Three Men on the Bummel (Three Men, #2) by Jerome K. Jerome — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists May 19, 2016 Henry Avila rated it liked it I miss the dog, this sequel, to Three Men in a Boat, lacks his presence, where is the fearless leader , Montmorency ? Three Men on the Bummel (stroll) has our friends, a decade later, older, but not wiser, yes, fatter, richer, but still eager, to get away, again, from dear old England. A pleasant bicycle trip, around Germany, they plan, particularly, the ominous Black Forest of mystery and myth. J. and Harris are married, their wives show no disinclination, to the idea , in fact, they secretly w I miss the dog, this sequel, to Three Men in a Boat, lacks his presence, where is the fearless leader , Montmorency ? Three Men on the Bummel (stroll) has our friends, a decade later, older, but not wiser, yes, fatter, richer, but still eager, to get away, again, from dear old England.

A pleasant bicycle trip, around Germany, they plan, particularly, the ominous Black Forest of mystery and myth. J. and Harris are married, their wives show no disinclination, to the idea , in fact, they secretly welcome it, a pleasurable break, a vacation, too, for the spouses and children, of the unlovable, if truth be told men... Sounds real nice, the two must be annoying husbands. Still George the bachelor, has only an old aunt, who cares... the trio, after the usual long discussions , useless talk and the procrastinating, finally get under way, two bicycles and three men, no problem, one is a tandem bicycle, they'll switch often, to keep themselves fresh (it's a solemn agreement). Arriving by boat, in Hamburg, then Hanover, and later, going to intriguing Berlin...Staying in hotels, and inns, farmer's foul barns, if nothing else, is available, imagine the rather strange smells , they encounter, but the animals don't mind the boys, too much though...In the famous and illustrious capital , of the nation, the men are quite disappointed, with the city, no grandeur, a plain city.

Germany has clean towns, somewhat humdrum, but they're fascinated by the German people, law abiding, citizens, following the rules, set by their superiors, mostly the police. These men are god like, to them, never would they dare, to disobey, the children (boys), all want to become mighty policemen...The Germans, polite and remote to foreigners , love eating and drinking, becoming often so drunk, that they need help to get home. The boisterous students also, are encouraged, to do the same, a long tradition, gladly followed by the boys, at the universities. Sword dueling, in school clubs too, a student is happiest when he receives bloody scars on his face, proud to show his friends, basking in their admiration, the girls flock to him, he is brave, a real man...In the legendary Black Forest, the clueless trio become very lost, can't tell which way is north or south, or east or west, neither. Exhausted, climbing a steep hill, to get their bearings, embarrassed, that they see the village, the men just left, a short time ago , yet try again, the same galling results, the magical village appears once more.

Hour after hour of hiking, they can't find a route out, a storm comes, thunder and lightning , the rains pour down and the soaked men seeking shelter, under a tree, cold and wet, miserable...The curious owner of the nearby restaurant, wonders why, they didn't come in from the downpour? Better go get the odd strangers, Englishmen...everyone says , on the continent, are all mad! ...more Shelves: humor In this book we revisit the old friends introduced in Three Men in a Boat (minus the dog, unfortunately). They are much older and married now - J. and Harris that is, George is still a bachelor. The three men decided they need a change in their lives yet again. This time they go on a bicycle trip in Germany's Black Forest; hilarity ensures. The novel failed to repeat the charm and the humor of the first one. People familiar with Three Men in a Boat remember the constant change of subject by the n In this book we revisit the old friends introduced in Three Men in a Boat (minus the dog, unfortunately). They are much older and married now - J. and Harris that is, George is still a bachelor. The three men decided they need a change in their lives yet again.

This time they go on a bicycle trip in Germany's Black Forest; hilarity ensures. The novel failed to repeat the charm and the humor of the first one. People familiar with Three Men in a Boat remember the constant change of subject by the narrator. These side stories were short, funny, and to the point. The first third of this novel has the same structure, but the side stories became bigger and lost their focus somewhat. The humor is still there, but to a lesser degree. After this part a big rambling of the author comes out from nowhere; it goes on and on endlessly. By the time it is over, the narration lost all its steam. It tries to pick up again, but never quite does - not to the level of the first part of the book. The ending was very abrupt, even for this kind of literature. The major part of the book is taken by author's satirical description of Germany. It is funny at times and some of the prediction are very close to the things to come later, but on the whole it felt like an Englishman was laughing at German culture and customs without having a clue about them and coming out like he is full of it.

