The Clicking of Cuthbert by Pelham Grenville "P G" Wodehouse (1881-1975) - 1924

256 pages. Small octavo (7 3/4" x 5") bound in original publisher's pea-green cloth-covered boards with green lettering to spine and cover with pictorial cover in original later pictorial jacket. Inscribed by the author. (McIlvaine A27a.4.) Later printing in later jacket. First published in 1922.

Inscribed by Wodehouse on front free endpaper: "To/James Douglas/With the author's compliments/P.G. Wodehouse/June 4 1926."

Listing through Ukridge to frontispiece, published in 1924. Jacket with 2'6" listed to spine.

The Clicking of Cuthbert is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, all with a golfing theme. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 3 February 1922 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd of London. It was later published in the United States by George H. Doran of New York on 28 May 1924 under the title Golf Without Tears. The short stories were originally published in magazines between 1921 and 1922, in the UK Strand, October 1921 (as "The Unexpected Clicking of Cuthbert") and in the U S Elk's Magazine, July 1922 (as "Cuthbert Unexpectedly Clicks"). There are some slight differences between the two editions, chiefly as regards the names of characters, places, and famous golfers, which were adapted to suit the country of publication. As with most of the stories in the collection, the UK version of the story is set in England, while the US version is set in the United States. The first story in the collection introduces the Oldest Member, a repeat Wodehouse character, who narrates all but the last story.

Condition:

Spine very lightly browned, soiling to front board at fore-edge and bottom corner; all edges trimmed, text block edges foxed; offsetting to end-papers, scattered spotting to text. Jacket bottom 1 3/4 inch portion of front flap torn away, verso of spine reinforced, scattered creasing, moderately soiled, some light edge wear, closed tears and creases, front fold-over flap missing two inches from bottom, corners chipped, spine sunned else a about very good in a fair jacket.