Scan barcode
reading_moth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Classism
leguinstan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Prior to my reading of Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), I had heard that for a book written during the Victorian era it has aged surprisingly well and I must say that by and large I think this reputation is well-earned. Compared to other novels written during this period of time, the prose of this novel is ridiculously easy to read and a lot of the comedic vignettes still hold up to this day--the scene involving the mounted trophy fish and the story of the german singer genuinely made me laugh!
However, the three main characters were so similar in personality I sometimes struggled to keep track of their conversations and as a consequence some of the comedic moments flew over my head. And while I accept that Three Men in a Boat is truly a product of its time, for the sake of honesty I must admit that its more outdated sensibilities did end up slightly souring my overall reading experience (please refer to content warnings for more details).
So while there were handful of funny moments in the story, I didn't find it consistently funny and in my opinion the author did not effectively sustain a lighthearted mood throughout the story.
However, the three main characters were so similar in personality I sometimes struggled to keep track of their conversations and as a consequence some of the comedic moments flew over my head. And while I accept that Three Men in a Boat is truly a product of its time, for the sake of honesty I must admit that its more outdated sensibilities did end up slightly souring my overall reading experience (please refer to content warnings for more details).
So while there were handful of funny moments in the story, I didn't find it consistently funny and in my opinion the author did not effectively sustain a lighthearted mood throughout the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Classism
racial slur: one instance of a serious anti-black slur. Animal death: a dead