Review: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

5 stars for Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome.

My first book of the year is a random book that I chose to read on a whim. It is one of five books that I purchased from POPULAR bookstore chain during my December vacation to Melaka. Prior to this, I have no idea who Jerome K. Jerome is as I have never come across any of his books before. I bought this book for two reasons. One, priced at MYR15.00, the book is a steal. Two, the book jacket broadcast that this is a book that has never gone out of print since it was first printed in 1889!

The book is about three men (to say nothing of the dog), Jerome, George and Harris, taking a two-week boat holiday on River Thames from Kingston to Oxford. The story starts off as any other book can be expected to - uneventful. But as I read on, I begin to understand why this book is so widely touted despite its seemingly simple plot. The more I read, the more I enjoy the story. It is simple. It is funny. It is entertaining. It is hilarious. It is a joy to read.

At the beginning of each chapter, there is always a short paragraph that summarizes the happenings for that chapter. Interestingly, it is a summary that tells the reader everything yet nothing. As such, it makes a great chapter synopsis especially for readers like me who is ever wary of spoiler.

The thing to be enjoyed while reading this book is not in the narration of the main story about the three men in a boat, but rather the many side stories that branch out in the course of the protagonist telling his main story, as his thoughts wander and drift in and out. It is these side stories that make this book so wonderfully entertaining. This is as the saying goes "It is not the destination but the journey that matters."

I share the same sentiments with regard to the little everyday topics that are mentioned in the book. One such is the weather forecast that is never accurate. To quote "It forecasts precisely what happened yesterday or the day before, and precisely the opposite of what is going to happpen today." As a result, no one likes to be foretold the weather. To quote "It is bad enough when it comes, without our having the misery of knowing about it beforehand."

Another example is empty cabs do not appear when you are waiting to hail one. To quote "it is a street where, as a rule, and when they are not wanted, empty cabs pass at the rate of three a minute, and hang about, and get in your way."

Then there is an amusing case about the protagonist's view on the value of art treasures of his time versus the past and future. To quote "Why, all our art treasures of today are only the dug up commonplaces of three or four hundred years ago.... Will it be the same in future? Will the prized treasures of today always be the cheap trifles of the day before?" What follows next is the protagonist's take on the value of a china dog ornament in two hundred years' time; it is so comically worded that it sends me into fits of laughter.

Another excellent example is the maze incident at Hampton Court. I will not quote anything here for it is too long a many pages to quote. But I will say, it is definitely a hilarious maze experience by Harris, one of the three men in the boat. It is a must-read near the end of chapter six. I shall stop with this last example as there are simply too many to bring out here. Well, the few examples I listed down may not seem funny to some of you here because they aren't read in context. So, what I am trying to say is, you have got to read the book.

Besides the entertaining narratives of the river adventure, there are also history to be learned as well as additional knowledge on some quaint, old-world inns up the River Thames. This book is, after all, written with the original purpose of advertising travel by describing the journey and scenery on the River Thames. In the end, the author's lighthearted narratives took over the descriptions to become a slice of life.

I cannot be more glad to have bought Three Men in a Boat and even more so, kickstart the New Year with this delightful book that says a lot without really saying a lot. I hope this first book of the year is an indication of what the Year 2023 has in store for me - all things lighthearted, smooth sailing and easy-going.


Publisher: Sanage Publishing House; 1st edition
Publication date: 25 May 2020

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"We agree that we are overworked, and need a rest - A week on the rolling deep? - George suggests the river -"

And with the co-operation of several hampers of food and a covered boat, the three men (not forgetting the dog) set out on a hilarious voyage of mishaps up the Thames. When not falling in the river and getting lost in Hampton Court Maze, Jerome K. Jerome finds time to express his ideas on the world around - many of which have acquired a deeper fascination since the day at the end of the 19th century when this excursion was so lightly undertaken.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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