Can a 19th century book really be this funny? Surprisingly, yes!
I kept coming across recommendations for this book when reading reviews of one of my favourite humorists, P.G. Wodehouse, so I had to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised, because considering it was written in 1889, parts of this book are absurdly hilarious!
On the surface it sounds rather boring: a travel story of a boat trip in a skiff up and down the Thames over a couple of weeks by the three friends, Jerome (our narrator and hypochondriac), George, and Harris, and the dog Montmorency. I later learned it was originally conceived to be a serious travelogue, with details of scenery and history, but somewhere in the course of writing it the comic elements took over.
The humorous parts are the highlights — and thankfully, they make up most of the book. But due to how it was conceived, at times there are more serious parts, and sometimes these sections border on descriptive poetry because they are so well written, and they add historical charm. But at other times the contrast in style and mood is jarring and actually detracts from the humor (especially a section at the end about a woman who killed herself by drowning). At times it feels like the book is trying to be two opposite things at once: travelogue and farce. In the end this doesn't matter too much, because the abundance of humour redeems the book of its faults, and it's worth reading for that alone.
There's not a lot of plot, and often the novel goes off in a wild tangent as the narrator reminisces about something totally unrelated to the story at hand, often beginning with the words "I remember…" or "Speaking of this reminds me of a rather curious incident…" But these side-stories are often side-splittingly funny and become attractions of their own.
Not to say that the events that unfold don't have funny elements, such as the hilarious incident in which the three friends battle to open a can of pineapple and only succeed in injuring themselves and wreck things in the process (ch 12), and the wonderful description of their attempt to make Irish stew incorporates all their leftovers, possibly along with a dead water-rat (ch 14). Riotous mishaps abound while setting up tents, using camping stoves, navigating the boat, and dealing with everything from other riverboats to grumpy property owners, all producing moments of pure slapstick.
But just as entertaining are the times the narrator digresses for multiple pages with his miscellaneous recollections and anecdotes, such as the memory of Uncle Podger attempting to be a DIY handyman (ch 3), the account of his friend learning to play the bagpipes (ch 10), and the incident of the fishing stories and plaster trout (ch 17). These all happen far from the river and have little to do with it, but prove to be the charm that makes this novel work.
A surprising aspect about this book is how timeless it feels. There are a few aspects where it shows the mark of its time, but for the most part it feels fresh and still speaks well to a modern audience, who can enjoy most of the humour much like the first readers did.
by EndersGame_Reviewer