The Swoop!

Description

Invasion literature was quite popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, up to the start of WWI. Although fans of P.G. Wodehouse may be more acquainted with Jeeves, Psmith or the Blandings novels, this short, yet remarkably funny piece of invasion literature known simply as Swoop! had taken the world by storm when it was first published, and made for a unique contribution to Wodehouse’s already notable reputation as a prolific author.

The Swoop! was inspired from The Swoop of a Vulture, a novel written by James Blyth that is also mentioned in Wodehouse’s book, and is the basis for its title as well. Written by a true master of comedy, The Swoop! explores a droll situation in which Britain is invaded by nine different foreign powers at the very same time, including Germany, the Swiss Navy, Russia and several countries from Africa, the Middle East and the Orient.

Through his masterful style and outstandingly hilarious descriptions, Wodehouse makes comedy seem easy. The book’s characters have a similar dimension to the author’s various other novels which allow most Wodehouse fans to identify with it immediately, while the narrative itself is filled to the brim with unusual conditions and developments, bordering on the absurd.

Whether you’re used to Wodehouse’s writing style and humor or not, this book will be a surprising twist on the very definition of early 20th century comedic literature, and its timeless qualities will become clear as soon as you go through the first few pages. Without really having to try too hard, the novel will delight and entertain you probably more than most of the time’s satirical works.

Anyone who is acquainted with the author’s works and who has some level of understanding and interest in Britain’s history will find this book entirely enjoyable, even though the story will be just as entertaining if you simply want to get a bit of light reading done on a Sunday afternoon.
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