Product Description

'We agree that we are overworked, and need a rest - a week on the rolling deep? - George suggests the river -' And with the cooperation of several hampers of food and an open boat, the three men (not forgetting the dog) set out on a hilarious voyage of mishaps up the Thames. When his characters are not falling in the river and getting lost in Hampton Court maze, Jerome K. Jerome finds time to express his ideas on the world around - many of which have acquired a deeper fascination since the day at the end of the last century when this excursion was so lightly undertaken.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #381148 in Books
• Published on: 1999-02-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Jerome Klapka Jerome (1859 – 1927), was born in Walsall and moved to London with his family when he was still a young boy. His unusual middle name was from a Hungarian friend of his father. Jerome left school at fourteen, after his the death of his mother. This was not unusual in those days in poor families and Jerome’s family was certainly poor. Jerome started work as a railway clerk but had an artistic nature and soon spent time acting with various theatre companies – as well as reading in the British Museum library. His stage experiences led to his first book On the Stage – and Off and to his determination to make a living as a writer. Three Men in a Boat, published in 1889, brought him success and worldwide fame. The critics didn’t like Jerome’s humour and easy-going style but the public did. The book was a huge bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. Sales of the American edition reached a million copies, even though it was being sold there illegally! The qualities the critics disliked have now made the book a timeless classic. Three Men in a Boat is a fictional, and hugely exaggerated, version of an actual boat trip up the River Thames that Jerome took with two friends. After this book’s success Jerome worked as a novelist, playwright and editor. He made lecture tours, especially in the USA and caused a scandal by publicly criticising the racism in the Southern States. Three Men in a Boat was his only best-seller. It was so popular in Germany that clubs were started for people to make their own boating trips in the style of the trip taken by Jerome and his friends.

Customer Reviews

Timeless.
After reading this book, you would be shocked to find that it had been written so long ago. I'm not the most educated of people but this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Everyday humour delivered in a timeless way. The characters are so realistic, with more than a passing resemblance to many people you know. You will wonder why everyone hasn't read this book. Funny, funny, funny. Thanks J.K.J.

A comedy classic
Both funny and evocative, Three Men In A Boat is one of the most enjoyable reads around. It is rightly regarded as a comedy classic. I first read this book when I was a teenager, and since then I've always wanted to take a boat on the River Thames!

A great tale
This book is probably the best of Jerome's works; it is the story of three young men and a dog who decide that they will take a rowing-boat up the river to Oxford from London. All the surroundings are well-described, owing to the fact that Jerome did that journey himself, in a very humorous fashion, and one can often sympathise with the predicaments into which the three intrepid explorers find themselves. An altogether good read, which can be made especially interesting if one knows the parts of the river being described, and it is interesting to compare with to-day, 110 years later.