Psmith Journalist

[Low Life #3]

What Ho! I have a couple of Psmith novels at our place in Spain and I'm sure
this is not one of them. Unfortunately, habit and loyalty to the local
English Used Book Store prevents me from purchasing a new copy...

Never

[Mike Schilling]

I've never read The Prince and Betty, but have gathered the following:

1. There are two quite different books, both called TPaB, one published in
the UK and one in the US
2. The US one has a lot of material originally published in Psmith,
Journalist
3. The version at gutenberg.org appears to be the US version, as it contains
a Rupert Smith who talks a lot and runs a newspaper.

Two questions:

A. Does all of this look correct?
B. Can anyone recommend a place to purchase the UK version? (Used is fine.)

[Ian Michaud, TWS]

Post by Mike Schilling
1. There are two quite different books, both called TPaB, one published in
the UK and one in the US
2. The US one has a lot of material originally published in Psmith,
Journalist
3. The version at gutenberg.org appears to be the US version, as it contains
a Rupert Smith who talks a lot and runs a newspaper.
A. Does all of this look correct?

What ho, comrade.

One of the "information sheets" at the U.K. P.G. Wodehouse Society's
webpage provides a helpful footnote about 'The P&B' and 'Psmith, Journalist'

---
http://www.pgwodehousesociety.org.uk/

4. 'The Prince and Betty' and 'Psmith, Journalist' can cause a great
deal of confusion, particularly as 'Psmith, Journalist', which appeared
as a serial in 1909, was not published in book form until 1915. The UK
version of 'The Prince and Betty' also appeared in serial form, in 1912,
in both the UK and the US. The US book version combined parts of both
books and changed the names of some of the characters so that, for
example, Psmith was renamed Smith. Because it appeared before either of
the UK books, some commentators have been misled into supposing it was
written first. It was not, but it is sufficiently different from the
others to be regarded as a separate novel, indispensable to any complete
collection.
---

Wodehouse re-wrote it AGAIN in 1931 as an American magazine serial
called "A Prince For Hire", which was printed a few years ago as a
"limited edition" book. Being a "limited edition", the few copies
available at abebooks.com are obscenely expensive.

The Mixer

[Low Life #3]

"Ian Michaud, TWS" <***@telus.net> wrote in message news:oEKOk.5388$***@edtnps83...
: Mike Schilling wrote:
: > I've never read The Prince and Betty, but have gathered the following:
: >
: > 1. There are two quite different books, both called TPaB, one published
in
: > the UK and one in the US
: > 2. The US one has a lot of material originally published in Psmith,
: > Journalist
: > 3. The version at gutenberg.org appears to be the US version, as it
contains
: > a Rupert Smith who talks a lot and runs a newspaper.
: >
: > Two questions:
: >
: > A. Does all of this look correct?
:
: What ho, comrade.
:
: One of the "information sheets" at the U.K. P.G. Wodehouse Society's
: webpage provides a helpful footnote about 'The P&B' and 'Psmith,
Journalist'
:
: ---
: http://www.pgwodehousesociety.org.uk/
:
: 4. 'The Prince and Betty' and 'Psmith, Journalist' can cause a great
: deal of confusion, particularly as 'Psmith, Journalist', which appeared
: as a serial in 1909, was not published in book form until 1915. The UK
: version of 'The Prince and Betty' also appeared in serial form, in 1912,
: in both the UK and the US. The US book version combined parts of both
: books and changed the names of some of the characters so that, for
: example, Psmith was renamed Smith. Because it appeared before either of
: the UK books, some commentators have been misled into supposing it was
: written first. It was not, but it is sufficiently different from the
: others to be regarded as a separate novel, indispensable to any complete
: collection.
: ---
:
: Wodehouse re-wrote it AGAIN in 1931 as an American magazine serial
: called "A Prince For Hire", which was printed a few years ago as a
: "limited edition" book. Being a "limited edition", the few copies
: available at abebooks.com are obscenely expensive.
:
: The Mixer

Thanks for the info..

[charles stone-Tolcher]

I recently purchased the US edition of "Prince and Betty" in a fine
paperback from Amazon (published by BiblioBazzar) . It is well bound but
most probably copied from the Gutenberg text but the formatting is much
better than on Gutenberg. The UK version, which I have in an early undated
Newnes edition, is pure slush. Rosie M. Banks would have been proud of it
but the US edition is much better. Both books are great to have for the
collector but it would be a brave man/woman who would read the UK version
more than once. Unless of course they like Mills and Boon shockers and the
UK edition of this book was originally published by Mills and Boon. The one
consolation I suppose is that the book is not as bad as "The Coming of
Bill". Purely subjective view of course.

Pillingshot

Post by Mike Schilling
1. There are two quite different books, both called TPaB, one published in
the UK and one in the US
2. The US one has a lot of material originally published in Psmith,
Journalist
3. The version at gutenberg.org appears to be the US version, as it
contains a Rupert Smith who talks a lot and runs a newspaper.
A. Does all of this look correct?
B. Can anyone recommend a place to purchase the UK version? (Used is fine.)

[Brainy Cove]

So, to be a completist, a chap must own

Psmith, Journalist
The Prince and Betty
The Prince and Betty (US edition)
A Prince For Hire

Is this correct?

[Ian Michaud, TWS]

Post by Brainy Cove
So, to be a completist, a chap must own
Psmith, Journalist
The Prince and Betty
The Prince and Betty (US edition)
A Prince For Hire
Is this correct?

Plus all the magazines they were originally serialized in!

The Mixer

[Mike Schilling]

Post by Ian Michaud, TWS

Post by Brainy Cove
So, to be a completist, a chap must own
Psmith, Journalist
The Prince and Betty
The Prince and Betty (US edition)
A Prince For Hire
Is this correct?

Plus all the magazines they were originally serialized in!

And the N. T. P. Murphy books in which it's explained what real people
the prince and Betty were based on.

[charles stone-Tolcher]

I have tried to get the original serialisation of Prince and Betty (UK
version) but the relevant issue of Strand Magazine is missing from the
university library I use. I have not as yet tried to get a magazine version
of the US edition.

Pillingshot

Post by Ian Michaud, TWS
Plus all the magazines they were originally serialized in!
The Mixer