Heavy Weather (Wodehouse novel)

Herbert Jenkins

Company type	Publishing company
Industry	Publishing
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Books

Heavy Weather is a novel authored by P. G. Wodehouse, initially released in the United States on 28 July 1933 by Little, Brown and Company of Boston, followed by its UK publication on 10 August 1933 through Herbert Jenkins in London. Prior to book release, it appeared as a serial in The Saturday Evening Post between 27 May and 15 July 1933.

This work belongs to the Blandings Castle collection, marking the fourth full-length installment set at Blandings and serving as a direct continuation of Summer Lightning (1929), featuring numerous familiar characters. Additionally, it reintroduces Lord Tilbury, who previously appeared in Bill the Conqueror (1924) and Sam the Sudden (1925).

Plot introduction

Following the withdrawal of the Hon. Galahad's memoirs from circulation, publisher Lord Tilbury embarks on a quest to recover the manuscript. Meanwhile, Lady Constance Keeble and Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe also seek it for their own motives. Suspecting that Parsloe-Parsloe intends to undermine his prized pig, Empress of Blandings, at the county fair, Lord Emsworth hires detective Pilbeam to keep watch. At the same time, Sue Brown endeavors to hide her previous acquaintance with Monty Bodkin from her jealous fiancé Ronnie Fish, providing Lady Julia an opening to oppose their impending union.

Plot summary

Monty Bodkin, required to hold a year's employment before marrying, takes a secretarial position at Blandings Castle, fully aware that his former fiancée will be present.

Concerned about Ronnie’s jealousy, Sue Brown meets Monty in London and cautions him to maintain distance. During their return train trip, they encounter Lady Julia Fish and deny any association. Lady Julia then informs Ronnie of their apparent closeness, persuading him that Sue still harbors feelings for Monty.

Oblivious to these events, Connie and Parsloe-Parsloe assign Pilbeam the task of acquiring Galahad’s manuscript, deemed essential for approving Sue and Ronnie’s marriage. Lord Tilbury also seeks the manuscript but is refused entry at the castle. Subsequently, pigman Pirbright locks Tilbury inside a shed under Emsworth’s instructions to protect Empress; Monty rescues him and convinces Tilbury to recruit him for stealing the manuscript by promising stable employment.

Sebastian Beach discovers Pilbeam attempting to seize the manuscript and assumes responsibility for its safeguarding. After overhearing Tilbury and Monty conspiring at the Emsworth Arms, Beach hands over the manuscript to Ronnie Fish. Distracted by his suspicions regarding Sue’s feelings, Ronnie reacts angrily upon noticing “Sue” tattooed on Monty’s chest.

Following Ronnie’s coldness, Sue breaks off their engagement. Monty requests Ronnie retrieve the manuscript so their marriage can proceed; despite his resentment, Ronnie complies. Gally reveals the truth about Monty and Sue to Ronnie, leading to reconciliation. Gally then threatens his sisters with scandalous revelations from his memoirs as leverage.

After hiding the manuscript, Monty dismisses Pilbeam; Pilbeam steals it intending to sell it between Tilbury and Connie-Parsloe but conceals it in a shed. He informs Lord Emsworth that Monty freed Tilbury; as a result, Monty is dismissed.

Emsworth discovers that Empress has consumed the manuscript. Pilbeam reports this but Connie and Parsloe-Parsloe refuse payment. He obtains a cheque from Tilbury; however, Monty destroys it and warns Emsworth of an imminent threat to the pigsty. Feeling guilty, Monty offers Pilbeam £1,000 for a year’s employment.

When Emsworth hesitates over meeting Ronnie’s financial demands under pressure from his sisters, Pirbright captures a mud-covered Tilbury. Gally and Sue disclose that Ronnie has taken Empress hostage in his car; Emsworth pays up, permitting the couple to depart happily—much to Gally’s delight.

Characters

• Lord Emsworth, the absent-minded proprietor of Blandings Castle
  • Lady Constance Keeble, his authoritative sister and the estate's chatelaine
  • The Honorable Galahad Threepwood, Emsworth's brother
  • Lady Julia Fish, another sibling
    • Ronnie Fish, her son
      • Sue Brown, a chorus girl betrothed to Ronnie
  • Empress of Blandings, Emsworth’s cherished prize pig
    • Pirbright, the dedicated pig-keeper employed by Emsworth
• Lord Tilbury, a publishing tycoon and acquaintance of Lady Julia
  • Percy Frobisher Pilbeam, once an employee under Tilbury, now leading a detective agency
  • Monty Bodkin, initially hired by Tilbury
• Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, neighbor to Emsworth and fellow breeder of pigs
• Beach, the castle’s butler
• Hugo Carmody, who formerly served as Emsworth’s secretary
• Jno. Robinson, a taxi driver operating in Market Blandings

Publication history

The serial version of Heavy Weather was published in eight installments within The Saturday Evening Post, featuring illustrations by May Wilson Preston.

This narrative was later included in the 1979 Penguin Books anthology titled Life at Blandings, which also contains Something Fresh and Summer Lightning.

Adaptations

In 1988, Heavy Weather was transformed into a radio drama as part of the Blandings broadcast series.

A television film adaptation produced by the BBC was broadcast on Christmas Eve 1995 in the United Kingdom and subsequently aired on PBS in the United States in February 1996. The production was directed by Jack Gold with a screenplay authored by Douglas Livingstone.

References

Notes

Sources

• McIlvaine, Eileen; Sherby, Louise S.; Heineman, James H., P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist, 1990, James H. Heineman Inc., New York
• Taves, Brian, P. G. Wodehouse and Hollywood, 2006, McFarland & Company, London

External links

• The Russian Wodehouse Society’s page, featuring a character roster
• Fantastic Fiction’s page, providing edition details and cover images