Joy in the Morning
Score Classic
What it's about
Bertie Wooster is trapped in the village of Steeple Bumpleigh with his formidable Aunt Agatha's household, his ex-fiancée Florence Craye, her jealous new fiancé Stilton Cheesewright, who thinks Bertie is a snake in the grass, and Edwin the Boy Scout, who does acts of kindness out of sheer malevolence. Only his valet, Jeeves, can get him out of it.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the 100 best novels in English, and many fans consider it the best Jeeves and Wooster novel. It's pure comic genius.
You'll love it if you liked
Good Omens, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or A Confederacy of Dunces
Good to know
You don't need to have read other Jeeves books. It's light, quick and endlessly quotable.
Quick answers
Is Joy in the Morning worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the 100 best novels in English, and many fans consider it the best Jeeves and Wooster novel. It ranks #549 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Joy in the Morning about?
Bertie Wooster is trapped in the village of Steeple Bumpleigh with his formidable Aunt Agatha's household, his ex-fiancée Florence Craye, her jealous new fiancé Stilton Cheesewright, who thinks Bertie is a snake in the grass, and Edwin the Boy Scout, who does acts of kindness out of sheer malevolence. Only his valet, Jeeves, can get him out of it.
How long does it take to read Joy in the Morning?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Joy in the Morning?
If you liked it, try Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams or A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On the Guardian 100 Best Novels in English list.
Where it ranks
- #62 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #175 of the 763 classics we rank
- #549 of the 2,819 books we rank
On the lists
- Guardian 100 Best Novels in English
Reads as
Moving
