Martyrs to hypochondria and general seediness, J. and his friends George and Harris decide that a jaunt up the Thames would suit them to a 'T'. But when they set off, they can hardly predict the troubles that lie ahead with tow-ropes, unreliable weather-forecasts and tins of pineapple chunks - not to mention the devastation left in the wake of J.'s small fox-terrier Montmorency. "Three Men in a Boat" was an instant success when it appeared in 1889, and, with its benign escapism, authorial discursions and wonderful evocation of the late-Victorian 'clerking classes', it hilariously captured the spirit of its age.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Jerome's classic British comedy is recounted by House's Hugh Laurie in a marvelously entertaining performance that will bring listeners to the banks of the Thames and carry them away into a world where three men and a dog named Montmorency venture from London to Oxford one sunny day. At just two and a half hours, the journey is short but sweet as Laurie captures the essence of Jerome's touching tale. With his classic witty tone, Laurie dives headfirst into each character, offering his own take on each colorful personality. There is a subtle theatrical aspect at work here as Laurie delivers a knockout one-man show that displays his wide-ranging talent. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Review
"I "highly recommend" Campfire's comics. They do what they are intended to do and do it in a way that excites kids about classic literature."
-- Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)
-- Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
74 of 77 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was given a copy of this book about 12 years ago. It has turned out to be one the best gifts I've ever received. Jerome's witty ramblings are the funniest I've ever read. Mark Twain, who I also love to read, comes close to Jerome's style but, in my opinion, is a poor second. Jerome finds humor in the commonplace and the every day occurrences which all of us, even a good 100 years later, can identify with. Starting with his self-diagnosis of every ailment, excepting house-maid's knee, to his singular insights into his friends, self, and surroundings; I never tire of rereading this book. It becomes clear quickly that the dog, Montmorency, is the only one with any sense. Three Men and a Boat always cheers me after a cold, bleak winter. It's the best Spring tonic--I highly recommend an annual dose. I shop now for gifts to give to friends so they can share my enjoyment in this wonderfully humorous and offbeat book. Read, enjoy, and laugh often.
82 of 86 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Imagine Bertie Wooster and two of his idiot friends out on a boat... with no Jeeves. That about describes "Three Men in a Boat : To Say Nothing of the Dog," Jerome K. Jerome's enchanting comic novel about three young men (to say nothing of the dog) who discover the "joys" of roughing it.
The three men are George, Harris and the narrator, who are all massive hypochiandriacs -- they find that they have symptoms of every disease in existance (except housemaid's knee). To prop up their failing health, they decide to take a cruise down the Thames in a rented boat, camping and enjoying nature's bounty.
Along with Monty -- an angelic-looking, devilish terrier -- the three friends set off down the river. But they find that not everything is as easy as they expected. They get lost in hedge mazes, end up going downstream without a paddle, encounter monstrous cats and vicious swans, have picnics navigate locks, offend German professors, and generally get into every kind of trouble they possibly can...
Even though it was published more than a century ago, "Three Men in a Boat" remains as freshly humorous as when it was first published. While editor/playwright/author Jerome K. Jerome wrote a lot of other books, this book remains his most famous. And once you've read it, you'll see why.
Jerome's real talent is in finding humor in everyday things, like trying to erect a tent in the woods, getting seasick, or questioning whether it's safe to drink river water. Written in Jerome's dry, goofy prose, these little occurrances become immensely funny. One of the funniest parts of the book is when the boys listen to a fishermen telling of his prowess, only to accidently knock down his record-breaking stuffed fish.... and discover it's made out of plaster. Oops.
But Jerome takes a break from the humor near the end, when the boys find a drowned woman floating in the river. And here he becomes solemn and quietly compassionate: "She had sinned - some of us do now and then - and her family and friends, naturally shocked and indignant, had closed their doors against her."
But back on the funny stuff. The capstone on all this humor is the "three men." These guys are basically pampered Victorian aristocrats, who have a romantic yearning for the great outdoors. You'll be laughing at them and with them, as they struggle through the basics of boating and camping.
It's worth noting that the Digireads edition of this book is very good, with a flexible cover, extremely strong binding, and a nice reproduction with rather small print. Think "Dover Thrift," but of higher quality.
Funny, wacky and creepily true to life, "Three Men in a Boat" is an enduring comic classic in the vein of PG Wodehouse. Not to mention the dog!
The three men are George, Harris and the narrator, who are all massive hypochiandriacs -- they find that they have symptoms of every disease in existance (except housemaid's knee). To prop up their failing health, they decide to take a cruise down the Thames in a rented boat, camping and enjoying nature's bounty.
Along with Monty -- an angelic-looking, devilish terrier -- the three friends set off down the river. But they find that not everything is as easy as they expected. They get lost in hedge mazes, end up going downstream without a paddle, encounter monstrous cats and vicious swans, have picnics navigate locks, offend German professors, and generally get into every kind of trouble they possibly can...
