In a country where most books in English sell fewer than 1,000 copies and 5,000 constitutes a bestseller, Penguin sells up to 70,000 Wodehouses a year: part of a thriving “retro-market” that ranges from Agatha Christie to Modesty Blaise.
Why? Read the article: “Why India fell for the code of Wodehouse“
Let me give you a list of what we read (for fun) when we were kids at St. Columba’s (from first grade to 10th). It sure was British, beta!
– Enid Blyton’s Five Find Outers, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers, Saint Clare’s
– Captain W.E. Johns’ Biggles
– Richmal Crompton’s William
– Frank Richards’ Billy Bunter
– Agatha Christie
– and of course, P.G. Wodehouse
We also read Tin Tin and Asterix, the usual Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew junk, and the Bobsey Twins. Add to that a weekly Commando comic, the occasional Beano, and see what a mixed-up world we grew up in!
It’s a straight line from Noddy to P.G. Wodehouse.
One more thing – we did NOT read Shakespeare, unless we had to.