Comedies of Manners

1. “Love in a Cold Climate”, by Nancy Mitford, 1949

Set around and preceding the outbreak of World War II, this is largely a comic novel; and a comedy of manners. Narrated by Fanny, a family friend of the Montdore’s, the basic plot is that Lord and Lady Montdore are determined to marry off their beautiful daughter Polly; Polly is determined to marry her a middle-aged widower “Boy” Dougdale. Soon, Polly’s equally lovely cousin, Cedric Hampton, arrives at the estate and is welcomed into the family; near the end, Cedric confides to Fanny that he has started a love-affair with Boy. This also describes, in less comic terms, Fanny’s early years of marriage to Alfred Wincham.

2. “Uncle Fred in the Springtime”, by P.G. Wodehouse, 1939

One of the first Blanding Castle novels, set outside of London on a country estate (Blandings Castle). In brief, Lord Emsworth of Blanding Castles becomes increasingly concerned when his precious pig, the Empress of Blandings, is taken away in order to become “fit.” He calls in a sprightly, older acquantaince, Uncle Fred (the uncle Pongo Twistleton, who Fred calls upon to aid the Empress) In order to achieve this, Fred must pose as the honorable Roderick Glossop; Pongo as his Uncle; and Polly as his daughter. However, the path is not smooth – Glossop appears; and other adversaries pop up along Uncle Fred’s merry way. Soon love is in the air, and the purchase of an onion soup bar becomes a most serious question in the uniting of two young lovers, while the saga of the Empres’ rescue continues apace…..

OR

2. “Thank You, Jeeves”, by P.G. Wodehouse, 1934

The first published Jeeves novel: Bertie Wooster insists on playing his banjolele and Jeeves leaves Bertie’s service. Chuffy, Jeeves’ new master enlists Jeeves’ assistance in convincing an American millionaire to give him cash. Meanwhile, the impoverished Chuffy has fallen in love with Pauline…as the comic novel ensues, situations arise including the destruction of Bertie’s banjolele, but Jeeves’ manages to save the day; unite the lovers; and return to the employ of Berties.

3. “Vile Bodies”, by Evelyn Waugh, 1930

This satirical novel, set between World War I and the impending World War II, describes the doings of young London society. The protagonist, Adam Fenwick-Symes, and his fiancée, Nina, flit from party to party; from event to event, continually becoming engaged and re-engaged with no real emotional commitment, and following both the rise of destruction of their friends with no true emotion. The desolation by the end is quite different than the romantic, light-hearted beginning, although strong satire runs throughout.


Commentary: All three (or four) novels are British comedies of manner, written around the same period. Nancy Mitford’s work addresses the role of a family, and particularly that of a woman, during this period; Wodehouse’s pieces are the least serious and the most comic; and “Vile Bodies” is the most somber, viewing the bright, gay London social life as at best ephemeral, and at worst verging on tragic. Nevertheless, all three depict satirically, or comically, society life in the 1930s. It is also worth noting that Mitford and Waugh were quite close friends and Mitford, in particular, was a great admirer of Wodehouse’s.