Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:

Jerome K. Jerome's comic classic Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the Dog!) is unsinkable. One of the most widely read and beloved works of British fiction it has never fallen out of print since it first came out in 1889, but rather has been translated into many languages and even turned into a teleplay by Tom Stoppard.

The most ordinary circumstances turn hilarious as J., an idler who exhibits a "general disinclination to work of any kind," and his friends journey up the Thames River. Getting into many scrapes along the way, the friends consider "assaulting a policeman" just to have "a night's lodging in the station-house," when they get lost, but ultimately reject the proposition, fearful that he would hit them back without locking them up. The real scene stealer, though, is Montmorency, a small fox terrier who appears to be "born with about four times as much original sin in [him] as other dogs are." - taken from Barnes&Noble.com

My thoughts:

Three Men in a Boat is a very funny travelogue/comedy novel. It was very entertaining with all the misadventure that seemed to follow these fellows up the Thames. You never knew what might happen next. This book is well know for it's timeless feel. It was written in the 19th century but the writing and the humor seem ageless. It reminded me of a Bill Bryson travel book. Three Men in a Boat is lively and amusing, and a quick read too at under 200 pages.