Three Men in a Boat
139. Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog!)
In this short comic novel, J., Harris, George -fictionalized versions of the author and his friends - decide, along with J.’s dog Montmorency, to take a boating trip up the Thames from London to Oxford. J., the narrator, describes the various adventures that befall them along their journey, interspersing these anecdotes with digressions on the history of the places they pass, stories about his previous experiences with Harris and George, and random musings on life in general.
I’d been wanting to read this book ever since loving Connie Willis’s To Say Nothing of the Dog, and I’m really glad I finally did! There is no plot to speak of; rather, the book is a succession of short anecdotes that are only loosely connected to each other. Additionally, the three men are virtually interchangeable: they’re all idle, amiable, selfish gentlemen not overburdened with intelligence. However, this is all part of the book’s humor and charm. Overall I found this novel delightful and very much enjoyed my trip up the Thames with J., Harris and George - to say nothing of the dog!