Three Men in a Boat is a 19th century classic, a legend in the domain of comedy fiction. Originally intended as a travel guide for the Thames by the author, the idea got lost while writing and the book ended up as a story of funny anecdotes.
This book was on top of my list for quite some time. So, I kind of feel bad that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had wanted to. If you are a Jerome fan and feel that the scandalous statement above has instilled in you a feeling to find me and shake me by the collar till I admit I made a mistake, I have the universal "It is not for everybody" sign already up.
The plot is simple enough. It starts off with the narrator named Jerome feeling under the weather and after leafing through a medical booklet, finds himself afflicted with nearly every ailment under the sun. He is joined in this revelation by his two other friends, George and Harris and after a deep discussion, they convince themselves that their health is completely in tatters and they are in dire need of a vacation. After a lot of deliberation and planning, the three of them along with their dog Montmorency, finally embark upon a simple boat journey down the Thames, and thus starts a narrative of boating misadventures, camping mishaps and a hell lot more of amusing anecdotes.
The book started off quite well for me. The beginning part was witty and humorous. The way the lead narrator Jerome discovered all the ailments he had, the laughingly serious conversations between the friends about their health and the trip preparations all led to a big grin plastered across my face. It held a promise of something better to come. But, as the boating trip progressed and their (mis)adventures continued, the style became dry and repetitive, and the trivialities and tomfooleries started losing their fun. My chuckles and laughs became few and far between, gradually stopping altogether. Only non-committal grunts could be heard from time to time (or maybe they were laughs stuck in my throat on their way out?)
A lot of the above can be attributed to the fact that novels which set comedy as the sole focus of their narrative just don't work out well for me. I had my fair share of struggles with Catch-22 and this was not much better. Once you start getting used to the style of the author, it becomes a bit of a grind after that. A fine sprinkling of comedy interspersed within a central plot of adventure, thriller etc. reads much better for me.
Not to say that the book was bad. It was a light paced and well-written novel. It definitely had some comedic gold and ironical witticism which made me laugh my heart out.
Coming to my original disclaimer, I feel that comedy novels are mostly either a hit or a miss. And, for me, this one turned out to be more of a miss.
My final rating: 2.5/5 stars
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