• Binding: Hardcover

• Edition: First Edition

Key Features & Bibliographic Points This copy features all four definitive bibliographical points required to establish a true first edition:

• Title Page: Publisher's address reads "Quay Street" instead of "11 Quay Street".

• Page 271: The final word on the last line of text is correctly printed as "stream".

• Arrowsmith's Bristol Library: The advertisement lists exactly 37 titles.

• Rear Board Advert: The advertisement for Prince Prigio states "Ready in October".

This is a rare third state 'hybrid' book, as detailed in the Jerome K Jerome society listings. It has the moon in the image on page 20 and the inverted initials on pages 77 & 95 have been corrected.

Condition Report

• Overall: Good

• Binding: Original publisher's cloth. Shows normal wear consistent with age. Corners slightly bumped. Spine ends slightly frayed. Publisher's original "Thames blue" cloth, front board and spine lettered in gilt, which remains distinct.

• Interior: Binding remains sound. Pages are clean with light, uniform toning. No major tearing or structural defects.

A very presentable, honest copy of an enduring classic.

Summary

Three Men in a Boat is a humorous comic travelogue following three privileged Londoners-”J, George, and Harris-”along with their fox terrier, Montmorency, as they embark on a rowing holiday up the River Thames. Originally intended as a serious travel guide, the narrative quickly devolves into a series of comedic misadventures, domestic mishaps, and witty digressions about the absurdities of camping, history, and human nature. Through sharp irony and slapstick situational humor, the novel satirises the Victorian craze for boating while capturing a nostalgic, idyllic snapshot of the late 19th-century English countryside.