Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

Summary

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published in 1889, is Jerome K. Jerome's comic account of a boating holiday on the River Thames, and it has remained in print ever since. The narrator, J., and his friends George and Harris, three young London clerks, decide that they are overworked and suffering from every disease in the medical dictionary except housemaid's knee. They resolve to rest by taking a two-week trip up the Thames from Kingston to Oxford in a rowing boat, accompanied by J.'s fox terrier, Montmorency. The book was originally meant to be a serious guide to the river's history and scenery, and passages about Magna Carta at Runnymede, Hampton Court maze, old inns and churchyards remain, but they are constantly interrupted by comic anecdotes and digressions. J. recalls Uncle Podger hanging a picture and wrecking the house, the difficulty of packing, the struggle with a tin of pineapple and no opener, a disastrous Irish stew, and the misadventures of Harris singing comic songs he cannot remember. The friends quarrel over who does the work, and J. confesses that he likes work: it fascinates him, and he can sit and look at it for hours. They camp in rain, sleep badly, fight with towlines and other boats, and meet anglers who boast of fish that turn out to be plaster. There is a sad moment when they find the body of a drowned young woman in the river, a reminder of the hard lives of the poor. At last, soaked and miserable on a rainy evening, they abandon the boat at Pangbourne, take the train back to London, and enjoy a good dinner. Jerome's light, ironic style, his mock-serious tone and his gift for the absurd influenced many later comic writers. The book suits readers from middle school upward and is an excellent introduction to English humor.

Top Lessons

• The art of digression

  Jerome wanders from story to story. Students can study how digressions create comedy.

• Comic exaggeration

  Jerome exaggerates ordinary domestic troubles until they become comic set pieces.

• Friendship

  The three friends argue but enjoy one another's company.

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