Abhiraj Singh

English practical project

XII-B
Author of the book: Jerome K. Jerome

Publication year: 1889

Publisher: J.W. Arrowsmith

Genre of the book: Comedy fiction

Number of pages: 144 pages

Price of the book in India: Around ₹150 but

price varies for the paperback and
hardcover editions
Three Men in a Boat, written by Jerome K. Jerome and published in 1889, is a comical
description of a boating vacation on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford.
The book was supposed to be a serious trip guide, with details of local history along
the way, but the hilarious parts took over to the point where the serious and rather
sentimental portions appear to be a diversion from the comedic narrative. One of the
most praised aspects of Three Men in a Boat is how updated it looks to current
readers - the jokes remain relevant and sharp even today.
Jerome
This individual is the book's narrator, and he is a
young, unmarried, middle-class man living in
London. A bright and amusing individual who
regards everything as a joke and lives his life as
it unfolds. He lacks practical reasoning. He
simply tries to do everything as directed. He
owns a dog. He enjoys eating but hates his job.
Harris
This individual is a young single character who enjoys
drinking. At one point, this individual becomes quite
drunk and imagines being attacked by swans. He is a
sentimental individual who does whatever he wants. He is
unconcerned with the people around him and is just
concerned with his own decisions. He appears to enjoy
music, yet they hate him when he sings.
George
This individual works as a bank clerk on Saturdays. The river journey is the
brainchild of this individual.
He has a realistic approach to life, is mature for his age, works well, and is an
experimental good cook.

Montmorency
Montmorency is purely fictional. He stands in for 'inner consciousnesses.'
Montmorency is the family pet. Because he is a fox-terrier, it is virtually hard to
educate him to be softer. He is aggressive and enjoys noise and activity. He believes
that there is nothing for him to do on a boat journey because he is uninterested in
sights or smoking.
§ The story begins by introducing George, Harris, Jerome, and Montmorency. The
men are spending an evening in J.'s room, smoking and discussing illnesses from
which they fancy they suffer. They conclude that they are all suffering from
'overwork' and need a holiday
§ . The three eventually decide on a boating holiday up the River Thames, from
Kingston upon Thames to Oxford, during which they will camp, notwithstanding
more of J's anecdotes about previous mishaps with tents and camping stoves.
§ They set off the following Saturday. J. And Harris make their way to Kingston by
train, where they collect the hired boat and start the journey.
§ They meet George further up river at Weybridge.
§ The remainder of the story describes their river journey and the incidents that occur.
The book's original purpose as a guidebook is apparent as Jerome, the narrator
describes passing landmarks andvillages such as Hampton Court Palace, Hampton
Church, MagnaCarta Island, Monkey island, and Marlow, and muses on historical
associations of these places.
§ However he frequently digresses into humorous anecdotes. The most frequent topics of
J's anecdotes are river pastimes such as fishing and boating and the difficulties they
present to the inexperienced and unwary and to the three men on previous boating
trips.
§ The book includes classic comedy set pieces, such as the story of two drunken men
who slide into the same bed in the dark, the Plaster of Paris trout in chapter 17, and
the "Irish stew" in chapter 14 - made by mixing most of the leftovers in the party food
hamper
§ Montmorency, who had evinced great interest in the proceedings throughout, strolled
away with an earnest and thoughtful air, reappearing, a few minutes afterwards, with a
dead water-rat in his mouth, which he evidently wished to present as his contribution
to the dinner; whether in a sarcastic spirit, or with a genuine desire to assist, I cannot
say. -Chapter 16
§ Other memorable sections include chapter 3's description of the author's Uncle
Podger creating chaos while hanging a picture, and chapter 4's discussion of
"Advantages of cheese as a travelling companion".
§ “Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and
simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to
love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little
more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing. ”
― Jerome K. Jerome

§ “We said we could not expect to have it all sunshine, nor should we wish it. We told each
other that Nature was beautiful, even in her tears.” ― Jerome K. Jerome
§ Three Men in a Boat was written as a handbook, but it is so much more; it offers an
insight, a glimpse of individuals who aren't so dissimilar to ourselves. The three
guys squabble like toddlers, are completely useless, and yet have the best time of
their life. It made me laugh so hard to read how the notion of the man-child male
was clearly not a modern invention — Harris, George, and J are definitely grown up
but also clearly not past childhood. Three Men on a Boat stunned me by being a
real comedy classic and probably my new favourite comfort read.