'Three Men on the Bummel' - Book Review

Three Men on the Bummel
by Jerome K. Jerome
1900

Those who know me have probably heard me go on - at length - about Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. For me, it's one of the funniest books ever written in the English language. It was also immensely successful for Jerome, who eventually (11 years later) wrote this sequel. Those wondering about the meaning of "Bummel" won't find it in an English dictionary as it's a German word - which Jerome defines in the last paragraph of the book.

This book sees Jerome, and the same two gentlemen who joined him on the Thames last time, taking a cycling trip through Germany. As with the previous book, there are comedic set pieces and digressions. I didn't find them as funny as the previous book. But then there's his tear-down of the German people. Here's the thing: he did exactly the same thing in the previous book, tearing the English people a new one for their oddities and eccentricities ... But he's English, and knows what he's talking about. In this current age of political correctness, his attack on the Germans seem ... awkward at best.

I would encourage you to Three Men in a Boat, but only the most dedicated need to proceed to the sequel.