The Man Upstairs and Other Stories

I’ll admit: I approached *The Man Upstairs* skeptical that pre-Jeeves Wodehouse could hold up against his later, more famous works. Within five minutes, Frederick Davidson’s narration—all posh vowels and perfectly timed pauses—had me hooked. His performance is *theatrical* in the best sense, like listening to a West End actor recounting gossip over whiskey. The standout? *'The Man Upstairs'* itself, a farce about a writer, a noisy neighbor, and a revenge plot so petty it’s poetic. Davidson’s ability to voice the writer’s escalating irritation without slipping into caricature is a joy. That said, this isn’t flawless. A few stories (*'Deep Waters'* comes to mind) rely too heavily on repetitive gags, and Davidson’s upper-crust inflections can occasionally blur the line between characters. The pacing also stumbles in *'The Good Angel'*, where the romantic subplot drags compared to the snappier comedies. But these are quibbles. The real magic is in how the audiobook *feels*—like eavesdropping on a bygone era where wit was currency and absurdity was an art form. If you’ve ever laughed at a Wooster misadventure but wished for something *sharper*, this is your fix. Just don’t listen in public unless you’re prepared to snort-laugh.