Scan barcode
eighthsamurai's review against another edition
3.0
Three men in a boat - ****
Three men on the bummel - **1/2
Some uncomfortable use of the n word in the sequel.
Three men on the bummel - **1/2
Some uncomfortable use of the n word in the sequel.
beth_diiorio's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that made me laugh out loud, repeatedly, throughout the story. Jerome K. Jerome's writing style is not only humorous and detailed, but still spot on regarding human quirks and opinions 125 years after the story was first written. I still can't believe that I had not heard of this book before...it is its own kind of masterpiece!
Favorite Quotes:
"I called for the cheeses, and took them away in a cab. It was a ramshackle affair, dragged along by a knock kneed, broken-winded somnambulist, which his owner, in a moment of enthusiasm, during conversation, referred to as a horse. I put the cheeses on the top, and we started off at a shamble that would have done credit to the swiftest steamroller ever built..."
[After two of them attempt to put up the soaking wet canvas tent, and the third friend is exhausted from baling out the boat, J., George, and Harris discover...] "Rainwater is the chief article of diet at supper. The bread is two-thirds rainwater, the beefsteak-pie is exceedingly rich in it, and the jam, and the butter, and the salt, and the coffee have all combined with it to make soup."
"To look at Montmorency you would imagine that he was an angel sent upon the earth, for some reason withheld from mankind, in the shape of a small fox-terrier. There is a sort of Oh-what-a-wicked-world-this-is-and-how-I-wish-I-could-do-something-to-make-it-better-and-nobler expression about Montmorency that has been known to bring the tears into the eyes of pious old ladies and gentlemen......yet this dog was born with about four times as much original sin as other dogs.......Montmorency's ambition in life, is to get in the way and be sworn at. If he can squirm in anywhere where he is particularly not wanted, and be a perfect nuisance, and make people mad, and have things thrown at his head, then he feels his day has not been wasted."
"George had rather a curious oilskin-covered parcel in his hand. It was round and flat at one end, with a long straight handle sticking out of it. 'What's that?' said Harris, 'a frying pan?' 'No,' said George, with a strange, wild look glittering in his eyes; 'they are all the rage this season; everybody has got them up the river. It's a banjo.' "
"And Harris never sees what an ass he is making of himself, and how he is annoying a lot of people who never did him any harm. He honestly imagines that he has given them a treat, and says he will sing another comic song after supper."
Favorite Quotes:
"I called for the cheeses, and took them away in a cab. It was a ramshackle affair, dragged along by a knock kneed, broken-winded somnambulist, which his owner, in a moment of enthusiasm, during conversation, referred to as a horse. I put the cheeses on the top, and we started off at a shamble that would have done credit to the swiftest steamroller ever built..."
[After two of them attempt to put up the soaking wet canvas tent, and the third friend is exhausted from baling out the boat, J., George, and Harris discover...] "Rainwater is the chief article of diet at supper. The bread is two-thirds rainwater, the beefsteak-pie is exceedingly rich in it, and the jam, and the butter, and the salt, and the coffee have all combined with it to make soup."
"To look at Montmorency you would imagine that he was an angel sent upon the earth, for some reason withheld from mankind, in the shape of a small fox-terrier. There is a sort of Oh-what-a-wicked-world-this-is-and-how-I-wish-I-could-do-something-to-make-it-better-and-nobler expression about Montmorency that has been known to bring the tears into the eyes of pious old ladies and gentlemen......yet this dog was born with about four times as much original sin as other dogs.......Montmorency's ambition in life, is to get in the way and be sworn at. If he can squirm in anywhere where he is particularly not wanted, and be a perfect nuisance, and make people mad, and have things thrown at his head, then he feels his day has not been wasted."
"George had rather a curious oilskin-covered parcel in his hand. It was round and flat at one end, with a long straight handle sticking out of it. 'What's that?' said Harris, 'a frying pan?' 'No,' said George, with a strange, wild look glittering in his eyes; 'they are all the rage this season; everybody has got them up the river. It's a banjo.' "
"And Harris never sees what an ass he is making of himself, and how he is annoying a lot of people who never did him any harm. He honestly imagines that he has given them a treat, and says he will sing another comic song after supper."
archergal's review
4.0
First up: Three Men in a Boat.
