The Coming of Bill
by P. G. Wodehouse
"The Arrival of Bill" is Waterhouse's closest ever to a serious novel, but the impact of the musical comedies he wrote at the time was never far off. Bill is the child of Ruth, a spoiled heir, and Kirk, an impunity-free artist with a perfect build. Their marriage was arranged by Aunt Ruth, who believed in eugenics, and later took charge of the child. Set entirely in New York and Connecticut, the story is about a young couple's campaign to distance their children from the oppressive Mrs. Porter and establish a normal family life. They eventually succeed, but only after a series of hilarious accidents in the story involving many vintage Waterhouse characters, including an authoritarian aunt, a millionaire who is thatcha, a good-natured ex-boxer, and an English butler orolund.
