
| 1:15.8 | And wore it, sir? |
| 1:17.8 | Every night, at the casino. |
| 1:19.8 | Beautiful women used to try and catch my eye. |
... |
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