Random House Books for Young Readers Laughing Gas

Enjoyable read. Also used this book as a reference on many an essay.

I thought the book was great, although it differs from many of the P. G. Wodehouse books in that it involves some supernatural events which he usually doesn't do. However, I think he uses this twist to his advantage to make a very funny book. It probably is best appreciated by an older reader because he uses a moderately sophisticated vocabulary. He uses some very British phrases and words that can mostly be understood in context to someone who isn't familiar with them. I think it is these old phrases that make it so funny because you just don't hear people talk like this anymore! Don't judge this book by it's strange cover, it is quite funny. If you enjoyed any of the Wodehouse books, I would highly recommend this one.

I'm a big PG Wodehouse fan and this gentle comedy is up there with one of his best. I'm always impressed by the way he introduces and develops his characters and, although you know everything will turn out well in the end, every one of his novels is full of twists and turns. A recommended read.

Just arrived. Due to large backlog of recent Wodehuse books, will not get around to reading it for quite some time.

Several years ago, I asked the most well-read man I knew to recommend an author who was consistently funny and wrote light-hearted books. He recommended P.G. Wodehouse immediately, and I'm so glad he did.In Laughing Gas, Reginald, third Earl of Havershot, and Hollywood's reigning child idol, Joey Cooley, switch bodies while under the influence of laughing gas during simultaneous dental procedures. Hilarity ensues, and I mean that quite literally. It really is a laugh-out-loud funny book.The plot careens and swerves through lots of crazy coincidences, farcical situations, and unlikely encounters. But you don't keep reading to see what will happen next. The plot isn't the driving force with Wodehouse. Instead, what keeps the reader turning pages is the sheer joy of finding out what wonderful saying or hilarious conversation will come along next. The unexpected use of language is one of the charms of Laughing Gas. I opened the book at random just now and came across this little gem: "I didn't get his drift, and said so. He continued snowing." The book is full of little treasures like that.Another thing I enjoyed about Laughing Gas is the lack of cynicism in the characters. A lot of comedy has a snarky side, which is fine with me for the most part, but the refreshing sincerity of Reggie Havershot and the rest of the fictional folk in Laughing Gas is a nice change of pace. Wodehouse really knows how to write a likeable everyman, even if that everyman might be a little slow on the uptake at times. Even the worst behaved characters probably won't get up to anything worse than "throwing soft-boiled eggs at the electric fan in the better class of restaurant." It's a fun story, and I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a good laugh.