From what I know I never had a German person among my ancestors (I do have several German friends); I was not offended by this part, but I was feeling kind of awkward. Is the book worth reading? If you thought the first one was simply OK, the answer is no. If you like the former, then by all means read this one, it still has its moments: the misadventures of the friends on the road which is "impossible to miss" instantly comes to mind. For people wondering what bummel means: it is just a fancy name for a journey. This review is a copy/paste of my BookLikes one: ...more Shelves: obscure-classics , project-gutenberg Jerome’s digressive style can be amusing in small doses, but this book is almost nothing but asides. I did enjoy the parts that most closely resemble a travelogue of the cycle trip through Germany, but these are drowned under a flood of irrelevant memories and anecdotes. I much preferred Diary of a Pilgrimage . Jun 23, 2012 Beth rated it liked it As a followup to the more brilliant Three Men on a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), Jerome K.

Jerome's three dimwitted Englishmen go on a bike trip to Germany, and silliness ensues. The author reminds me of a Jerry Seinfeld, able to see absurdity in everyday life. Never mind that it was written in 1900; his comments on bicycling, Germans, marriage, and tourism remain true, and make one want to call up friends and force them to listen to you read the best bits aloud. For example, when one fellow As a followup to the more brilliant Three Men on a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), Jerome K. Jerome's three dimwitted Englishmen go on a bike trip to Germany, and silliness ensues. The author reminds me of a Jerry Seinfeld, able to see absurdity in everyday life. Never mind that it was written in 1900; his comments on bicycling, Germans, marriage, and tourism remain true, and make one want to call up friends and force them to listen to you read the best bits aloud. For example, when one fellow is dreaming of finding the perfect bicycle seat, the other tells him, "'You give up that idea; this is an imperfect world of joy and sorrow mingled.

There may be a better land where bicycle saddles are made out of rainbow, stuffed with cloud; in this world the simplest thing is to get used to something hard.'" Ot, in discussing the charms of Stuttgart: "It has the additional attraction of containing little that one need to go out of one's way to see: a medium-sized pictures gallery, a small museum of antiquities, and half a palace, and you are through with the entire thing and can enjoy yourself." ...more Shelves: jkj "A 'Bummel'," I explained, "I should describe as a journey, long or short, without an end; the only thing regulating it being the necessity of getting back within a given time to the point from which one started…... But long or short, but here or there, our thoughts are ever on the running of the sand…… We have been much interested, and often a little tired.

But on the whole we have had a pleasant time, and are sorry when 'tis over." This closing passage sums up my precise sentiments for this boo "A 'Bummel'," I explained, "I should describe as a journey, long or short, without an end; the only thing regulating it being the necessity of getting back within a given time to the point from which one started…... But long or short, but here or there, our thoughts are ever on the running of the sand…… We have been much interested, and often a little tired. But on the whole we have had a pleasant time, and are sorry when 'tis over." This closing passage sums up my precise sentiments for this book. The book primarily deals with distinctive and entertaining experiences of three friends (Jerome, Harris and George), while on a cycling tour throughout Germany. Often when you read a sequel after the parent book, one cannot help but to evaluate the two. Overlooking my resistance to do so, I have to disclose that this book fails to capture the enchantment and exuberance of ‘Three Men in a Boat’. Nevertheless, it should not be dismissed easily!

While the opening sections are a bit loose and floppy; in time the narrative does gathers the lost spark with the onset of the bicycle tour. And, then it’s a vortex of humor and satire that swoops the reader into the perils of touring a foreign land. The comical vignettes slowly fabricate into a satirical euphoria that Jerome is known to produce. Several comical confrontations between George and Jerome bring back the lost smile and cheer. One such episode needs a mention:- George:-"Why, in Germany, is it the custom to put the letter-box up a tree? Why do they not fix it to the front door as we do? I should hate having to climb up a tree to get my letters. Besides, it is not fair to the postman. In addition to being most exhausting, the delivery of letters must to a heavy man, on windy nights, be positively dangerous work." (Jerome): "I followed his gaze out of window.' I said, Jerome:-"Those are not letter-boxes, they are birds' nests. You must understand this nation.

