Three Men in a Boat
The subtitle to Three Men in a Boat is "To say nothing of the dog!" who goes along on a "hilarious misadventure" up the Thames River in England in an open boat. But the dog Montmorency doesn't find the trip hilarious, nor do the men, who spend a good deal of time arguing over whose turn it is to row or tow the boat. Usually they end up blaming their troubles on the dog, whose "...ambition in life is to get in the way and be sworn at."
Jerome and his friends, Harris and George, are not boatmen so continuously suffer the mistakes and bad luck that amateurs might rightfully expect. Jerome becomes exasperated when his two friends avoid sharing duties on the boat, but willingly admits, "It always does seem to me that I am doing more work than I should do."
But the trip is challenging. Getting comfortable and still being friendly under their canvas during a rainstorm is a challenge. Or digging to the bottom of their hamper to find what they'd forgotten. Or putting a sail on their boat upside-down. Even eating their own cooking becomes a challenge, causing Jerome to concede, "What the eye does not see, the stomach does not get upset about."
Although the Three Men in a Boat was celebrated for its humor when it was published in 1889, the history of English towns and villages in this autobiographical journal become almost a travel guide of the Thames. Jerome pokes fun at many kings and queens of England's past, and in 1999 Jeremy Lewis added an introduction, as well as notes at the end, which explain many of the historic places and events the author refers to.
In 1900, out of popular demand, Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) wrote Three Men on the Bummel, a tale about the same three men bicycling through Germany.