NGL, I love this kind of writing. I laughed out loud a lot while reading this. I've read this one before, and enjoyed it then. And I enjoyed again. I'm on a bit of a deadline (Vic/Ed book club is tomorrow), so I did the eye-read/ear-read (listen to audiobook while looking at the text in the book) combo. It works for me.
==========================
Next: Three Men on a Bummel
More of a traveler's story, a sort of "look at these strange and interesting Germans & their country" than a merry romp with George, Harris, and J. It had some good moments, but I skimmed a lot of it because a 19th century travelogue just isn't as interesting to me to read in the 21st century.
NGL, I love this kind of writing. I laughed out loud a lot while reading this. I've read this one before, and enjoyed it then. And I enjoyed again. I'm on a bit of a deadline (Vic/Ed book club is tomorrow), so I did the eye-read/ear-read (listen to audiobook while looking at the text in the book) combo. It works for me.
==========================
Next: Three Men on a Bummel
More of a traveler's story, a sort of "look at these strange and interesting Germans & their country" than a merry romp with George, Harris, and J. It had some good moments, but I skimmed a lot of it because a 19th century travelogue just isn't as interesting to me to read in the 21st century.
corvinaq's review against another edition
4 stars for sheer joy & delight. The second book can be a bit chilling. They visit Germany on a bike tour a couple decades before WWI and WWII and rhapsodize over how orderly and well-behaved the Germans are. And how docilely they take orders and respect authority.
beccakatie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Three Men in a Boat: 3.75 stars
I found this book delightfully entertaining and wry. Having grown up around a couple of the places mentioned in the story, I perhaps felt a natural inclination towards it. The absurdity of the characters and their constant contradictions was so lightly done and particularly entertaining. It made for a light, easy read, with the failures of the characters causing me to shake my head rather than grow frustrated at them.
Three Men on the Bummel: 2.5 stars
With the beginning of this story opening with two of the three men married and with children, I had high hopes for more absurd excursions. And there were some entertaining moments, but I felt that this story lacked something. Rather than be comprised of their travels and anecdotes about them and their friends, there was a lot of discussion about the Germans and how the differed from the English. As a result, I felt that it lacked the engaging, personal humour of the first story.
I found this book delightfully entertaining and wry. Having grown up around a couple of the places mentioned in the story, I perhaps felt a natural inclination towards it. The absurdity of the characters and their constant contradictions was so lightly done and particularly entertaining. It made for a light, easy read, with the failures of the characters causing me to shake my head rather than grow frustrated at them.
Three Men on the Bummel: 2.5 stars
With the beginning of this story opening with two of the three men married and with children, I had high hopes for more absurd excursions. And there were some entertaining moments, but I felt that this story lacked something. Rather than be comprised of their travels and anecdotes about them and their friends, there was a lot of discussion about the Germans and how the differed from the English. As a result, I felt that it lacked the engaging, personal humour of the first story.
rachel45's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
aotora's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was fun - I enjoyed the humor and some parts of this actually made me laugh out loud. It's old but gold I guess.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
I was prompted to re-read this for the nth time after reading Connie Willis' "To Say Nothing of the Dog." Great bedtime reading, always enjoyable to watch Montmorency make a mess of their packing, and the narrator diagnosing himself with dread diseases. The litany of food they take on board is mouthwatering in an English way: "ten pounds of potatoes, a bushel of peas, and a few cabbages. We got a beefsteak pie, a couple of gooseberry tarts, and a leg of mutton...and fruit, and cakes, and bread and butter, and jam, and bacon and eggs, and other things..."
I had forgotten how much description of their route down the Thames is included - would be fun to retrace their steps, book in hand (which I'm sure someone has already done). The overwrought Victorian passages are beautifully sent up in Willis' book.
Thanks, Dad, for handing me this book so many years ago!
I had forgotten how much description of their route down the Thames is included - would be fun to retrace their steps, book in hand (which I'm sure someone has already done). The overwrought Victorian passages are beautifully sent up in Willis' book.
Thanks, Dad, for handing me this book so many years ago!