The German loves birds, but he likes tidy birds." The subtle glee shown in the exploration of a new land by three outsiders and numerous other similar anecdotes keeps you glued and entertained till the end. ‘Three Men on a Bummel’ is firmly not an afterthought of ‘Three Men in a Boat’. It is an entirely new adventure pertaining to exploring a fresh and astonishing land. Hence it should be viewed in singular light to make the reading plausible. Sep 24, 2011 Lizixer rated it really liked it Highly enjoyable and very funny (especially if you are a history geek) comic novel that satirises beautifully the Edwardian craze for cycling as well as giving a fascinating insight into how the English viewed the new young state of Germany. The book is really a series of sketches and observations, some like the throwing things at cats and the German attitude to grass are laugh out loud moments, others strike you as wry and strangely modern observations on such things as young children's habit o Highly enjoyable and very funny (especially if you are a history geek) comic novel that satirises beautifully the Edwardian craze for cycling as well as giving a fascinating insight into how the English viewed the new young state of Germany.

The book is really a series of sketches and observations, some like the throwing things at cats and the German attitude to grass are laugh out loud moments, others strike you as wry and strangely modern observations on such things as young children's habit of getting up at the crack of dawn or the limitations of journalism. I also learned after whom the cartoon cat and mouse Tom and Jerry were named thanks to a line in this book. Near the end, there is a chill for the modern reader on reading JKJ's warning about the direction Germany could go in if they were governed by bad rulers. A good piece of Edwardian comic writing well worth whiling away an afternoon reading seated in a deckchair with a glass of cold lemonade. ...more Jan 01, 2016 Santhosh rated it really liked it While this is a decent enough book by itself, it does suffer in unfavourable comparison with Three Men in a Boat. The first book had some fantastic setpieces and a line of funny anecdotes, both of which are relatively fewer in this one.

Those few, mind you, still do the job in making this a fairly enjoyable read in that understated, self-deprecating and pompously funny way that the first book was so popular for. There are quite a few long passages, though, that read more like a travelogue trying While this is a decent enough book by itself, it does suffer in unfavourable comparison with Three Men in a Boat. The first book had some fantastic setpieces and a line of funny anecdotes, both of which are relatively fewer in this one. Those few, mind you, still do the job in making this a fairly enjoyable read in that understated, self-deprecating and pompously funny way that the first book was so popular for. There are quite a few long passages, though, that read more like a travelogue trying too hard to be funny. It describes 19th century Germany in what's supposed to be an exaggerated tone playing up to the common stereotypes of the age, but doesn't quite come off as funny enough often enough. Verdict: Fairly good read, but could have done with more anecdotes. And the dog!

...more Dec 02, 2012 Sairam Krishnan rated it really liked it Hilarious. Rip-roaringly hilarious. Had been meaning to read this one after 'Three Men and a Boat', but only now have I managed to do it. Granted, the original is drop-dead funny, but this one doesn't disappoint either. My landlord must have been pretty concerned with my quite frequent outbursts of laughter today! Jerome K. Jerome is a master at that old favorite - pompous British prose, through the lens of which even normal everyday events seem alarmingly funny. George and Harris are their usual Hilarious. Rip-roaringly hilarious. Had been meaning to read this one after 'Three Men and a Boat', but only now have I managed to do it. Granted, the original is drop-dead funny, but this one doesn't disappoint either. My landlord must have been pretty concerned with my quite frequent outbursts of laughter today! Jerome K. Jerome is a master at that old favorite - pompous British prose, through the lens of which even normal everyday events seem alarmingly funny.

George and Harris are their usual selves, and 1900s Germany comes to life, though in an understated way, and the book could be seen as a portrait of pre-war life in Europe. Goes on my list of all-time favorites and will have to endure several re-reads..! ...more Aug 24, 2008 Joe rated it really liked it Although less popular than Three Men on a Boat (which is known to at least 40 people), Bummel is much much better. More compact and less rambling, it actually seemed more like a travelogue instead of a stream of consciousness rendering of Jerome Jerome's mind. Portions were laugh-out-loud funny, and the slow bits were fewer and further between than Boat. Gun to my head, if I had to recommend one to read to say you've read it, go for Boat... but if I had to recommend one to read because it's more Although less popular than Three Men on a Boat (which is known to at least 40 people), Bummel is much much better. More compact and less rambling, it actually seemed more like a travelogue instead of a stream of consciousness rendering of Jerome Jerome's mind.

