The Problem Club

In Short

The Problem Club is an exclusive, unofficial society of gentlemen who meet monthly to settle a wager. Each member attempts a bizarre task set by the previous month's winner—ranging from impersonating six different people in an hour to acquiring specific, difficult-to-obtain items. These stories, presented as a "discreet account" of their proceedings, capture the triviality and high-stakes social gamesmanship of early 20th-century London. The book has endured as a charming relic of Edwardian wit, celebrating the art of the prank and the absurdity of rigid social etiquette.

The Story

The narrative arc is episodic, structured around the monthly dinner meetings where members report their successes or failures. In the opening, we learn that the Club has no official premises, meeting instead in the rooms of an old-fashioned restaurant. The challenges are designed to force members into uncomfortable, often ridiculous social interactions. For instance, the "Giraffe Problem" requires a member to be told by a woman that he resembles a giraffe. When the Hon. James Feldane attempts this, he fails because his brother-in-law, not his sister, utters the desired phrase, highlighting the club’s pedantic adherence to rules.

As the series progresses, the tasks grow more complex. The "Free Meal Problem" necessitates securing breakfast, lunch, and dinner from strangers without asking directly or offering payment. We follow the artist Wildersley, who exploits the gratitude of dog owners to earn his meals, only to be disqualified when his "dinner"—high tea consisting of cocoa and seed-cake—is ruled insufficient by the chairman. Other challenges, like the "Handkerchief Problem," turn members into petty thieves, while the "Alibi Problem" sees them crafting intricate, deceptive schemes to prove they were in two places at once.

The narrative reaches a climax with the "Identity Problem," where the members are tasked with discovering the identity of their own head-waiter, Leonard. It is revealed that Leonard is a man of mystery and intellectual depth who has been manipulating the club’s affairs from within. He turns the tables on the members, treating them as students of his own cleverness. Throughout these events, the club members—Major Byles, the weary James Feldane, the artist Wildersley, and the lawyer Mr. Quillian—navigate a landscape of social faux pas and verbal sparring.

The final challenge, the "Impersonation Problem," leads to a series of comedic misunderstandings. The ultimate resolution arrives when the mystery of the club's secret journal, The Pig-Keepers’ Friend, is unveiled, exposing the secret life of the members and their peculiar obsessions. The stories conclude with the celebration of James Feldane’s engagement—a personal development brought about through the very social maneuvering he practiced for the club. The club’s chronicles end on a note of camaraderie, leaving the reader with a glimpse of a world where honor is found in the successful execution of a harmless, if entirely pointless, scheme.

How It Unfolds

The club convenes Members gather at an old-fashioned restaurant to report their progress on the latest challenge, facing the scrutiny of their peers. The chairman maintains order with mock-solemnity, strictly interpreting the rules to disqualify those whose efforts fall short of the specific criteria.

The problems escalate As the months pass, the challenges move from simple verbal traps to complex logistical operations involving disguises, public deception, and the manipulation of strangers. Each member approaches these tasks with varying degrees of seriousness, leading to constant bickering over the definitions of words and the legitimacy of claims.

The waiter’s secret The members are caught off guard when the head-waiter, Leonard, sets a problem concerning his own identity. His eventual reveal proves that the staff has been observing and influencing the gentlemen far more than the members ever realized.

The final assessment The club concludes its current cycle with the Impersonation Problem, which tests the members' ability to deceive their social circle. The resolution of this task forces a final revelation about the club’s secret literary organ and the private lives of its participants.

The People

The members of the Problem Club are archetypes of the English upper class, defined by their leisure and their shared need for intellectual amusement.

The Hon. James Feldane is a weary, cynical young man who treats the club’s games with a mix of boredom and intense competitiveness. He often acts as the group's "lead" in complex schemes but is frequently frustrated by his own bad luck.

Major Byles is a man of rigid, superstitious habits. He struggles with the club’s more arithmetic-heavy challenges, often finding his attempts at cleverness thwarted by his own lack of imagination.

Wildersley, A.R.A., is a large, good-tempered artist who brings a childlike energy to the club. He is the most creative participant, often using his artistic skills and materials to bypass the difficulty of the tasks.

Mr. Quillian, K.C., serves as the club’s legal mind, providing the necessary pedantry to settle debates. He is a man of precise language who is frequently caught in the same traps as his peers, despite his efforts to be clever.

Leonard is the most enigmatic figure. Though officially a head-waiter, he possesses a superior intellect and a poet’s soul. He functions as the club's true master, setting problems that force the members to look past their own vanity.

In Its Own Voice

"I put one of them on, and looked like a bad freak—something out of a back number of Punch."

The Hon. James Feldane describes the discomfort of wearing an absurdly high collar to fulfill the terms of the Giraffe Problem.

"The club does not regard onlookers as sportsmen."

The chairman reminds a hesitant member that participation is mandatory for anyone wishing to maintain their membership.

"The only copy purchased was bought by Jimmy, who found it by accident."

Leonard explains why the members struggled to locate the elusive and cryptic journal, The Pig-Keepers’ Friend.

What It's Really About

The book explores the tension between human vanity and the need for purpose. By inventing arbitrary, difficult rules for themselves, these men attempt to manufacture a sense of achievement in a life otherwise devoid of meaningful work. The underlying argument is that social standing and intellectual pride are easily dismantled by the very games designed to bolster them. The club is a safe space for failure, where one’s reputation is not ruined by incompetence but rather repurposed as a source of comedy. It asks whether a life of leisure is truly fulfilling, or if it must eventually succumb to the absurdity of "impersonating" a life of purpose.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy dry, quintessentially British humor and the intricate, observational wit of writers like P.G. Wodehouse will find much to admire here. The book is a light, episodic pleasure, best read in short sittings, much like the meetings it describes. It offers a fascinating, if slightly dated, look at a specific slice of English history, where men were defined by their clubs, their tailors, and their ability to keep a straight face while doing something ridiculous.

However, readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes that permeate the text. The members are deeply entrenched in a class-based social structure, and their casual dismissal of working-class people—such as the waiters and bus conductors they treat as pawns in their games—is reflective of their time. Furthermore, the prose is dense with Edwardian slang and references that may require a modern reader to navigate with a bit of patience. If you value a gentle, ironic, and low-stakes narrative that rewards attentive reading, this collection of pranks and puzzles will stay with you as a delightful exploration of the lengths to which people will go simply to prove they are clever.