Play Book Tag discussion

2024 up to 3.5 stars so I've rounded up
This time I appreciated more of the humour, so part of it is my mood on this one. This also may be the origin of the quip, "I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours." but the context makes it even better. Variations of this abound. It also helps to know some things about this time so more of the jokes and quips make sense. Jerome's intent, in part, was to break into a new audience of readers and this was a best seller in his day, although many more affluent readers were not impressed with his three heroes--antiheroes, to be precise, since they lack all of the qualities one associates with heroes. I read this in longer doses--against my earlier advice, I see, and this time it worked well for me. Rather fickle of me, eh?

2022 ETA I just did a reread of this, and while it was just as funny in the places I liked the first time, I am not sure why I didn't mention it in my review last time(perhaps I missed it during an interruption by one of my family members and didn't get back to the right spot on the page, which has happened other times), but there is a racial slur in it that was a slur even back when this was written. VERY disappointing! I've dropped a star from my rating--if there had actually been a person of colour in the book talked about this way, I'd give it one.

I have finally read this classic I've heard so much about! This is just what the title suggests, but more. These are three loafers who have taken it upon themselves to travel up the Thames by boat accompanied by a dog. Yes, it sounds like a boring travel story, doesn't it? However, it is funny. Perhaps not all of it, or at least not all of it to me, but enough of it that I had to rate it at 4 stars. I even have a favourite scene, but there is no point in telling you which scene I found the funniest if you have never read this. It's best read with very little detail of the humour thrown in. Personally, I'm glad I didn't read the description here on GR first, or it's possible I would have anticipated that scene (not going to say for sure) or others I laughed at, and that might have spoiled it for me.

I didn’t get very far with this one before I had to put it away. Maybe I was just expecting too much after seeing many positive reviews. Or I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of humor. I might try again some day.

NancyJ wrote: "I didn’t get very far with this one before I had to put it away. Maybe I was just expecting too much after seeing many positive reviews. Or I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of humor. I might..."

Humour is very subjective and it doesn't work for everyone. I do best if I don't hear this book with a British accent when I read it. There are some chapters, such as the first one, that are 5 stars for me.