Portions were laugh-out-loud funny, and the slow bits were fewer and further between than Boat. Gun to my head, if I had to recommend one to read to say you've read it, go for Boat... but if I had to recommend one to read because it's more fun, read Bummel. ...more Shelves: fiction , humour The barely-known sequel to the classic Three Men in a Boat isn't a bad book. Jerome's humour is intact, but it lacks the impact of the earlier work and the unifying theme of the river. Jerome's descriptions of pre-WWI Germany and the Germans conform roughly to the stereotypes, but the teasing is gentle and it is the vanity and faintly absurd attitudes of the Englishmen that invite ridicule. It's a pleasant description of the English upper-middle classes of a bygone age, with plenty of deliberate The barely-known sequel to the classic Three Men in a Boat isn't a bad book. Jerome's humour is intact, but it lacks the impact of the earlier work and the unifying theme of the river.

Jerome's descriptions of pre-WWI Germany and the Germans conform roughly to the stereotypes, but the teasing is gentle and it is the vanity and faintly absurd attitudes of the Englishmen that invite ridicule. It's a pleasant description of the English upper-middle classes of a bygone age, with plenty of deliberately shallow philosophical diversions on the differences in culture and on the foolishness of the English. It retains Jerome's characteristically understated humour, provoking giggles rather than belly laughs. It's an amusing read and is all the better for being so much a book of its time (1900). To call it dated is actually a compliment. Jerome concludes that the German nation is "still young" (less than 30 years old at the time he wrote this book) and the Germans themselves are "a good people, a loveable people who should help to make the world better". If that statement is true of the past 60 years, Jerome was sadly prescient of another era: "Hitherto, the German has had the blessed fortune to be exceptionally well governed; if this continues, it will go well with him.

When his troubles will begin will be when by any chance something goes wrong with the governing machine." ...more Apr 25, 2015 Vimal Thiagarajan rated it it was amazing At a time when I desperately needed to inject some raw humour into my depressed system, I was fortunate enough to read JKJ's Three Men in a boat.And when the need arose again last week, I knew where to look.That wry and dry British wit, that subliminal sarcasm, that hysterically comical narration, all in unlimited supply again.But underlying all the riotous humour, there are a lot of passages which clearly indicate how profound a guy Jerome really was. Most of the digs he takes at the Germans th At a time when I desperately needed to inject some raw humour into my depressed system, I was fortunate enough to read JKJ's Three Men in a boat.And when the need arose again last week, I knew where to look.That wry and dry British wit, that subliminal sarcasm, that hysterically comical narration, all in unlimited supply again.But underlying all the riotous humour, there are a lot of passages which clearly indicate how profound a guy Jerome really was.

Most of the digs he takes at the Germans throughout the book were accurate British sentiments of the pre-war times.The real spine-chilling moment for me came in the final chapter when Jerome accurately predicted what could go wrong with the German way of social functioning which can lead to a global catastrophe - the book was published in 1898, a good 15 years before WW1 and 40 years before WW2! ...more Shelves: ownebook , humor , light-reading , germany This was, for the most part, a witty and hilarious light read. I haven't read anything as funny for some time. It was full of stereotypes of the British, the Germans, the Americans, the French, and anybody else they could think of, but it was all in good fun. The last two chapters were more serious, and oddly prescient given that World War I broke out little more than a decade after it was written. Oct 28, 2010 Zain rated it liked it Refreshing, drags a little at times but full of hilarious impossible incidents that sends the delighted reader into fits of laughter finishing off with an extremely quotable para on the essence of a 'bummel'.

Jun 27, 2014 Daiana Damacus rated it liked it How do you convince your wife to let you go on a trip with just your best mates? Jerome K Jerome seems to have found the answer in the sequel to his hilarious novel Three Men in a Boat. “We need to find a place where a delicate woman and a well-raised child couldn’t live under any circumstances; a country with bad hotels and sloppy roads, where we’ll be forced to sleep in a different place each night, earn a bed and maybe starve a little.” The success of Three Men in a Boat, which is an honest st How do you convince your wife to let you go on a trip with just your best mates? Jerome K Jerome seems to have found the answer in the sequel to his hilarious novel Three Men in a Boat.

