X-Book

Three Men in a Boat

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

If you’ve never read anything by Jerome K. Jerome, you’d be well advised to heed this warning by the Glasgow Herald: “It would be dangerous to [listen to] this book in any place––say a full railway compartment––where the reader was not at perfect liberty to laugh as loudly and as long as he chose.” The passage of time has not altered that verdict. Here is a perfect picture of those lazy summer days “messing about in boats.”

After his final trip up the river Thames with his three companions––Harris, George, and Montmorency the dog––Jerome K. Jerome sat down to write his proposed book, The Story of the Thames. But before he could tackle the work in the serious manner intended, his humor took over and gave birth to a masterpiece of unquenchable comedy. This is a classic of English humor, justifiably loved around the world.

Critics Review

“Wonderfully fresh and funny…Jerome’s writing triumphantly stands the test of time.”

Daily Telegraph (London)

“The book was meant to be a serious travel guide…but Jerome’s rambling anecdotes and humorous take on travelers J., Harris, and George—and J.’s feckless fox terrier, Montmorency—turned it into something far rarer: an honest account of male friendship.”

Guardian (London)

“The trio of Jerome K. Jerome’s comic 1889 novel are in that honorable tradition. They are indolent, upper-class and rather dim…They have several comic mishaps, including a disastrous encounter with a tin of pineapple, but they also, in some of the book’s loveliest passages, absorb a bit of the history and the beauty of their country.”

Chicago Tribune

“I'd warn against reading this book in public: you may get arrested for breach of the peace. I would be a little stunned if it doesn't become on of your favorites.”

Julia Stuart, author of The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

“Perhaps the greatest of all Victorian comic novels.”

Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize–winning book critic

User Reviews

Book 3.0
Narration 1.0
Author Jerome K. Jerome
Narrator Frederick Davidson
Duration 6 hours and 40 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781481546515
Format Audiobook
Publisher Craig Black
Genre Classic fiction, Humorous fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US
Rating
3.0 (1 review)
Narration
1.0 (1 review)

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.