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Three Men on the Bummel

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Three Men on the Bummel

By: Jerome K. Jerome
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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“A ‘Bummel,’” I explained, “I should describe as a journey, long or short, without end.” However wonderful this may sound, it is often necessary to arrive back at the starting point. And, for the three fearless friends whose earlier adventures were told in Three Men in a Boat, this poses a troublesome problem.

George, Harris, and J. decide to take a cycling trip through the Black Forest—to be accomplished on a tandem plus one. Whether it is Harris’ harrowing experience with a Hanoverian road-waterer or George’s valiant attempt to buy a cushion for his aunt, their experiences are hilarious––and they may even offer some important lessons to all who may be contemplating a cycling trip in the US.

(P)1991 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Holidays Literature & Fiction Satire Comedy Funny Witty
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Critic reviews

“Victorian humor at its silliest, cheesiest best…a comedy classic.”

(NPR)

“Jerome’s generous comedy combines the traditional and the modern. Although its subjects are the universal ones of bureaucracy, pomposity, and moral stupidity…these are balanced by his absurdist impulse to present a skewed view of the world, best seen in some of his anecdotes and digressions…Simultaneously conservative and ararchic, involved and detached, Jerome’s humor maintains a sense of comic equipoise.”

(Geoffrey Harvey, senior lecturer in English, University of Reading)

“The set pieces (the boot shop, Harris and his wife on the tandem, Harris confronting the hosepipe, the animal riot in the hilltop restaurant) are as polished and funny (funnier, some would say) as anything in [Three Men in a Boat].”

(Jeremy Nicholas, president of the Jerome K. Jerome Society)
All stars
Most relevant
I pass this one over when picking a comfortable “listen” because the narration grates awfully. It is nasal and sounds supercilious which is not how it was written - very disappointing.

I don’t choose it from my library...

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Not as hilarious as 3 men on a boat, but nevertheless very very funny. I was listening in my car and people were staring from other cars at me because I was laughing so hard.

Funny

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Brilliantly witty book sadly ruined by a very sarcastic narration. Really disappointing. Would recommend avoiding this version.

Witty novel, disappointing narration

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A beautifully written book but it is very much of its time. As a modern reader, I found the commentry on the German people of the time hard to take! It is, however a, perhaphs timely, reminder of how far we have come in respecting others and how easy it would be to forget how such commentry can offend.
Unlike other reviewers, I found the reader helped me get through this book... his delivery is sarcastic in tone... but then surely this is the tone the author would have wanted. It seemed to me to match the book's sentiment perfectly

Of its Time

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I was really disappointed with this book and did not bother listening to the end. I had enjoyed 3 men I; a boat although it is a while since I read it. This was rather tedious with a few amusing moments but not enough. The narrator’s voice was rather monotone and added to the slow moving feel of the story! I can not recommend the book as I could not encourage myself to listen to the end!

Long winded and tedious

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