“We need to find a place where a delicate woman and a well-raised child couldn’t live under any circumstances; a country with bad hotels and sloppy roads, where we’ll be forced to sleep in a different place each night, earn a bed and maybe starve a little.” The success of Three Men in a Boat, which is an honest story about what adventures are really like – wet, tiresome and frustrating – led the Staffordshire-born author to give it a sequel. Three Men on the Bummel has the same three characters from Jerome’s first novel, Harris, George and J (the author himself), at its centre. This time, instead of sailing the Thames, the three opinionated Englishmen decide to cross Germany on bicycles in an attempt to get away from their dull lives. The novel, which was written with the purpose of distinguishing itself from its predecessor, has little in common with Jerome’s first work. Despite the presence of the same individuals, the journey through Germany is not even half as amusing as that on the Thames. There are about five funny situations in the entire book and the stubborn personalities of the three men rarely come across as ridiculous. In fact, the three men themselves barely come across at all.

What Three Men on the Bummel really is, is the parody of an English guidebook about the habits and personalities of Germany’s inhabitants. From stating that a German has so much respect for the police, he would gladly hang himself if told to do so, to noting that there’s a restaurant every two miles everywhere in the Black Forest, the opinions formed here are exacerbated and often too long in their explanations. There is however a paragraph at the beginning of the book that warns you not to take it too seriously for it is not a loyal representation of reality. Still, there is far too much analysis and not enough action in the novel for it to be called an adventure. In fact, it gradually becomes less interesting and towards the end it turns into what can only be compared to the ramblings of an old man who’s too far gone in his own views of the world. It is not a bad read though, because Jerome’s writing style is pleasant, bringing you so close to the writer you have the impression he’s telling you all of this over a cup of tea. The voice of the narrator is also faithful to its origins and you don’t question for a second that he is English.

After all, if such overreactions can come from anyone, they will most certainly come from a subject of the Queen. Written in 1898 after a short visit to the Vaterland (read the book to find out where that is), Three Men on the Bummel wasn’t as successful as Three Men on a Boat. Today, it is still less popular, and rightly so. If you want to read a comedy that will make you laugh out loud even if you’re on the train, then this is not it. If, however, you enjoy sarcastic pieces and have a curiosity for Germany, you will love it. If you’re from Germany, you’ll probably hate it and if you’ve read Three Men on a Boat and like Jerome’s style, you’ll tolerate it. Shelves: comedy After Dostoyevsky's "House Of The Dead" I could definitely do with something lighter. I picked up this book that had been gifted to me on my last visit home. The book contains two of Jerome K. Jerome's work : "Three Men On A Boat" and "Three Men On The Bummel" . I has read the former earlier and had postponed the latter for a later date.

Jerome's writing was witty and humorous. So I picked up "Three Men On The Bummel" with similar expectations. I was not really far off. Jerome was as witty as I re After Dostoyevsky's "House Of The Dead" I could definitely do with something lighter. I picked up this book that had been gifted to me on my last visit home. The book contains two of Jerome K. Jerome's work : "Three Men On A Boat" and "Three Men On The Bummel" . I has read the former earlier and had postponed the latter for a later date. Jerome's writing was witty and humorous. So I picked up "Three Men On The Bummel" with similar expectations. I was not really far off. Jerome was as witty as I remembered from the first story. His style of writing is unique and focuses on the seeing the humourous aspects of the triviality of daily trites and human personalities. He laughs at everything possible. The hypocrisy of man, the characteristics of various nationalities, the absurdity of planning, travelling, gardening, and so on. And it is a dry and amusing laugh that he laughs. His way of making fun is a subtle one.

