I'm reading a complete collection of Wodehouse chronologically. Tales of St. Austin's is well-written and shows the development of Wodehouse's wit, but tales from an English boy's school, heavy on their sporting events is kind of boring for me. ( )

Makes you realiſe what David P ‘πSpengler’ Goldman ſaid about England haviŋ had a proper empire, but not ðe US: wiþout ðe Engliſhboy trainiŋ in languages & claßical culture, ðe US cannot hold an empire. ( )

May not be of much interest to folks who aren't completists like myself. This is very early work, and the 12 school stories are amusing but underdeveloped and uneven, compared to what Wodehouse did for most of his writing career. And the 4 "essays", entirely satire, are best appreciated by Anglophiles who find inside jokes about academia funny. A small universe. Of course, I loved it, but I'm an oddball; I wouldn't really expect most of the folks I know to enjoy it. ( )

Although this was P. G. Wodehouse's third publication, first released in 1903, some of the stories are as old, if not older, than his first book published the previous year.

This is a collection of twelve short stories and four essays. As I don't read essays for pleasure, I didn't bother looking at those featured here. The stories varied from fair to fairly dull. Each one is set around the St Austen's college and most plot lines centered around a sporting event.

This is Wodehouse starting out on what would be a great career. There are flashes of his formidable humour but not enough to make this an entertaining experience for this reader. ( )

St Austin's school (as featured in "The Pothunters") is the setting for twelve delightful early Wodehouse stories. The familiar ingredients - and some of the same characters - are present: cricket and rugby loom large, school colours are gained, tricks are played, exams avoided, revenge wreaked upon enemies, and the honour of School and House upheld. This is a nostalgic look at English public-school life at the turn of the twentieth century, made enjoyable today by the young Wodehouse's gentle humour and witty turn of phrase.