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October 02, 2007
Three Men In A Boat - Jerome K. Jerome
I picked this up in my local bookshop. It was prominently displayed at the front of the store, and I asked if it was a series and if they had any others. Unfortunately they didn't know about any series.
You'll notice the price, only £2. This is perfect for an old copyright free book. This edition is also very thin and light, just right for commuting.
It's also, so far, very good.
Update: Just found it here and checked, and it says there it was published in 1994. So what's it doing still for sale. Weird.
Update:
Now I've finished reading it, and wonder why it took me so long to ever get round to it. I found it a charming book, full of amusing insights into human character. It's really very funny in places, and I wouldn't be surprised if P.G. Woodhouse's Bertie Wooster character wasn't in some way indepted to the three men here.
Three very priviledged young men decide to take a couple of weeks off work (though their work seems more like a pasttime than an actual necessity) and boat up the river Thames from Kingston. As they pass through the historic towns, the narrator, J., gives some brief descriptions of the places, and also some amusing anecdotes he happens to think of. They pass through some places I know very well, and even come to a pub that was my local for many years, the Stag in Datchet.
Nothing much really happens, but the enjoyment is in the journey, and the alternative picture of 19th century England given is a pleasant antidote if you've been overdoing the Dickens a bit.
Posted by se71 at October 2, 2007 04:56 PM
Comments
There is a sequel, Three Men on the Bummel, but it's not as funny.
Then again, hardly anything is as funny as Three Men in a Boat.
Posted by: Mark Dominus ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://se71.org/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 3, 2007 02:01 PM
Yes, I found myself sniggering embarrassingly on my train this morning reading about two drunk men kicking each other out of bed. I'm still chuckling a bit to be honest.
Posted by: se71 at October 3, 2007 06:13 PM
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