One in which I suppose even the butt of the joke would not mind joining in! Jerome K. Jerome and his friends (George and Harris) take the reader on a bummel to the Black Forest in Germany. Jerome lets no occasion go by to comment on the punctilious nature of the Germans and the stark contrast between the two cultures : English and German. This being a story published in 1900 also makes the work slightly prophetic in nature. The story starts with the familiar three men deciding upon their needing a change and, after much discussion, agreeing upon the change to be a cycling trip in the Black Forest. They leave after much arrangements ("persuading" the wives, not overhauling the cycles, etc) and reached London where they experimented with the language used in a popular travel book to much amusement of all involved. Then they advanced to Germany and travelled across the country to reach the Black Forest. The travelling involved some amusing accidents as well as some hilarious observations about the Germans and their sense of beauty, duty and pride. Then follows a brief account of their (mis)adventures in the Black Forest and how they managed to plan frivolously and ride slowly.

The story ends after an account of the author's view on Germans as a people. Jerome K. Jerome definitely has a sense of humour. His stories are little more than a humourous account of something but at times he digresses into topics that he does not do well in. This creates bits in the story when the author is not so interesting in his account and you know he could do better. Anyway, on a whole it is a good read and since the boring parts are not too long, they can easily be ignored to say that Jerome's work is a witty and crisply funny one. I actually remember laughing out loud at times, something that I do not usually do. I think I would not mind reading another of his stories if I come across one but I doubt I will go hunting for one. ...more Shelves: fiction , humour , classics , travel This sequel to Three Men in a Boat only sporadically achieves the joy of its progenitor. The narrator and his pals George and Harris (he says nothing of the dog) polish up their bicycles and go a-roaming through the Black Forest in Germany. Naturally they get into scrapes and adventures, and these are sometimes very funny.

Here, gentle fun is poked at the Germans' horror of stepping on the grass: In a German park I have seen a gardener step gingerly with felt boots on to grass-plot, and removing This sequel to Three Men in a Boat only sporadically achieves the joy of its progenitor. The narrator and his pals George and Harris (he says nothing of the dog) polish up their bicycles and go a-roaming through the Black Forest in Germany. Naturally they get into scrapes and adventures, and these are sometimes very funny.

Here, gentle fun is poked at the Germans' horror of stepping on the grass: In a German park I have seen a gardener step gingerly with felt boots on to grass-plot, and removing therefrom a beetle, place it gravely but firmly on the gravel; which done, he stood sternly watching the beetle, to see that it did not try to get back on the grass; and the beetle, looking utterly ashamed of itself, walked hurriedly down the gutter, and turned up the path marked "Ausgang." But a lot of the time the characters seem mere decorations on a straightforward piece of travel writing, sometimes disappearing for most of a chapter - as for instance when the author describes the German Mensur tradition, in which students evidently competed to scar each other with manly wounds. Well worth discussing, perhaps, but out of place in a comic novel. And sometimes when the humour is present, it doesn't quite come off: for example, a lot of effort is expended in contriving a situation in which three drunkards end up sleeping in each other's houses; but the farcical opportunities are wasted as the episode simply winds up.

It remains a perfectly pleasant book, but it hasn't the modest perfection and warm-hearted charm of the earlier book. It's perhaps most memorable for its weirdly prescient remarks on 'the German character'; in particular: In Germany today [pre-WWI] one hears a good deal concerning Socialism, but it is a Socialism that would only be despotism under another name. Shelves: british , 2011 , a-my-english-library This is the zenith, the summit, the highest peak reached by a certain kind of British humour I like. Those who are keen of PG Wodehouse may object a couple of things to this remark and probably they have their point: the thing is that I never read anything by Wodehouse (by the way: from which book should I start?). Anyways. There are moments of this German bummel or escapade in which Jerome is simply impossible to stand any further. I daresay it's not legal, being that funny, sharp and witty. One This is the zenith, the summit, the highest peak reached by a certain kind of British humour I like.

Those who are keen of PG Wodehouse may object a couple of things to this remark and probably they have their point: the thing is that I never read anything by Wodehouse (by the way: from which book should I start?). Anyways. There are moments of this German bummel or escapade in which Jerome is simply impossible to stand any further. I daresay it's not legal, being that funny, sharp and witty. One could choke on a burst of laughter. And it almost happened to me. I simply couldn't help myself but laugh, laugh, laugh while reading about the scrupolous German dogs or the way to get rid of German cats when they don't let you sleep. And the way Jerome wrote: absolutely magnificent. But it's not all about humour. There are also a lof of insightul observations on Germany and Germans that can now be put in perspective. When Jerome, Harris and George (without Montmorency at this time) traveled through Germany it was hard to picture the horror of Ypres in World War I and the whole dirty business of nazism, but still JKJ understood quite a lot.

