‘Three Men in a Boat’ is undoubtedly the funniest book ever to be published. If you are in love with P.G. Wodehouse’s work then you’ll surely love this classic written by Jerome K Jerome. It happens to be the most humorous book that I have laid a hand on. It was published in year 1889 and captures the story of three protagonists on a holiday on the river Thames. ‘Three Men in a Boat’ was followed by another book ‘Three Men on a Bummel’ which was not as successful as the former one in it is times, but is evenly interesting to read.

The book starts with three friends George, Harris and J. (the narrator) sitting together and talking about their sufferings and other trivial matters that have contributed towards their ill health. J, the narrator, is so confused by his sensations or changes that he refers to a medical book and happens to misconceive that he has got closely each possible ailment recorded in there. At one point he is so exasperated that he says- “I thought what an interesting case I would be from a medical point of view, what an acquisition I will have to be to the class! Students would have no need ‘to walk the hospitals’, if they had me. I was a hospital in myself. All they need to do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma.”

The friends talk about their difficultnesses and come to unanimous decision that all their sufferings are because of being overworked and they need a holiday to rejuvenate themselves. Planning and arranging things turn out to be a herculean task as they seem to have dissimilar views and choices. While resolving upon what to carry and what not to carry, they talk when it comes to instances ran into in the past which were in truth annoying and amusive at the same time. Their objection to carry paraffin oil on the boat because of a former unpleasing experience confines them to carry methylated spirit instead.

Once everything is settled, they determine to meet at Kingston from where they would embark on their boating trip. Along with Montmorency, the narrator’s dog, they reach Kingston by a train after a lot of confusedness and chaos. The rest of the story captures the adventures of these three friends on the river. The precise description unfolds picturesque beauty of the river and towns they pass through. While travelling they talk when it comes to galore instances that will make you laugh. They make remarks on early English history, carved oak, Hampton Court and so a lot of other things. Their person experiences have been brought together in the story so well that it makes the entire experience humorous. They talk when it comes to closely everything while travelling like camping, boating, singing, sailing and rafting. Each of their topics of discussion is on a funnier side. They also encounter rather a few mishaps while travelling that are interesting and idiotic.

‘Three Men in a Boat’ has a terrifi capability of acquainting the readers with the 19th century England. The humor in the story is brought forth so intelligently that you can not protest yourself from laughing out loud. The tongue in cheek humor is behind the success of this book. ‘Three Men in a Boat’ is veritably Jerome K Jerome’s masterwork which has not been read by rather a few of us. In case if you have missed this one then go in front and grab a copy…you are not going to regret it for sure!

Three Men In A Boat

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Review

Most helpful customer reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful.
My annual Spring tonic–wit at its best!
By greene922@aol.com
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.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Funny observational humor
By Walter Flaschka
Humor is very hard to write. Jerome K. Jerome does a fine job in his “Three Men in a Boat” — it’s a light, frothy sort of humor that brings to mind a 60′s comedy movie. The characters are irritable and inept, and the things that tick them off (packing luggage, setting up a tent, dealing with women in nature, cooperative rowing) are still very relevant today. For example, people who hate jet-skis can find parallel rants on the steam-powered launches that annoy Jerome and his sailing buddies.

The occasional dips into seriousness (English history, a single-mother suicide) take up a net 2 pages total, and don’t happen to detract from the overall humor. My favorite line is spoken by Jerome to the overzealous cemetary watchman, who can’t believe Jerome doesn’t want to view some open tombs: “Leave me immediately or I shall climb over the fence and slay you.”

The book gets 4 stars only because (like most observational humor) it leaves the mind easily, and doesn’t display the unity of meaning, humor and characterization that modern readers expect from a 5 star book. This book is an excellent series of hilarious essays loosely strung together in the form of flashbacks, but it is not a novel per se. One of its greatest achievements is that it is still readable today, quite accessible to a modern audience.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Timeless Humor
By Marian Powell
This has to be one of the funniest books ever written beginning with the opening chapter where the narrator reads a medical book and decides he has every disease in the book. From there, he and his two best friends decide to get away from it all with a boat trip up the Thames River — and that’s the book. It’s full of one hilarious episode after another with little side tidbits on the historical places they pass on the Thames. Those few who have found the book dull need to understand that the story is written at the pace of a boat trip and not a television sitcom. It’s any vacation where everything goes hilariously wrong and if for once the tent doesn’t fall down in a pouring rain or the boat manages to not run into another boat, the narrator remembers another trip and tells the story of carrying an incredibly smelly cheese home–Warning don’t read that chapter in public. People will wonder why you’re rolling on the ground laughing hysterically. There’s also a dog who’s idea of being helpful is bringing a dead rat to add to the stew. The only weakness of the book is that I’d like to have seen much more of the dog. On the serious side, Three Men in a Boat proves that humor based on human nature is timeless. Also on the serious side, if you want a good look at how people lived in 1890, this book actually gives a vivid picture, including the nostalgia that the narrator feels for “the good old days”. He finds life in 1890 too fast paced and with too many inventions coming on too fast. It makes you wonder at what point people will look back to 2001 as “the good old days”.

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