I believe Mulliner's review succinctly gives you an idea of what this book is like. I would say that it doesn't necessarily aim at upper and middle class 19th century English life so much as basic human frailties that can be seen today. There were even a few beautiful observations of scenery on the river Thames. Overall a good book. ( )

humor circa approx 1920

I've been meaning to read this for years, ever since I heard of Connie Willis' 'To Say Nothing of the Dog' and realized that the title came from Jerome's book. Jerome's book is exactly what it advertises itself to be: dry British satire that lampoons the silly self-centeredness of the upper and middle classes at the turn of the previous century. Ostensibly, it's about a boating trip, but the real meat is the commentary and, of course, the antics of not only the three men, but also the dog. Great if you like its antecedents -- Wodehouse, later British sitcoms, etc. -- but worthless for anyone who can't appreciate that kind of humor. Thank heaven I watch PBS.

Harry Hill's "favourite book": Per an interview by John Koski in the "Books" section of the Sunday Daily Mail April 2004, Harry Hill's reply to the question, "What's your favourite book?" was:
"'Three Men in a Boat' by Jerome K Jerome. Although written at the turn of the 20th century, it has a very contemporary tone. It still makes me laugh out loud."

This was a bit of a departure from the usual book I read, but I'd heard good things about it from some fellow LTers, and the fact that this was an audiobook read quite delightfully by Hugh Laurie made it all the more appealing. However, I found it only mildly amusing. At times it reminded me of vacations taken as a child, when my dad would never admit that we were lost or that he didn't know how to do something, however much of a botch he made of it (like trying to pitch a tent after midnight in the rain with only the car headlights to see by). Both the plot and the characters were a bit slim; Montmorency, the fox terrier, was probably the most interesting. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't bad, it's just not a book that will stick with me for long. If you're looking for a bit of light humor that you can read or listen to in a few hours, you might enjoy it more than I did. ( )