Where's the pig?

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it to
Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that, despite the
unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady Constance
Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler, there is (at
least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is obsessive about
his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds of disputes I am
familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?
Saxby

"Leave It to Psmith" was published in 1923.

The Empress made her debut in "Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey" (1927, but collected in
"Blandings Castle", 1935). Her keeper in that story George Cyril
Wellbeloved.

Her next appearances come after Wellbeloved defects to Sir Gregory
Parsloe-Parsloe to care for the Pride of Matchingham in "Summer
Lightning" (1929) and "Heavy Weather" (1933). Pirbright is the new pigman.

--
Mortimer Rackstraw, the Great Boloni

Mike Schilling

2008-05-01 17:19:57 UTC

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it
to Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that,
despite the unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady
Constance Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler,
there is (at least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is
obsessive about his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds
of disputes I am familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?

As Mr. Maloney has pointed out, the Empress came later. And if you go back
further to the first Blandings novel, _Something New_ (AKA _Something
Fresh_), Emsworth obsesses about the "museum" (collection of historical
curiosities) at Blandings.

Frank R.A.J. Maloney

2008-05-01 17:34:44 UTC

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it
to Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that,
despite the unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady
Constance Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler,
there is (at least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is
obsessive about his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds
of disputes I am familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?

Lord Emsworth has an obsessive personality. If it ain't scarabs, it's
pumpkins or roses or pigs. The thing he doesn't obsess about is his
correspondence and paperwork.

--
Mortimer Rackstraw, the Great Boloni

Mike Schilling

2008-05-02 01:16:40 UTC

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it
to Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that,
despite the unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady
Constance Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler,
there is (at least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is
obsessive about his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds
of disputes I am familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?

As Mr. Maloney has pointed out, the Empress came later. And if you go
back further to the first Blandings novel, _Something New_ (AKA
_Something Fresh_), Emsworth obsesses about the "museum" (collection of
historical curiosities) at Blandings.

Lord Emsworth has an obsessive personality. If it ain't scarabs, it's
pumpkins or roses or pigs. The thing he doesn't obsess about is his
correspondence and paperwork.

Likewise his wardrobe.

Frank R.A.J. Maloney

2008-05-02 02:17:18 UTC

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it
to Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that,
despite the unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady
Constance Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler,
there is (at least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is
obsessive about his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds
of disputes I am familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?

As Mr. Maloney has pointed out, the Empress came later. And if you go
back further to the first Blandings novel, _Something New_ (AKA
_Something Fresh_), Emsworth obsesses about the "museum" (collection of
historical curiosities) at Blandings.

Lord Emsworth has an obsessive personality. If it ain't scarabs, it's
pumpkins or roses or pigs. The thing he doesn't obsess about is his
correspondence and paperwork.

Likewise his wardrobe.

Much to Lady Constance's constant annoyance. The tweed jacket, the
bagged-at-the-knees trousers, the disreputable hat, pince-nez on a
string, paper tacks for shirt studs, the wilting collars, and so forth.
A picture well suited for the castle's portrait gallery.

--
Mortimer Rackstraw, the Great Boloni

David M. Harris

2008-05-02 21:50:59 UTC

Post by David M. Harris
I am reading (or, rather, listening to Jonathan Cecil read) "Leave it
to Psmith" for the first time, and I can't help noticing that,
despite the unequivocal presence of Clarence, Earl of Emsworth; Lady
Constance Keeble; the Efficient Baxter; and even Beech, the butler,
there is (at least so far) a complete absence of pig. The earl is
obsessive about his garden, having with the head gardener the kinds
of disputes I am familiar with his having with the pig man.
What gives?

As Mr. Maloney has pointed out, the Empress came later. And if you
go back further to the first Blandings novel, _Something New_ (AKA
_Something Fresh_), Emsworth obsesses about the "museum" (collection
of historical curiosities) at Blandings.

Lord Emsworth has an obsessive personality. If it ain't scarabs, it's
pumpkins or roses or pigs. The thing he doesn't obsess about is his
correspondence and paperwork.

Likewise his wardrobe.

I clearly need to work on my familiarity with the Blandings sequence.
Thanks, all.

Saxby

Mike Schilling

2008-05-05 16:26:08 UTC