Feeling that they are suffering from almost any upset that you might care to mention, three affable chaps - Harris, George, and J. - decide that what they need is a nice and relaxing little holiday. Settling on the idea that they, and J.'s dog (Montmorency), ought to set off on a little fortnight trip along the Thames in a boat, the reader follows along on their comical adventure.
J. (a fictionalised Jerome K. Jerome), Harris, and George are all thoroughly pleasant English chaps, the sort that you might think typical of the late Victorian era. Some of the book is outdated now, but the humour and the warmth is still fresh and witty, and the three warm and comic characters we follow along the Thames are a joy to read. They are just exactly the kind of chaps that one might hope to have as friends and holiday companions. There isn't really a pragmatist amongst them, but that just means they are definitely romantic and idealist enough to make the journey enjoyable!
They really are a bit of a mess in there execution of the whole thing sometimes (therein lies the entertainment!) but they are an unforgettable crew. I really have enjoyed tagging along on their trip along the Thames.
Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.
- Three Men In a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome, chapter 3
If the above quote ignites a little flame of pleasant appreciation within you, I think you just might have time and appreciation for our three river-faring protagonists. It speaks to me. But then, I am a bit of a dreamer too, for whom a lazy wending and winding along an English river in summer sounds an absolute joy. And, I would also fail comically in some of the practical requirements of such a trip so . . .
The three men of the title anticipate a journey filled with peace and quiet. However, they come up against the joys of the glorious English weather, having to endure their own cooking, and roughing it in the outdoors. Amongst other things. Jerome's humour is warm and his insights never mean-spirited. There may be the odd passage where you find yourself raising an eyebrow at the odd outdated idea or attitude, but other than that Three Men in a Boat is a warm and funny book with an appeal that has endured for one-hundred-and-thirty-two years for good reason!
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If you would like to purchase a copy of Jerome K. Jerome's hilarious story of one of probably the worst holidays in literature, Three Men in a Boat, you can do so here, with bookshop.org, who support independent book shops.
Read plenty of books, be good, be nice to dogs, feed the birds, drink something nice. And, see you soon.
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