We rocket toward tomorrow's thrilling finale of our current Tale for Our Time: P G Wodehouse's comic romp of 1922, The Girl on the Boat. I thank you for all your comments about this caper. Charlene Pinkava, a First Day Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club, says:
I have been binge listening the last three days. What a great story and a great reading of it! The problem with binge listening is the realization that you have caught up and you now have to wait 24 hours for the next episode!
Not to worry, Charlene. The wait is over. Likewise from Annie, a Texas Steyn Clubber:
I have finally caught up with this book-- what a delight! The characters, the ridiculous situations, the author's asides, and MS's comedic timing and hilarious vocalizations have all combined for such an enjoyable listening experience. Thank you!
Other listeners have been especially appreciative of the canine characterisation. James, a First Week Founding Member, writes:
Wodehouse often mentions dogs, and any character who doesn't like dogs (or vice versa) is NOT going to get the girl. But Smith in this book struck me as the most fully realized dog character in the Wodehouse ouevre. I love him too.
No arguments there, James. In tonight's penultimate episode of The Girl on the Boat, Smith is thrilled to see the household assemble for the final showdown:
He had not long to wait. In a few minutes the hall had filled up nicely. There was Mr. Mortimer in his shirt-sleeves, Mr. Bennett in blue pyjamas and a dressing-gown, Mrs. Hignett in a travelling costume, Jane Hubbard with her elephant-gun, and Billie in a dinner dress. Smith welcomed them all impartially.
Somebody lit a lamp, and Mrs. Hignett stared speechlessly at the mob.
Members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear me read Part Twenty-Two of The Girl on the Boat simply by clicking here and logging-in.
If you're new to our Club, or if the day's developments simply make you despair, there's nothing healthier than taking a short break from the hell of the hamster-wheel news-cycle and exploring the delights of our Tales for Our Time home page. It's configured in Netflix tile style, with the stories organised by category - thrillers, fantasy, romance, etc - which we hope will make it easy for you to find a favourite diversion of an evening. You can access nearly seventy of our cracking yarns here - and all previous episodes of our current adventure here.
If you've yet to hear any of our Tales for Our Time, you can do so by joining The Mark Steyn Club and enjoy our nightly audio adventures every evening twenty minutes before lowering your lamp - or hoard the episodes and binge-listen at the weekend or on a long car journey, if your government still permits you to leave your fifteen-minute city. For more details on that and other benefits to Steyn Club membership, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership. It makes a perfect birthday present.
Please join me right here tomorrow evening for the conclusion of The Girl on the Boat.