Reading Plans and Psmithery

I've been worried for a while now about the fact that I don't seem to enjoy reading as much as I once did. It didn't strike me until earlier today that this was simply because I haven't had time lately to actually enjoy it. First thing this summer, before my mother manages to ship me off to some sort of camp that she insists will look good on a college resume, I'm going to sit down and read through the Sherlock Holmes canon. I'm almost ashamed to call myself a fan, having read only about half of the stories themselves, and most of them long enough ago that I've forgotten them. If I've got any energy/brain power left after that, I'll set about tracking down some more of Wodehouse's stuff. I almost wish I'd found his one-off works before the Jeeves and Psmith novels. I'm in love with the man's writing style, but I'm also in love with the characters. I'm afraid of losing interest without Bertie or Psmith there for the fangirl portion of my brain to focus on. (I am regularly ashamed of this part of my brain when it comes to this sort of thing.)

But now: The somewhat fandom-relevant part of this entry! I fear I'm already making myself into something of a one-trick pony with my recent Psmithery, but I managed to read through the first few chapters of Mike and Psmith earlier today. These are my findings.

1. Good grief, it really has been ages since I read this. I don't remember any of this stuff.

2. Anyone who wants to read this book should take some time to research cricket on wikipedia, if nothing else. Augh.

3. Psmith... can be a bit of dick, actually. Seriously. I was almost on Spiller's side with the whole "study" issue at first, but that might have mostly just been because it's distressingly easy to see the same thing happening to me...

4. Tip: If you want to get away with reading a book in class, print out the online version and read the pages from a three-ring binder. It looks like you're glancing over notes. :D

5. Psmith is definitely flirting with Mike. Mike seems to be oblivious.

Some choice excerpts:

"We must stick together. We are
companions in misfortune. Lost lambs. Sheep that have gone astray.
Divided, we fall, together we may worry through."  And thus was forged a terrifying alliance.

"You and I, hand in hand, will
search the countryside for ruined abbeys."
 There he goes with the hand-in-hand stuff already...

There are moments when one wants to be alone. It is imperative that we have a place to retire to after a fatiguing day.
 Maybe it's just my immature, twenty-first century mind, but I can't not read that as some sort of proposition.

'Psmith, in the matter of decorating a study and preparing tea in it, was
rather a critic than an executant. He was full of ideas, but he
preferred to allow Mike to carry them out. It was he who suggested that
the wooden bar which ran across the window was unnecessary, but it was
Mike who wrenched it from its place. Similarly, it was Mike who
abstracted the key from the door of the next study, though the idea
was Psmith's.'  I know this one's just me being immature, but I can't help thinking that Psmith just wants to watch Mike do this stuff. XD

There's one other line that struck me. I haven't actually gotten to the part in the book yet, but I noticed it and read
a bit of the context as I was putting all the pages in order:


"Your stories are never too long for me," said Psmith. "Say on!"
 It goes on to say that he 'listens attentively' to Mike's story. Awwwwwwww. Psmith doesn't let just anyone get a word in edgewise, you know.