The novel Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), is set in the Victorian era, and the plot focuses on a boating trip on the Thames River in London, England. The main characters include the narrator named J and his friends George and William Harris who decide to go on a holiday because they want rest and change.
The narrator tells the reader, “I agreed with George, and suggested that we should seek out some retired and old-world spot, far from the maddening crowd, and dream away a sunny week among its drowsy lanes – some half forgotten nook, hidden away by the fairies, out of reach of the noisy world.” They finally decide “to go up the river” on a boating holiday and take their dog Montmorency with them.
The novel is a lighthearted story of their lives and the boating holiday.
The author’s satirical presentation of the characters and their actions creates much of the humour in the novel.
The most interesting chapters of the novel are “We Finally set Sailing” and “Montmorency and the Cat”.
The novel critiques the hypocrisy and pretentiousness of Victorian society. The novel also compares city and country life and explores its advantages and disadvantages.
