This great book is one that has shown it can truly stand the test of time. To find a book first published in 1889 but that is still incredibly funny and relavant today is truly outstanding, though obviously some of the script and circumstances would no longer occur today. The way the book has been written means every line could easily make you laugh with the banter between the friends being well written and nineteenth century style language that seems somehow humerous in itself.

The story centres around three men from London, George, Harris and the narrator (who I assume to be jerome, I can't remember a third name and flicking through can't see one, please correct me if i'm wrong) and of course Montmorency, the dog, who seems the most sensible of the bunch and has a silent view on everything. They are dreadful hypochondriacs and, convinced that city life is doing them no good at all head out for a boat trip up the Thames. This they conclude will be the best way of overcoming their ills.

So they go about planning their voyage with past knowledge of previous disasters up river in mind. Of course despite best laid plans all sorts of things happen to infuriate them, but result in hilarious comedy situations for us. The book picks up on all the trivial little things that come to frustrate everyone at sometime, how inanimate objects seem to know exactly what you want them to do and yet conspire against you and make things much more awkward than you know they really should be.

There are also some very amusing observations on life such as for example the 'disadvantages of being in the same house with a pair of lovers'. These are funny and often completely off the wall observations that often seem to come simply through jerome following his own train of thought.

The book is also wonderfully descriptive and gives an interesting snapshot of life around London and on the Thames and people from the 19th century relaxed and at play which rarely seems to come accross in other books of that time. Jerome does seem to have a certain fascination with the history of the places that are passed on the journey, for example the island on the river Thames where the magna carta was signed.

There is no single strong storyline in the book, other than their own a boat. It is more a collection of events, mishaps and arguments. The simple everday occurance that are the bane of our lives but also once you can look back and have a joke about it, the best of experiences.

This is a wonderful, enjoyable read and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading. It is a very easy and quite short book and the style is not the typically stiff awkward 19th century books that are perhaps more well known. A good read.