The following lines may suffice: "In Germany today one hears a good deal concerning Socialism, but it is a Socialism that would only be despotism under another name. Individualism makes no appeal to the German voter. He is willing, nay, anxious to be controlled and regulated in all things". Now, when Jerome wrote this, Hitler was only eleven years old and I hardly doubt that he ever found any interest in having a bummel, although he later toyed with flânerie getting in and out of Munich beer halls. This book was a divertissement, but it is also a brilliant testimony on how life went on in a serene Germany where everything was efficient but relaxed before someone decided to play the policeman of a whole nation. Dec 25, 2015 Geeta rated it really liked it · review of another edition My reading of this book was immediately followed by Three Men in a Boat. At the beginning I was determined not to compare the two books by the same author. For most part I didn't, but I did for some bits. Especially the end. Author has picked the same style of written to end the journey, whether it be through the river Thames or through Black Forest.

Although, in this book it seems a tad bit more abrupt than in Three Men in a Boat. When I read Three Men on the Bummel, my expectations were (sort My reading of this book was immediately followed by Three Men in a Boat. At the beginning I was determined not to compare the two books by the same author. For most part I didn't, but I did for some bits. Especially the end. Author has picked the same style of written to end the journey, whether it be through the river Thames or through Black Forest. Although, in this book it seems a tad bit more abrupt than in Three Men in a Boat. When I read Three Men on the Bummel, my expectations were (sort of) set, based on the familiarity I gained by reading Three Men in a Boat. I am a flawed reader! To break myself away from this, I took longer to read through the book than I would have otherwise. Three Men in a Boat has a subtle climax but Three Men on the Bummel is a flat reading. There are funny anecdotes found in both books and they are variegated on topics. There are some insightful observations too. The analogy is almost perfect! It's been hard not to compare the books.

I found an easy association with the author's writing style from the first book I read Three Men in a Boat. And my association continued while reading Three Men on the Bummel. Just like how the author has compared Englishmen to Germans in his book of Three Men on the Bummel. :-). I enjoyed both the books and very much enjoyed the author's writing style - the humor, the analogy, the topics, the anecdotes...everything. I have already recommended reading both these books to some of my known. ...more Shelves: owned Originally published on my blog here in January 2001. The sequel to Three Men in a Boat t was written over a decade later, and Jerome begins with his characters aged an appropriate amount, two of them married with children. "J", George and Harris decide they want a break from London, and so set out on a bicycle tour of the Black Forest. They choose a suitably roundabout route to get there, via Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden, and have several reasonably amusing adventures. (A bummel, by the way, is an Originally published on my blog here in January 2001.

The sequel to Three Men in a Boat t was written over a decade later, and Jerome begins with his characters aged an appropriate amount, two of them married with children. "J", George and Harris decide they want a break from London, and so set out on a bicycle tour of the Black Forest. They choose a suitably roundabout route to get there, via Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden, and have several reasonably amusing adventures. (A bummel, by the way, is an aimless pleasurable wandering.) There are two main targets of the humour, such as it is, in this novel. One is tourists, and particularly ones who do not speak the language. The funniest joke in the book falls into this category. George is trying to buy an embroidered cushion as a present, but asks the girl in the shop for a "kuss" rather than a "kissin". He is rather surprised when she won't sell him one, and insists, so that she eventually gives him the kiss he actually asked for. The jokes about the German character are not so funny.

They are perhaps not particularly offensive, but they are stereotypical, predictable, and what might be expected from a man who was later one of the more enthusiastically pro-war writers in 1914. ...more Jun 26, 2012 Gar rated it it was ok Lesser-remembered sort-of sequel to Three Men In a Boat, and I can see why its predecessor gets remembered and this one doesn't so much. There are still good bits throughout (there's a bit about how difficult it is to sleep in late as a guest in a house with young kids that's forever true that Og the caveman would have nodded at sagely once you translated it into cave pictographs and got past difficult concepts like croquet and beds and whatnot), but overall it's simply a lesser work. Less of the Lesser-remembered sort-of sequel to Three Men In a Boat, and I can see why its predecessor gets remembered and this one doesn't so much.

