A Damsel in Distress

The writing of P. G. Wodehouse put him among the most widely read humorists of the twentieth century. He began his postcollegiate career working in a bank. Very dissatisfied with the job, he began writing magazine articles when he had any spare time. What an outstanding professional decision that turned out to be.

Wodehouse wrote a novel, The Potholders, in 1902, but it led to collections of short stories that began a year later. He wound up creating several comic characters, with the most f...