Faulks to write 'new' Wodehouse Novel!

I have just heard via Facebook that Sebastian Faulks is to write a new 'Jeeves and Wooster' novel!

The opinion on FB seemed very anti and I must say that I agree...but I would probably read it simply to see what it was like. What does anyone else think?

Yikes! I don't like this trend in publishing, but what can you do? I hope Faulks is able to pull it off, but I won't hold my breath.

Faulks is not my cup of Bohea, but I do wish him well in his endeavour. I suspect that this is another attempt by the Wodehouse estate to get a new and younger fan base for Wodehouse's work, the desire being to keep the money rolling in...

I reckon there are enough Woodhouse originals to keep me going.

I am incredibly uncomfortable with this trend of paying established authors to write fan fiction. Why not just post it on AO3 or ff.net?

I have not forgiven Faulks for the extensive use he apparently made of material from War Underground by Alexander Barrie in his best-seller, Birdsong, without, as far as I can see, acknowledging the debt. I hope that I am not maligning him.

>5 LordKinbote:
If he thinks he can earn enough to pay the licensing fees to the Wodehouse estate, why not? We don't have to buy his book.

>7 thorold: According to an article in today's Times, the Wodehouse estate "approached" Faulks to write the book. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells, I believe.

The writer suggested that, to fit with modern custom, we might find Bertie engaged to Gussie Fink-Nottle heading for a ceremony conducted by the Rev. Stiffy Pinker (nee Byng).

Personally I am not a fan of continuations of famous works and I feel that the more unique the authors voice the more of a problem it is. I cannot see anyone getting near the unique Wodehouse comic tone or the essential innocence of the worlds he created. I agree with scarper- why bother when the supreme originals are still there to enjoy.

I thought Faulks made a decent fist of his Ian Fleming pastiche Devil May Care, but the Wodehouse touch is notoriously difficult to replicate.

It is infectious, though. I occasionally find myself breaking into Wodehousian phrasiology in my own writing whwn the mood strikes.

>8 abbottthomas:
The other papers all say "no details of the content have been released" so it's probably just speculation. I can see how that might work, though: you would get Bertie into a situation where he feels obliged to marry Gussie due to some monumental misunderstanding, whilst retaining his standing with the reader as someone who isn't very much attracted to his own sex or any other. The trouble would be how to make it funny without alienating all your gay readers.

Spode rather than Gussie would be the first man to come into my mind as Bertie's fiancé, though. Much funnier.

>11 thorold: Particularly if his trousseau contained items from the Eulalie range. *snort*