Even though it was published more than a century ago, "Three Men in a Boat" remains as freshly humorous as when it was first published. While editor/playwright/author Jerome K. Jerome wrote a lot of other books, this book remains his most famous. And once you've read it, you'll see why.
Jerome's real talent is in finding humor in everyday things, like trying to erect a tent in the woods, getting seasick, or questioning whether it's safe to drink river water. Written in Jerome's dry, goofy prose, these little occurrances become immensely funny. One of the funniest parts of the book is when the boys listen to a fishermen telling of his prowess, only to accidently knock down his record-breaking stuffed fish.... and discover it's made out of plaster. Oops.
But Jerome takes a break from the humor near the end, when the boys find a drowned woman floating in the river. And here he becomes solemn and quietly compassionate: "She had sinned - some of us do now and then - and her family and friends, naturally shocked and indignant, had closed their doors against her."
But back on the funny stuff. The capstone on all this humor is the "three men." These guys are basically pampered Victorian aristocrats, who have a romantic yearning for the great outdoors. You'll be laughing at them and with them, as they struggle through the basics of boating and camping.
It's worth noting that the Digireads edition of this book is very good, with a flexible cover, extremely strong binding, and a nice reproduction with rather small print. Think "Dover Thrift," but of higher quality.
Funny, wacky and creepily true to life, "Three Men in a Boat" is an enduring comic classic in the vein of PG Wodehouse. Not to mention the dog!
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I want to be clear; this is specifically for the Kindle edition of this book. The actual content, the book itself, would get five stars. It's a great book, huge fun to read, shockingly undated given its age, and I could not have asked for more entertainment once I read it.
I did not, however, manage to finish the book in this Kindle edition. This is perhaps the 25th book or so I have read in this format, and I have grown sadly used to the number of typographical errors and layout problems that lace the majority of the works, but this one I couldn't get through. There are hard returns throughout the book that presumably mark the end of the original line in the text. Unfortunately, they do not correspond to the end of the lines on the Kindle's screen, regardless of the text size, so literally every other line on the screen is one two three words long. It was too disconcerting to get used to, and finally I went through the trouble of downloading a public domain copy from Gutenberg and transferring that over to my Kindle.
Maybe I am oversensitive to this problem, but do yourself a favor and look at the sample of the book before you purchase it. If I had done so I never would have bought it, regardless of the price. 5 stars for the content; 1 star for the edition.
I did not, however, manage to finish the book in this Kindle edition. This is perhaps the 25th book or so I have read in this format, and I have grown sadly used to the number of typographical errors and layout problems that lace the majority of the works, but this one I couldn't get through. There are hard returns throughout the book that presumably mark the end of the original line in the text. Unfortunately, they do not correspond to the end of the lines on the Kindle's screen, regardless of the text size, so literally every other line on the screen is one two three words long. It was too disconcerting to get used to, and finally I went through the trouble of downloading a public domain copy from Gutenberg and transferring that over to my Kindle.
Maybe I am oversensitive to this problem, but do yourself a favor and look at the sample of the book before you purchase it. If I had done so I never would have bought it, regardless of the price. 5 stars for the content; 1 star for the edition.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
So funny!
This is one of the funniest books ever. It made me want to buttonhole strangers on the street and read them passages. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Cissa
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a hoot
I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. I will be reading this again at a later time because it made me laugh. This is a keeper.
Published 3 days ago by Pcm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious
There is not much to add about this remarkable book. Three men and a dog go on a boating trip, not a remarkable premise but it is remarkable for the fact that it could have been... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Paul Rooney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious story -- pretty lame Kindle edition
I'm giving this five stars for the content. With a name like Jerome K. Jerome (I looked him up; that was his real name), he had to have a sense of humor, and he was apparently the... Read more
Published 11 days ago by J. Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious!!
This was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time and focuses on the interactions and personalities of three men as they travel up the Thames in a small boat in... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Theodore F. Weiss
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books
It's difficult to write a review for this book. I find it hilarious, but if you were born and raised in USA, you probably won't find it all that funny. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Sam Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious
I adored this book. It was simply hilarious and possesed that " British" charm. The characters were unique and interesting and the plotline not only tells the story of a... Read more
Published 28 days ago by Jennifer Ruter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Descriptive fun
I loved the humor in the book, as well as the descriptions of the different places the author visits. Read more
Published 1 month ago by paula rv
3.0 out of 5 stars
Funny, but it gets old
This book is funny and has a lot of great humor in it. However, it can't even really be called a book. The main character just kind of talks, and jumps from one subject to another. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bookworm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Its humor is still fresh today
I'd be willing to bet that a modern reader unfamiliar with this very funny book would be far into it before suspecting that its author is not contemporary. Read more
Published 1 month ago by gammyraye
