Three Men in a Boat

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog!), published 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford.

Related Topics:
1889 - Jerome K. Jerome - Thames - Kingston - Oxford

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The book was intended initially to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history of places along the route, but the humorous elements eventually took over.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The three men were based on Jerome himself and two real-life friends, George (who went on to become a senior manager in Barclays Bank), and Harris. The dog, however, was entirely fictional, but, as Jerome had remarked, "had much of me in it."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the best things about Three Men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers. The jokes seems fresh and witty even today.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was a not-so-successful sequel, about a cycling tour in Europe, entitled Three Men on the Bummel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~