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Mike – Mike at Wrykyn – Mike and Psmith
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First published in UK: September 15 1909 by Adam & Charles Black, London
E-text (613K)
Mike Mike Mike Enter Psmith Enter Psmith Enter Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike and Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike at Wrykyn Mike and Psmith Mike Mike and Psmith
Click for enlarge book cover

Characters

Mrs. Jackson — Mike's mother
Marjory Jackson — Mike's sister aged 14
Reggie Jackson — Mike's brother
Mr. Jackson — Mike's father, an Old Wrykynian
Phyllis Jackson — Mike's sister
Mr. Wain — Housemaster at Wrykyn
Bob Jackson — An older brother aged 18 at Donaldson's House
Mike Jackson — Hero and member of Wain's House
Joe Jackson — Mike's famous brother and professional cricketer
Ella Jackson — Mike's sister
Gladys Maud Evangeline Jackson — Mike's 3 year old sister
Saunders — Professional cricketer and teacher to the Jackson boys
Uncle John — Mike's uncle
(Gazeka) Firby-Smith — Head of Wain's
James Wyatt — Wain's stepson, a friend of Mike's in the First Eleven
Miss Payne — Matron of Wain's
Billy Burgess — Captain of the school Cricket team
Westbrook — Master at King-Hall's
Trevor — Member of Donaldson's
Clowes — Member of Donaldson's
Henfry — On First Eleven
Constable Alfred Butt — Policeman in Wrykyn
Headmaster
Neville-Smith — Day boy at Wrykyn
Willoughby — Day boy at Wrykyn in the Lower Fifth
Brown — Day boy at Wrykyn
Mr. Spence — Master of Lower Fifth and Cricket Master
Mr. Seymour — Master of Lower Fourth and Housemaster
Mr. Shields — Master
Mr. Appleby — Master
Bates — School sergeant
Berridge — Cricketer on the First Eleven
Marsh — Cricketer on the First Eleven
Morris — Cricketer on the First Eleven
Reeves — Cricketer
Wilkins — Member of School House
Raikes — Member of Appleby's and cricketer
Burton — Member of Donaldson's
Ellerby — On First Eleven
Jenkins — Cricketer
Clephane — Day boy and cricketer
(Shoeblossom) Leather-Twigg — Member of Seymour's who got chickenpox
Dr. Oakes — School doctor
Beverly — Day boy at Wrykyn
Mr. Blenkinsop — Manager of the London & Oriental Bank where Wyatt works
MacPherson — Manager of Mr. Jackson's sheep farm in Argentina
Vicar Bartlitt of Crofton
Strachan — Captain of Wrykyn cricket team by default
Sheen — Lightweight boxing champ for Wrykyn
Mr. Outwood — Housemaster at Mike's at Sedleigh
Rupert Psmith — Mike's good friend who lives at Lower Berford, Shropshire and came from Eton
Spiller — Member of Outwood's and a Senior at Sedleigh
Mr. Downing — Housemaster and Master of School Fire Brigade and Cricket
Tom G. Jellicoe — Member of Outwood's, a Senior and roomate of Psmith and Jackson
Robinson — Member of Outwood's, a Senior, cricketer and member of the Fire Brigade
Stone — Member of Outwood's, a Senior, cricketer and member of the Fire Brigade
Barnes — Head of Outwood's
Adair — Member of Downing's, a natural leader who is Captain of cricket and football
Prendergast — Member of village cricket team and played against Mike with the Free Forester's
Sammy or Sampson — Mr. Downing's bull-terrior who gets painted red
Wilson — Member of School House and Fire Brigade
Dunster — Old Sedleighan who was at private school with Psmith and painted Sammy red.
Mr. Barley — Landlord of the White Bear in Lower Borlock and member of the village cricket team
Sergeant Collard — School sergeant
MacPhee — Member of Downing's
Markby — Groundsman for Sedleigh
Edmund — Bootboy for Outwood's
Barlow — Headmaster's butler
Allenby — a prefect in the Science Sixth of Wrykyn (*)
Barlitt (*)

In 1953 Herbert Jenkins revised slightly and published the first part as Mike at Wrykyn and the last part as Mike and Psmith

Mike at Wrykyn

Even for a young cricketing genius like Mile Jackson life at public school is not always a bowl of cherries. When Mike's older brother Bob becomes his chief adversary in securing a place in the school team, a conflict of loyalties becomes inevitable.

Mike at Wrykyn is a delightful romp though the early career of a highly talented sportsman. The evocation of public school life and the codes of honour belonging to school, family and the game are conveyed with all Wodehouse's customary wit and brilliance.

Mike and Psmith

It was preference for cricket over schoolwork that caused Mike to be removed from Wrykyn and Psmith (the P is silent - compare the Z in Zbysco) ftom Eton.

United in their reluctance to attend their new school, Sedleigh, good-natured Mike and the debonair Psmith become firm friends, resolving to make the best of injustice and devote their energies exclusively to ragging.

Sedleigh insists, above all, that its boys be keen, but it is sorely unprepared for boys of such foresight and resources as Mike and Psmith. The school, as Psmith would say, confuses the unusual with the impossible, and is thus taken very much by surprise by the duo in their element.

Synopsis
Copyright Michel Kuzmenko (gmk), The Russian Wodehouse Society © 1996-2023. Established 04/04/1996.