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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I read this one regularly, own multiple editions, and am a dues-paying member of the Jerome K. Jerome Society.
I thought I'd enjoy this more, loved it for the first 70 or so pages then got a bit bored with it. Still it's a good book.
Droll and lovable. It’s free on Gutenberg, so I figured if not now, when? I can see why Connie Willis co-opted not just the discarded half of the title but the whole vibe of these hapless Thames adventurers for her Oxford time travelers in To Say Nothing of The Dog.
Having joined the kindle revolution I have downloaded as many classics as possible, what with them being free and all, with the express intention that I WILL one day be familiar with all the 'books you should read before you die'. Ergo, Three Men in a Boat slotted into my e-collection and, knowing absolutely nothing about it, I gave it a try.
I really was pleasantly surprised. In trying to explain it to a friend I realised that there is no plot to speak of and nothing really happens for the entireity of the novel. It really does do what it says on the tin! There are reams of anecdotes throughout, to highlight the monumental silliness of the three central characters (and the dog) and silly for me is akin to fun; a really daft bit of escapism from the dourness of a wet, cold September in recession-hit Britain. I rarely laugh out loud at a book and when I saw that other reviewers had made this claim, I was skeptical, but I have to admit, I did indeed chuckle audibly throughout.
I can appreciate that this won't be to everyone's taste - I have recently read that it was actually written as a children's book so this probably says more about my immature sense of humour than anything else! If, like me, you enjoy linguistic slapstick with a good dose of tongue-in-cheek, you will probably find this to be a very amusing way to pass the time.
I really was pleasantly surprised. In trying to explain it to a friend I realised that there is no plot to speak of and nothing really happens for the entireity of the novel. It really does do what it says on the tin! There are reams of anecdotes throughout, to highlight the monumental silliness of the three central characters (and the dog) and silly for me is akin to fun; a really daft bit of escapism from the dourness of a wet, cold September in recession-hit Britain. I rarely laugh out loud at a book and when I saw that other reviewers had made this claim, I was skeptical, but I have to admit, I did indeed chuckle audibly throughout.
I can appreciate that this won't be to everyone's taste - I have recently read that it was actually written as a children's book so this probably says more about my immature sense of humour than anything else! If, like me, you enjoy linguistic slapstick with a good dose of tongue-in-cheek, you will probably find this to be a very amusing way to pass the time.
Available at Libri Vox.
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford.
The book was intended initially to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history of places along the route, but the humorous elements eventually took over, to the point where the serious and somewhat sentimental passages now seem like an unnecessary distraction to the essentially comic novel. One of the most praised things about Three Men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers. The jokes seem fresh and witty even today.
The three men were based on Jerome himself and two real-life friends, George, and Harris. The dog, Montmorency, however, was entirely fictional, but, as Jerome had remarked, “had much of me in it.”
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford.
The book was intended initially to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history of places along the route, but the humorous elements eventually took over, to the point where the serious and somewhat sentimental passages now seem like an unnecessary distraction to the essentially comic novel. One of the most praised things about Three Men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers. The jokes seem fresh and witty even today.
The three men were based on Jerome himself and two real-life friends, George, and Harris. The dog, Montmorency, however, was entirely fictional, but, as Jerome had remarked, “had much of me in it.”
A classic I have long wanted to read. 3.5 stars? It has funny parts but it’s basically a string of episodes and anecdotes with less forward momentum than the balky boat.
People say “timeless” but it’s absolutely wedded to its time and place and class context.
People say “timeless” but it’s absolutely wedded to its time and place and class context.
Really funny, and surprisingly modern-feeling considering that it was published in 1889.
Wow, how had I never heard of this book before! I was given it as a gift by a friend who said it was one of his favorites and that he hoped it would make me laugh. I was laughing by page 4. It's incredible that this book was written 100+ years ago, because I feel like if I went on a boat trip with two friends - and, heaven forbid, a dog - only the geography would change. The author's preface says the chief beauty of the book lies in its truthfulness, which after reading I must say I wholeheartedly agree with. This is definitely going to join my two most treasured stacks of books - those I keep on hand for when I am having a bad day and need to be cheered up, and those I keep handy to loan to friends.