kerry reviewed Three Men in a Boat by Jerome Klapka Jerome
Review of 'Three Men in a Boat' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book reminded me very much of the Bertie Wooster stories, in tone and setting.
In the late 1800’s, English gentlemen took holidays boating up and down the Thames. Our heroes are the hapless but optimistic George, Harris, and Jerome. Almost from the moment they decide to take their journey (for “fresh air, exercise and quiet”), they are befuddled and miserably unprepared, but always determined that things will work out fine.
It was great fun to read about their (mis-)adventures: packing, unpacking, and re-packing; pitching the canvas over the boat in the rain; cooking (or attempting to).
Jerome also gives us some side stories from the friends’ past. My favorites were the tale of the fragrant cheese, Harris’s adventures in a maze, and George waking up in the middle of the night, thinking it was morning.
Later chapters get somewhat bogged down in travelogue mode, as Jerome describes the attractions …
This book reminded me very much of the Bertie Wooster stories, in tone and setting.
In the late 1800’s, English gentlemen took holidays boating up and down the Thames. Our heroes are the hapless but optimistic George, Harris, and Jerome. Almost from the moment they decide to take their journey (for “fresh air, exercise and quiet”), they are befuddled and miserably unprepared, but always determined that things will work out fine.
It was great fun to read about their (mis-)adventures: packing, unpacking, and re-packing; pitching the canvas over the boat in the rain; cooking (or attempting to).
Jerome also gives us some side stories from the friends’ past. My favorites were the tale of the fragrant cheese, Harris’s adventures in a maze, and George waking up in the middle of the night, thinking it was morning.
Later chapters get somewhat bogged down in travelogue mode, as Jerome describes the attractions of the various towns along the river. I ended up skipping several of these explanations, preferring to get back to the trio’s adventures.
“It always does seem to me that I am doing more work than I should do. It is not that I object to the work, mind you; I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.”