There are still good bits throughout (there's a bit about how difficult it is to sleep in late as a guest in a house with young kids that's forever true that Og the caveman would have nodded at sagely once you translated it into cave pictographs and got past difficult concepts like croquet and beds and whatnot), but overall it's simply a lesser work. Less of the humor is of the timeless sort of ...Boat, and altogether more of it is of the "people from New York are like THIS and people from L.A. are like THAT, amirite folks?!" variety. Search-replace England and Germany in there, but same principle. Also lengthy bits lampooning bicycle ads that I'm sure were much funnier in 1910. Dated and Rooneyfied, basically, which was really disappointing. But it was also educational, because it taught me about "mensur" or academic fencing. Reading the chapter on it in the book made me think it was exaggerated nonsense, because people standing stock still and hitting each other in the head with sabers with the intent being not to block or duck was surely just too stupid to be true even for humans.

But apparently it was actually a real European university thing back then. (Humans, I don't know, don't ask me, I just live on this planet.) ...more Shelves: humor Three Men on the Bummel is a sequel to one of my favorite comic novels, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), so of course I had to read it. It is about the same three friends, Jerome, George and Harris who this time around take a cycling trip to Germany. The one main character from Boat that is missing here is the dog Montmorency. The style of the two is very similar, a collection of sketches that are connected together and all take place on the trip. And there are some truly funny s Three Men on the Bummel is a sequel to one of my favorite comic novels, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), so of course I had to read it. It is about the same three friends, Jerome, George and Harris who this time around take a cycling trip to Germany. The one main character from Boat that is missing here is the dog Montmorency.

The style of the two is very similar, a collection of sketches that are connected together and all take place on the trip. And there are some truly funny scenes in Bummel, a fight with a hose and fixing a bicycle among the highlights, but definitely not the only ones. The best parts of Bummel are equal to the best parts of Boat, but I felt the sequel was a little longer to start and it took a little longer between great scenes. There isn't a huge difference between the two, just a slight one. In short it is one of the books I think is re-readable, but if I really need a laugh I'll probably gravitate faster towards Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), than to Three Men on the Bummel. ...more Apr 18, 2012 Maria Thermann rated it liked it It's light hearted fun and a perfect read on a lazy afternoon while contemplating where to go on holiday next. Naturally, I love the bit in the book about their experience in the alpine regions best, given my nationality and the fact that Northerners in Germany view their Southern counterparts with the same benevolent malice as people do in the UK.

Jerome K Jerome's exploits about three friends who escape their respective families to have perhaps one last flutter of freedom before middleage claim It's light hearted fun and a perfect read on a lazy afternoon while contemplating where to go on holiday next. Naturally, I love the bit in the book about their experience in the alpine regions best, given my nationality and the fact that Northerners in Germany view their Southern counterparts with the same benevolent malice as people do in the UK. Jerome K Jerome's exploits about three friends who escape their respective families to have perhaps one last flutter of freedom before middleage claims them is a charming book that is often overshadowed by the success of Three Men in a Boot. Oddly enough, I prefer this book, which may lack the lustre of youth but has the witty insight of experience that comes with age. The locations and mode of transport - bikes - are well chosen to create humourous misunderstandings and complications. For anyone whose contemplating a cycling trip, this is a must-read book. ...more Aug 02, 2014 Inka rated it it was amazing laugh. laugh. laugh. until your stomach hurts. and then even more.

When the three friends decide to go on a journey on their own (plus a dog) a huge bag of jokes comes in addition to the unforgettable memories they create. It's not only the hilarious sense of humor (which is the reason I adore this author) but also the way he makes you believe what's happening is absolutely normal and you're absolutely not crazy to laugh at the ridiculous situations the main characters get in. I recommend this boo laugh. laugh. laugh. until your stomach hurts. and then even more. When the three friends decide to go on a journey on their own (plus a dog) a huge bag of jokes comes in addition to the unforgettable memories they create. It's not only the hilarious sense of humor (which is the reason I adore this author) but also the way he makes you believe what's happening is absolutely normal and you're absolutely not crazy to laugh at the ridiculous situations the main characters get in. I recommend this book to be read with a napkin because you won't resist the astonishing sense of humor it is filled with.

Question: What sort of holiday was the subject of ‘Three Men on the Bummel’ (1900)?
Answer: CYCLING tour