Boko Fittleworth

Who they are

George Webster “Boko” Fittleworth is one of Bertie’s friends and the man Nobby Hopwood wants to marry in Joy in the Morning. The novel appeared in the United States in 1946 and Britain in 1947. His immediate problem is not merely finding the right words to propose: approval within Lord Worplesdon’s household matters, and several people have plans of their own. Bertie arrives at Steeple Bumpleigh with obligations that make assistance to a friend feel natural and safe only for a moment. Jeeves sees how the pieces may fit better than either man at the start.

Boko is a vivid member of the broader Drones and Bertie circle, but his substantial book route in this library is a single novel. That is not a reason to inflate a passing allusion elsewhere into another full adventure. A new reader can meet him without reading a dozen earlier books. Wodehouse gives enough social context for the arrangement of friends, parent, prospective spouse and rival interests to become clear on the page. The pleasure lies in the accumulation of pressures rather than in a secret biography supplied by a later guide.

Personality and relationships

Nobby’s wishes are as important to the plot as Boko’s ingenuity. Her guardian’s approval becomes a practical obstacle, and Bertie’s promise to help can quickly compete with his own desire for a quiet visit. Florence Craye and Stilton Cheesewright bring another set of arrangements to Steeple Bumpleigh. Jeeves can adjust a plan to several people’s needs, but the friends first have to survive the consequences of trying their own approaches. Boko is most engaging when his sincerity and unsteady tactics are visible together.

Bertie’s loyalty to a friend is an engine of the story. He need not be persuaded that the relationship deserves help; the difficult question is what help he can offer without creating a second crisis. Boko’s dialogue and the household’s misunderstanding give a fan reason to return to the novel after the solution is known. Do not confuse the publication order of Wodehouse’s many Jeeves volumes with an exact fictional calendar in which every friend ages consistently. The book guide records the regional date difference and its place on the shelf.

Best books and memorable moments

On screen

Richard Stirling played Boko Fittleworth in two ITV Jeeves and Wooster episodes; Edward Bennett played him in BBC Radio 4’s Joy in the Morning. Cast and production record. Compare Wodehouse screen, stage and radio versions.